Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

These Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are baked wings, not fried, tossed in an easy lemon pepper sauce after baking to keep them extra crispy.

Easy Baked Lemon Pepper Wings

Here’s another chicken wing recipe for you that we love in our house!  I would say that these, with the classic lemon pepper coating, are the second most requested wings next to these baked chicken wings that I coat in a dry rub of everyday spices.

I like to cook my wings first without the sauce they aren’t soggy when they come out of the oven.  So no marinating is necessary.  After cooking, I just toss the wings in a homemade lemon butter sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All you need is a few simple ingredients to whip up these yummy wings.

For the Wings

• Chicken wings – Use a mix of flats and drumettes (little drumsticks). Feel free use full chicken wings too if you’d like. You can use fresh or frozen wings. Just be sure to thaw and pat dry throughly if you do use frozen.
• Baking powder – Helps dry out the skin and makes them crisp up nicely.
• Salt and Pepper – 

For the Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce

• Butter  – You can use salted or unsalted butter
• Lemon juice – Fresh is best but you can use bottled if that all you have in a pinch.
• Lemon zest – This adds so much more lemony flavor.  You can also use a tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning instead.
• Black pepper 
• Honey – Just a hint of sweetness. You can leave this out if you’d like.
• Garlic powder 

How to Make My Crispy Lemon Pepper Wings 

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 425°F  and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. (you can also place a wire cooling rack on the baking sheet for extra crispiness).

Pat the wings dry as possible with paper towels so they will get the crispiest exterior. Dampness will make them less crispy.

Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, add the wings baking powder, salt, and pepper and toss to coat evenly.

Step 3 – Place the wings on the baking sheet and cook for 45–50 minutes, flip after 25 minutes.

Step 4 – In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper, honey, and garlic powder.

Step 5 – After the wings have baked fully, place them in a large bowl and pour the lemon sauce over top and toss to coat well. (Adding the sauce after baking keeps them extra crispy).

How to Make Lemon Pepper Wings in an Air Fryer

Prepare them the same as above and place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer to allow air flow for crispiness!

Cook in a preheated air fryer 400° F for 10 minutes and then flip and cook for another 10 minutes until cooked through completely.   You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. If so, keep them warm in the oven on a baking sheet with a wire rack on it to keep them crisp.

Serving Suggestions

I love dipping them in ranch dressing or yum yum sauce.  They are wonderful alongside any of these side dishes:

• Roasted potatoes
• Potato salad
• Broccoli salad
• Hashbrown casserole

Storing Chicken Wings

Refrigerate:  After cooling, store the wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freeze:  Place in a zip closure baggie and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheating: Heat at 325° F in the oven on the wire rack on a baking sheet setup. You can also reheat them in an air fryer for about 5 minutes at 325° F.

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