Lemon Pepper Wings

Savory and zingy, my lemon pepper wings make a terrific appetizer for game day or a scrumptious shareable snack to pass around. Prepared with juicy chicken wings marinated in a homemade lemon pepper mixture with loads of flavor, then tossed in a lemon butter sauce, this recipe comes out of the oven extra crispy and mouthwatering!

Crispy chicken wings with a lemony and peppery twist

For those times when my hubs and I crave something savory that's more of a finger food rather than a full entree, I'll prepare some mouthwatering chicken wings for us to nibble on and enjoy.

If wings with some "kick" beckon to us, it'll be my spicy chicken wings with chili crisp, or my mildly sweet, Asian-inspired spicy orange chicken wings. And if we're more in the mood for wings with an Indian-inspired take, my baked chicken wings tandoori style with a cool yogurt dipping sauce is just the ticket.

But when we're hungry for chicken wings with a peppery and slightly "zingy," lemony flavor profile, then this lemon pepper chicken wings recipe is what we're all about—what a tasty classic!

Seasoned with a homemade lemon pepper dry rub, then baked until the skin is a deep, golden-brown with a crispy texture, these lemon pepper wings are a fantastic option to pass around on game day, or to simply enjoy whenever that craving for some fun finger food comes around!

My recipe for lemon pepper wings

To make these tasty wings extra delicious and loaded with lots of peppery and lemony flavor, I like to mix up an easy lemon pepper dry rub made from scratch to coat these wings in.

I mix together some savory seasonings such as granulated onion and garlic, a small sprinkle of paprika, plus a hefty grinding of freshly-cracked black pepper (best peppery flavor!), and salt. And for the lemony part of the equation, I use lots of fresh lemon zest.

I like to use a combo of the flatter chicken wing pieces as well as drumettes for these wings. But you could use all drumettes (more meat), or all flat wings for this recipe—the choice is yours!

To prep my wings, I first pat them lightly with paper towels, then drizzle in a small amount of olive oil, just enough to help the lemon pepper seasoning adhere well. Then, marinating the chicken wings for a while (even overnight if making ahead) imparts much more depth of savory flavor here.

And the secret to crispy skin with these wings, without frying them? Using a sprinkle of a combo of flour and baking powder, plus a high-heat oven temp, does the trick deliciously.

I've experimented using only baking powder (a common ingredient for making baked chicken wings crispy), as well as this combination of flour and baking powder. My hubs and I found the flour/baking powder combo much more to our liking—it yielded slightly crispier and better-tasting results. The added crispy texture also helps the zingy lemon butter sauce that I toss the lemon pepper chicken wings in at the end adhere better, creating even more scrumptious flavor!

Here's a glance at my lemon pepper wing recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. I season my chicken wings in my homemade lemon pepper dry rub and marinate for roughly 20 to 30 minutes, or even overnight if prepping ahead.
2. Meanwhile, I mix together my flour and my baking powder, and set that aside.
3. Once marinated, I sprinkle the flour/baking powder combo over the chicken wings and toss to coat them evenly.
4. I then arrange the lemon pepper wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet, and bake the wings at a high oven temp until crispy and golden.
5. Once baked, I toss my lemon pepper wings in my lemon butter sauce for even more zingy flavor, then place onto a serving platter, sprinkle over chopped parsley, and enjoy.

Recipe

Lemon Pepper Wings

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These juicy lemon pepper wings are delectably zippy, savory and peppery, baked until extra crispy and delicious!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 352 calories (per serving, about 4 wings)

Prep Time: 20 minutes (does not include marination time)
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds chicken wings (drumettes and flat wing pieces, or only drumettes)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper, plus extra to garnish
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (not baking soda)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Chopped parsley, as garnish
• Lemon wedges, as accompaniment

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To make the lemon pepper seasoning, add the granulated onion and garlic, the cracked pepper, salt and paprika to a small dish or larger ramekin, and using a fork, mix to combine. Set this dry seasoning aside.
3. Place the chicken wings into a large bowl, and pat them dry very well with paper towels. Drizzle over the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle in the dry seasoning, as well as the lemon zest, evenly over the wings, and gently toss the wings to coat them well.
4. Place the wings into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to marinate.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil, and place a wire rack over top of the foil, and lightly mist with cooking spray.
6. Then, toss the flour and the baking powder together in a small ramekin.
7. Once the wings have marinated, sprinkle the flour/baking powder mixture over the wings, and gently toss to coat them. Then, arrange the lemon pepper wings on the wire rack with some space between them to allow air to circulate.
8. Bake the wings for about 40 minutes on the lower third rack, until golden-brown and crispy. (You can place them under the broiler for a minute or two at this point, if you'd like to deepen the color and char the skin more.)
9. Remove the lemon pepper wings from the oven, and allow them to sit for a minute while you prep the lemon butter sauce.
10. To prepare the lemon butter sauce, melt the unsalted butter in a small dish for 15 to 30 second intervals, then add to it the lemon juice. Mix with a fork to combine, and pour this lemon butter glaze into a large bowl.
11. Then, add the wings into the lemon butter mixture, and using tongs, gently toss the wings just until coated.
12. Place the lemon pepper chicken wings onto a serving platter and sprinkle with extra freshly-cracked pepper and salt (if needed), and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Tips & tidbits for my lemon pepper wings recipe:

• Chicken wings of your choice: I like to make this recipe using both the drumettes and the flat wing pieces for variety, but have also used only drumettes—I love those too. There's more meat on the drumettes, so use 3 pounds if you prefer them, omitting the flat wing pieces.
• Baking powder and flour, for extra crispy skin: Sprinkling a combo of flour and baking powder over the wings before baking makes the chicken wings extra crispy. This happens because the baking powder increases the pH of the skin, creating little bubbles and browning/crisping the skin better in a high-heat oven. The flour creates a bit of texture as well, helping the lemon butter to stick to the wings better. You can, technically, skip adding flour and baking powder and still have terrific results, but the skin will be crispier if you use them. Just make sure it's baking powder, not baking soda.
• To dip, or not to dip: Usually, I'm a sucker for a great dipping sauce, but tend to skip one with these lemon pepper wings because they're zippy, bright, and peppery in and of themselves—so flavorful already! But if you want to use a sauce to dip these into, opt for a light, creamy ranch-style sauce.
• How to re-heat lemon pepper chicken wings: If you happen to have a toaster oven, then reheating these wings at around 350° to 375° for roughly 8 to 10 minutes will do the trick, even re-crisping them a bit. They can also be gently microwaved as well.

Hungry for more delicious and savory chicken wings? Check out my recipe for Tandoori Style Baked Chicken Wings, Spicy Chicken Wings with Chili Crisp, Coca-Cola Chicken Wings, Spicy Orange Chicken Wings, or even my recipe for Vietnamese Fried Chicken!