Easy Lemon Pepper Honey Wings
These lemon pepper honey wings are sweet, savory, and zesty thanks to a good dose of lemon pepper seasoning! You can make the wings in the oven or air fryer, but either way, they come out crispy every time. Save this appetizer recipe for holidays, casual parties, and game day!
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds party chicken wings (900 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, NOT baking soda! (15 grams)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
- Neutral oil or cooking spray I use avocado oil
Lemon Pepper Honey Sauce
- 1/4 cup good-quality unsalted butter, melted (60 grams)
- 1/4 cup honey (85 milliliters)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 milliliters)
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- Black pepper, to taste
- Lemon zest, for garnish, optional
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- 1-2 sheet pans
- Parchment paper or tin foil
- Wire rack
Instructions
Prep the wings
- Dry the wings very well with paper towels. You want them to be as dry as possible so the wings get crispy! (Alternatively, you can dry them out in the fridge overnight. See the Recipe Notes for details.)
- Place the wings in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper seasoning, and black pepper. Toss to combine.
Oven-Baked Wings
- To bake the wings, preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Then, place an oven-safe wire rack on the prepared sheet pan. Grease it super well with neutral oil or cooking spray, or the wings will stick.
- Place the wings skin-side up in a single layer on the wire rack. It's ok if they're touching a bit on the sides, they will shrink as they cook.
- Bake the wings for 25 minutes. Then, flip the wings and bake them for another 15-20 minutes until they are crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Remove the wings from the oven and let them sit for about 5 minutes to crisp up more.
Air Fryer Wings
- To air fry the wings, grease the basket of an air fryer with neutral oil or cooking spray. Place the wings skin-side up in a single layer in the air fryer basket. It's ok if they're touching a bit on the sides.
- Fry the wings at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes. Then, flip the wings and fry them for 6-8 more minutes until they're crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Let the wings rest for 5 minutes to help them crisp up more.
Lemon Pepper Honey Sauce
- While the wings are cooking, combine the melted butter, honey, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Once the wings have rested for about 5 minutes, transfer them to a large bowl. Drizzle half of the sauce over the wings and use tongs to toss the wings until they're evenly coated. Add more sauce, to taste, or serve the extra sauce on the side. Garnish the wings with more black pepper, lemon zest, and/or parsley and enjoy!
Notes
You want to use party wings in this recipe, which are chicken wings that have been broken down into drums and flats. You can also buy full wings and break them down yourself.
Use a good-quality lemon pepper seasoning made with real lemon zest. I use Scott's. Also, make sure to taste the wings before adding salt, because most seasonings already have salt in them!
If you like extra spice, feel free to use hot honey instead of regular.
Dry all sides of the wings really well. You want them to be as dry as possible so they crisp up instead of steaming. If you have time, you can also dry the wings on a wire rack overnight in the fridge. Place the wire rack on a sheet pan to prevent cross contamination and leave the wings uncovered so they dry out.
The secret to crispy baked wings is baking powder. Make sure you're using fresh, aluminum-free baking powder, not baking soda! Otherwise, the wings will come out with a bitter, metallic aftertaste.
For extra crispy wings, broil them for 1-2 minutes. Just don't broil them for too long, or the wings will dry out.
2 pounds of wings is about 24-28 wings, depending on the size of the wings.
Serving: 1wing, Calories: 76kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 69mg, Potassium: 46mg, Sugar: 3g, Calcium: 35mg
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