Lemon Pepper Wings (video)

Lemon Pepper Wings - the crispiest baked chicken wings EVER tossed in a zesty, addictive Lemon Pepper Sauce

this recipe!

The BEST Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

These Homemade Lemon Pepper Wings combine the crispiest baked chicken wings ever with a zesty Lemon Pepper sauce. The result is crackly, crispy chicken wings with a taste like no other!

Super Easy Baked Wings

These Lemon Pepper Wings are super easy to make. Baked, not fried, means no frying mess to clean up.

And they’re the perfect game day or party food. Prepare them in advance and pop them into the oven when you need them. No mess and you won’t smell like frying oil.

Lemon Pepper Wet Wings

“Wet” wings are wings that aren’t just fried or baked, then sprinkled with Lemon Pepper seasoning. Wet Lemon Pepper Wings mean they’re tossed in a lemon pepper sauce giving every bite a potent, zesty kick.

The ultimate crispy oven baked chicken wings

For crackly, crispy chicken wings I use my Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings recipe. Check out my post where I tested four different methods to get the crunchiest, crispiest wings that are tender and juicy on the inside.

The secret to making oven baked chicken wings extra crispy?

Baking powder. Coating the wings with baking powder helps draw moisture to the surface of the skin which is evaporated in the high heat of the oven. It also creates little bubbles on the skin, which harden and create the crispy texture.

How to make super crispy oven baked chicken wings in three easy steps:

• Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels.
• Toss the wings with baking powder and salt.
• Bake at 250F for 30 minutes, then at 425F for about 40 – 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Check out my post on Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings for more on the four different methods I tested to get the crispiest wings. I’ll be using Method “A” here.

This method, from Cook’s Illustrated, produces a super crispy wing with minimal effort, the fewest steps, and the least amount of cleanup. If you line your baking pan with aluminum foil, the only thing that needs to be washed is the baking rack.

1. Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels. You want to remove as much excess moisture from the skin as possible so they crisp up in the oven. If you have time, space, and have planned in advance, you can let them further dry out in the fridge for up to 24 hours (after tossing them with baking powder and arranging them on a rack).
2. Toss the wings with baking powder. This draws moisture to the surface so it can evaporate in the high heat of the oven, creating a crispy surface. It also creates tiny bubbles on the surface, increasing the surface area and the crackly, crunch.
3. Bake at a lower heat first to render out the fat, then finish the wings on high heat. The wings are first baked low and slow at 250F for 30 minutes on the lower shelf of the oven to melt out the fat. Then the heat is cranked up to 425F for 40 – 50 minutes so the skin gets super crispy. They’re baked on a baking rack that has been set on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet so the hot air can circulate all around them, crisping all sides

How to make Lemon Pepper Sauce for Chicken Wings

For BIG Lemon Pepper Wet flavor, this sauce is made of:

• Butter – for the wet, saucy part
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning – for the zesty kick
• Lemon juice – for BIG lemon flavor
• And a touch of honey –it balances the acidity and adds a touch of stickiness that I love in wings

Toss the baked wings in the sauce or brush it on.

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Make your own Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning or pick up a bottle at the supermarket.

Check out my post on Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning. It’s easy and cheap (especially if you were just going to throw away the peels!).

While my basic Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning has just dried lemon zest, pepper, and (sometimes) salt, I like to add a little onion and garlic powder in for these wings (and a little celery salt if you have some on hand).

Lemon Pepper Dry Rub Wings

To make Lemon Pepper Dry Rub Wings, rub half the lemon pepper seasoning into the wings with the baking powder before baking, and sprinkle the other half of the seasoning on the wings when they’re done. Omit the butter, lemon juice, and honey.

How to make in advance

This Lemon Pepper Wing recipe is perfect for making in advance.

• Clean and dry the wings, toss them with baking powder and salt, and place them on a baking rack.
• Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, uncovered. This will help them dry out even further, becoming even more crispy.
• When you’re ready to bake, pop them into the oven and proceed with the recipe.
• The Lemon Pepper sauce for wings can also be made in advance and reheated before tossing with or brushing on wings.

What to serve with Lemon Pepper Wings

Lemon Pepper Wings make the perfect game day or party appetizer. Serve with extra Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce, Blue Cheese dressing, or Ranch dressing on the side.

Serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite veggie for a main course meal.

Recipe

Enjoy, friends!

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