Lemon Pepper Wings
Lemon Pepper Wings are savory and buttery, made with tender chicken wings seasoned, baked, and tossed in a lemon butter sauce, perfect for game day!
This is a family favorite for football season, and definitely one of my favorite chicken wing recipes to make. They’re quick to throw together, and made with simple ingredients that I already have in my pantry. If you want these to look decorative for a party, serve with lemon wedges, extra lemon butter sauce, and top with fresh lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley for garnish.
We love trying different ways to make chicken wings! For more great ideas, try these Crispy Garlic Parmesan Wings, Instant Pot Chicken Wings, and Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Wings (great if you love hot wings!)
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to Make. When it comes to wings, this baked lemon pepper wings recipe is definitely on the easier side. Just season and bake, no boiling or frying required!
Perfect for Game Day! These are always a big hit because they have a ton of flavor, making them perfect for the big game or a football party!
Gluten Free. Because we’re making these wings from scratch, you can be confident that they’re all gluten free!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken Wings. You want a mixture of chicken wingettes and drumettes. The chicken wing itself has three parts, you can discard the wing tips (or save them to make stock afterwards).
You can also use frozen wings that have already been separated. Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is mixed with the spices to help the wings become evenly coated, and also helps them become a little bit crispy when baked.
You can also use avocado oil or canola oil.
Butter. This adds a lot of flavor! We’re using the butter to create a sauce to toss the wings in at the end. I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
Lemon Juice. Mix this with the butter to give the wings the lemon-butter flavor. Fresh lemon juice will have the best flavor.
Baking Powder. This is a key ingredient for getting crispy wings in the oven (before we coat them in lemon butter sauce). Make sure the baking powder is being spread evenly over the wings when you’re tossing them.
Granulated Sugar. A little bit of sugar helps balance out the savory notes in the wings.
Spices. This is really simple for this recipe, just some onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a sheet pan, aluminum foil, and a baking rack that fits on the sheet pan.
If you don’t have a baking rack, you can place the wings directly onto the foil if you coat it with some non-stick cooking spray. It won’t cook exactly the same, but it’ll still be good.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Wings
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Prep the wings.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place a baking rack on the sheet pan. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, and add the wings to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, tossing the wings to help coat them evenly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, and spices. Pour over the wings and toss to coat the wings evenly.
- Bake the wings.
Add the wings to the baking rack on the sheet pan in a single layer, leaving a little space between each wing. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until fully cooked, flipping the wings halfway through. Once the time is up, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown.
- Add the lemon butter sauce.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and lemon juice. Toss the wings in the sauce until evenly coated. Add salt and black pepper to taste before serving.
Recipe Variations
- If you’d like this to have even more lemon flavor, add a teaspoon or two of lemon zest to the seasoning before baking the wings.
- Instead of the buttery lemon pepper sauce, try this Buffalo Wing Sauce!
- Make these spicy by adding a dash of cayenne pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce to the spice mixture.
- Serve these Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with dipping sauces. I like to put a small bowl out with my homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, or my other favorite Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing!
- Try making air fryer lemon pepper wings! Place them in the basket in a single layer, and air fry at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Recipe Tip! You can use this as a basic recipe for a ton of different flavor combinations! Try using different spice mixtures like Italian Seasoning, or something simple like garlic, salt, and pepper. Then add your favorite sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is better to add the sauce after baking the wings. The baking powder and olive oil coating the wings will help them get crispy, which will give a really nice texture once the wings are coated in the buttery lemon sauce at the end.
Recipe Tip! Make this recipe even easier by just using a few teaspoons of lemon pepper seasoning instead of breaking the spices out individually.
More Chicken Recipes
- Baked Chicken Tenders
- Marinated Chicken Drumsticks
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken Thighs
Storage
Refrigerate leftover lemon pepper wings in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze leftover lemon pepper wings in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. Reheat on a sheet pan in the oven, or in the air fryer.
Cooking Tips
- When you broil the chicken wings, watch them closely in the oven so they don’t burn. The broiler is very, very hot and can burn things quickly. But it’s also the best way to get a nice caramelization or crispy skin on the wings.
- You can make sure these lemon pepper wings are fully cooked by using a meat thermometer. They’re done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. If they’re not at that temperature yet, just increase the cooking time for a few more minutes.
- If you don’t have a wire rack, you can just place the wings right onto the rimmed baking sheet. It’s better to use a baking rack but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have one. I still use a foil-lined baking sheet to help with cleanup after, and use non-stick cooking spray.
- If you toss the wings in the lemon butter sauce after they’re done cooking, use a clean mixing bowl.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Lemon Pepper Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings, drumettes and wingettes, separated, tips discarded
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Equipment
- 1 Sheet pan with baking rack
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place a baking rack on top.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel, and add the wings to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with baking powder, tossing the wings to help coat them evenly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar, and spices. Pour over the wings and toss to coat the wings evenly. Add the wings to the baking rack on the sheet pan in a single layer, leaving a little space between each wing.
- Bake for 40 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through, until fully cooked. Once the time is up, turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter and lemon juice. Toss the wings in the sauce until evenly coated. Add salt and black pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- When you broil the chicken wings, watch them closely in the oven so they don’t burn. The broiler is very, very hot and can burn things quickly. But it’s also the best way to get a nice caramelization or crispy skin on the wings.
- You can make sure these wings are fully cooked by using a meat thermometer. They’re done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat.
- If you don’t have a wire rack, you can place the wings onto the baking sheet. It’s better to use a baking rack but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have one.
- When you toss the wings in the lemon butter sauce after they’re done cooking, use a clean mixing bowl.
Nutrition
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