Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Extra Crispy Chicken wings with the zesty flavor of lemon pepper are a delicious twist on a classic and easy to make, fried, air fried, or baked!

These lemon pepper wings are coated in an irresistible mixture of melted butter and lemon pepper seasoning. They are tangy, zesty, and extra crispy with the help of a little bit of flour and oil.

You can make lemon pepper wings three different ways! Use whichever method is most convenient for you. Choose from deep-frying (the traditional method), air frying, or baking chicken wings in the oven. You don’t need a deep fryer either. I do all of my frying in a heavy dutch oven on the stove.

However you decide to cook these wings, you’ll be glad that you did!

Don’t forget to make up a batch of Homemade Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing so that it’s ready to dip your lemon pepper chicken wings into.

And, if you want to try another spin on the classic chicken wing, grab my recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Big Flavor – Adding lemon pepper seasoning and lemon juice to a wing sauce is a different experience from the typical hot buffalo wing, but it’s super tasty. This recipe is great for those who don’t enjoy spicy foods but can also be spiced up a bit if you like.
2. Three Ways to Cook It– I’ll show you how to make chicken wings using a deep fryer or a pot of oil on the stove. I’ll also tell you how to make this recipe in the air fryer or in your oven.
3. Extra Crispy Wings – If I’m eating chicken wings, they better be extra crispy! A thin coating of flour helps these wings get that way.

Ingredients In Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Here’s what you need to make these tasty, sharable appetizers.

• Chicken Wings: The sauce we’re making is enough to coat 3 pounds of chicken wings. Separate the wings into drumettes and wingettes if needed.
• Flour, salt, and pepper: Before frying, the wings get a thin coating of seasoned flour. This gives them an extra crispy exterior.
• Oil, for frying: Vegetable Oil, Canola Oil, or Peanut Oil works well for deep frying. The exact amount you need will depend on the size of your pot or deep fryer.
• Lemon Pepper Sauce: This wing sauce is so simple! Mix together melted butter, lemon pepper seasoning, and the juice from half a lemon. Before you juice the lemon, zest it so you can use the zest along with some fresh parsley as a delicious garnish.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Once you learn how to make lemon pepper sauce, you can put it on chicken, fish, or vegetables too. This sauce is tasty on everything.

How To Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

First I’ll show you how to make crispy lemon pepper chicken wings by deep frying them! You can use a dutch oven or an electric deep fryer for this method.

1. Prep the Wings: Make sure the chicken is dry by patting the wings with paper towels. Then combine flour with salt and pepper in a bowl.
2. Coat with Flour: Coat each chicken wing in the flour, pressing it in so that flour gets into all the little nooks and crannies of the wings. Shake off excess flour, and place on a wire rack to air dry.
3. Fry: To a dutch oven or deep fryer, add about 1 ½ – 2 inches of oil and preheat to 350°F/180°C. Drop the wings into the hot oil, working in 4 batches so that you don’t overcrowd the pot. Deep fry for 6-7 minutes, making sure that the temperature of the oil does not drop.

1. Keep Warm: Remove wings when the internal temperature is 165°F/74°C, and place them on a wire rack in a warm oven as you fry the other batches.
2. Make the Sauce: To make lemon pepper sauce for wings, melt the butter, then mix it with lemon pepper seasoning and lemon juice.
3. Toss: Toss the crispy chicken wings in the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley, lemon zest, and extra lemon pepper seasoning if desired.

How to Air Fry Crispy Lemon Pepper Wings

Follow this recipe, but instead of flour, toss the wings in 1 tablespoon of aluminum-free baking powder and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

Air Fry wings at 400°F/200°C for 20 minutes. Shake the wings once or twice during that time, and be sure not to overcrowd the air fryer basket. Toss the wings with the lemon pepper sauce before serving.

See my recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings for more details about the process for air frying wings. It’s easy and low-mess.

How to Bake Crispy Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Just like the air fryer, use cornstarch and baking powder to coat the wings.

Bake in a preheated 450°F/230°C oven for 35-40 minutes. For easy cleanup, line the pan with foil. Add the sauce to the wings once they are cooked through.

Recipe Tips

• Toss ‘Em! When adding sauce to chicken wings, the best way is to place hot wings in a large bowl, then pour the sauce over them. Use the bowl to stir and flip the wings to evenly cover each piece. If you’re not that confident yet, you can stir them in the bowl with a spoon instead.
• Must-Have Dip: Chicken wings require a creamy dipping sauce. Lemon pepper wings are delicious with Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch.
• Enjoy Some Variety: You can serve different flavors of chicken wings. Once they’re cooked, toss half of them in the lemon pepper sauce, and toss the other half in classic Buffalo Wing Sauce.

How to Buy and Prepare Chicken Wings

Here’s what to look for when shopping for chicken wings, plus some helpful information on how to prep them for cooking.

• Fresh is Best. Frozen Chicken wings are much harder to get crispy because the freezing process makes them wet. Look for fresh chicken wings that have been air chilled rather than water chilled. If you really want to cook frozen wings today, check out my Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings recipe!
• Whole or Pieces? Depending on your store or butcher, you may be able to buy chicken wings already split into flats and drums. Sometimes, what is available are whole chicken wings, which have a wingette, drumette, and an extra piece (the tip) that you don’t need. These need to be butchered before you start cooking.
• To separate whole wings: You need a sharp knife and a cutting board. Use the knife to cut off the wing tip (that’s the pointy part that doesn’t have any meat on it), by cutting through the joint. Then, find the space in the joint between the other two pieces, and carefully cut them apart. Discard the tips and start cooking!

Storing Tips

Leftover chicken wings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. They are best reheated in the air fryer or the oven. Microwaving wings just doesn’t work well.

What To Serve With Lemon Pepper Wings

I often make wings and enjoy them all on their own as a delicious meal. A side of celery and carrot sticks is sometimes all that is required!

Try serving lemon pepper wings with a simple tossed green salad or a Homemade Pepperoni Pizza.

Wings are also great with classic bar foods like Fried Shrimp, French Fries and Baked Potato Skins.

Recipe FAQs

Lemon Pepper Wings are a great change from the typical Buffalo-style wings, and the whole family will love the tangy, tasty lemon sauce. Pin the recipe for later!