Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Yield: 20 wings
Calories: 77kcal
These crispy baked lemon pepper chicken wings are easy to make for parties and game days when you need an appetizer to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- vegetable oil, as needed for oiling wire rack
- 2 pounds (908 g) chicken wings, wingettes and drummettes
- 2 teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
Lemon Pepper Sauce
- ¼ cup (58 g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon (7.5 ml) lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) chopped chives, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven - Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Heat to 450°F (232°C).
- Prepare the Baking Sheet - Line a large baking sheet with foil. Add vegetable oil to a folded paper towel, then grease both sides of a wire rack—alternatively, grease with cooking spray. Set the rack inside the baking sheet.
- Dry the Meat - Line a separate baking sheet or plate with paper towels. Place the chicken wings and drumettes on top, then thoroughly pat them dry with more paper towels.
- Season the Chicken - In a large bowl, whisk together baking powder, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken and mix to coat the surface evenly.
- Bake the Wings - Evenly space the chicken on the wire rack. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip and bake for 15 minutes. Flip again and bake until skin is golden brown and crisp and the internal temperature reaches 165ºF (74ºC), about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Lemon Pepper Sauce - In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Turn off the heat and whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, black pepper, kosher salt, onion powder, and garlic powder. Let the sauce cool slightly to thicken the consistency.
- Serve - Immediately transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss with the sauce to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped chives. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Serving Size: 1 wing
- Sauce Yield: About 1/3 cup
- Extra Dipping Sauce: Double the amount of lemon pepper sauce.
- Substituting Table Salt: Use ¾ teaspoon salt instead of 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- For Crispier Texture: Refrigerate the seasoned wings for up to 24 hours, uncovered, on top of a greased wire rack set in a foil-lined sheet pan. Remove from the refrigerator while the oven preheats, then bake in the same pan.
- Baking Directly on Sheet Pan: You can bake these wings without a wire rack, although they will be greasier from the rendered fat.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and microwave on high heat in 15-second intervals until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 77kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 164mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Recipe Link
Recipe Video