You can’t eat just one of these deliciously addictive lemon pepper wings! They’re great for game day alongside other hearty appetizer recipes, or serve them over Instant Pot mashed potatoes with a side of roasted broccoli for a fabulous dinner option. I can never resist ordering chicken wings at restaurants. They’re incredibly crispy on the outside, yet juicy and tender on the inside. Add a savory lemon pepper butter and you have the absolute best lemon pepper wings imaginable!
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need chicken wings, flour, salt, pepper, oil, butter, lemon pepper seasoning and parsley.
How do You Make Lemon Pepper wings?
This recipe starts with party style chicken wings, which are simply chicken wings that have been cut into two pieces. I feel that party wings are easier to eat and cook more evenly than whole chicken wings. Coat the wings in seasoned flour, then deep fry them in small batches until crispy and golden brown. Let the wings cool on a paper towel to absorb excess grease, and repeat the process until all the wings are fried. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and lemon pepper seasoning to make the sauce. Brush the sauce all over the wings, then sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve. I like to garnish my wings with lemon wedges and sprigs of parsley, but those are optional additions.
Tips For the Perfect Wings
Use a thermometer to make sure your frying oil is at the correct temperature. You want your oil to be somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees F. If the oil is too hot, the wings will burn before the insides cook through. If the oil is too cold, your wings may absorb excess oil and be overly greasy. The right temperature oil will help to seal in all those flavorful juices! I typically use peanut oil to fry my wings, although any oil with a high smoke point will work, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil or canola oil. You can serve your wings as-is, or add a dip on the side such as ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. When I purchased my lemon pepper for this recipe, I read the ingredients of 4 different brands and they varied quite a bit. Some lemon pepper brands contain salt, others use citric acid instead of actual lemon zest, and some even use yellow food coloring! I recommend choosing one with a more natural ingredient list that includes black pepper and real lemon.
Baked Lemon Pepper Wings
If you prefer, you can bake these wings in the oven. To make baked wings, you’ll want to skip the flour coating and instead brush your wings with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake your wings on a wire rack set on a baking sheet at 425 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until deep golden brown and crispy. Brush with the lemon pepper butter as directed in the recipe, sprinkle with parsley, then serve. You won’t get quite the same coating as you will in the frying method, but the baked version is still totally delicious!
Flavor Variations
This recipe is fabulous as-is, but you can customize the sauce or add dips to take it to the next level.
Sauce: Instead of mixing lemon pepper into the melted butter, try other spices such as BBQ rub, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning or even chili powder. You can also grab some fresh lemons and add a squeeze of lemon juice to the butter mixture. Dips: While ranch is a classic pairing with wings, other great options include BBQ sauce, fry sauce, yum yum sauce or honey mustard sauce. Chicken: No wings on hand? You can bake up chicken drumsticks or thighs and brush the lemon pepper sauce over them for a similar taste.
If you love lemon pepper, you’ll adore these flavorful little wings. They’re a welcome addition to any party, or serve them up as a fun and unexpected dinner option!
