Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
These honey lemon pepper chicken wings are super crispy with a sweet, tangy, and peppery glaze. The glaze is made from honey, lemon pepper, and black pepper with just a kick of heat. This recipe uses my secret ingredient for the crispiest baked chicken wings ever!
Crispy chicken wings are a perfect appetizer or main dish, or when you want a fun snack. This lemon pepper wings recipe with its sweet sticky sauce is great for football season and game night too! For more extra crispy wing recipes, try Crispy Blackened Chicken Wings and Crispy Dry Rub Chicken Wings.
Why Trust This Recipe?
This recipe has been thoroughly tested to ensure the best tasting and crispiest wings. Initially I tested the recipe using fresh lemon juice, but decided the lemon pepper seasoning worked better. The dehydrated lemon powder in the seasoning kept the wings crispier than using real lemon juice and had an overall better taste. The result is tangy, sweet, and extra crispy wings.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken wings – You can purchase wings already broken down into drumettes and wingettes, or whole wings and break them down yourself.
- Neutral oil – A neutral tasting high heat oil works best, like grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. I would avoid using olive oil when cooking at high temperatures.
- Baking Powder – The secret ingredient to making the absolute most crispy wings! Get the aluminum free kind. Note, baking powder is NOT the same as baking soda.
- Honey – If you want hot wings, try substituting for hot honey.
- Lemon pepper seasoning – Using a lemon pepper seasoning blend came out much better than using fresh lemons.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Get Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven
These homemade honey lemon pepper wings will not disappoint! Read on for detailed instructions and expert tips for making the most delicious chicken wings.
- Pat wings dry with paper towels. Then toss with oil, massaging it into the wings.
- Toss the wings with seasonings and mix evenly.
- Place wings on a greased baking rack in a single layer.
- Bake until crispy and cooked throughout, flipping halfway through.
- While the wings are in their last few minutes of cooking, make the honey lemon pepper glaze.
- Finally, toss the cooked wings in the sauce and serve hot! Serve with a dipping sauce like garlic aioli.
Lauren’s Tips for Crispy Wings
- Using a wire rack over your sheet pan allows air to circulate around the whole wing, making extra crispy skin. Cover the baking sheet with foil and spray the rack generously with nonstick spray.
- Use a double layer of foil when covering your baking sheet. If your oven gets smoky when you flip the wings, you can discard the first layer of foil with all the burnt drippings.
- Use a large baking sheet so the wings have enough space to spread out. Use 2 smaller ones if needed.
- Thoroughly pat your wings dry before seasoning so they can get extra crispy.
Equipment Needed
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Troubleshooting
Oven gets smokey while baking wings – This can be from multiple causes. Using an oil with a low smoking point, like olive oil, can cause the oil to start smoking in the oven. To get around this use an oil with a higher smoking point like grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Smoking can also come from the burnt drippings at the bottom of the baking sheet. Use 2 layers of foil so you can remove the top layer when drippings get too smokey.
Wings aren’t crispy enough – There are three secrets to getting baked chicken wings extra crispy:
- Pat wings thoroughly dry
- Coat them with baking powder
- Render the fat.
Longer cooking time for wings is better so the fat can melt allowing the skin to get crispy. If you have wings that are on the larger side, cooking them for longer at 400°F before turning the heat up.
Storage & Reheating
- Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I don’t recommend freezing these wings once they have been cooked.
- The best way to reheat chicken wings is back in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake wings until heated throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make this a boneless chicken wing recipe. Use chicken breasts instead of chicken wings. Cut the chicken breast into 1×2 inch hunks. Prepare in the same way you would chicken wings. Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°. You might want to put the wings under the broiler for a minute to make the outside more crisp.
To prevent wings from smoking the oven too much, use an oil with a high smoking point. You can also use a double layer of foil and remove one when the drippings start burning and smoking.
Hungry for More Chicken Recipes?
- Skillet Chicken Thighs with Olives, Peppers, Onions, Garlic, and Tomatoes
- Chicken Sausage Breakfast Sandwiches
- How to cook perfect juicy chicken breasts every time
- Dry Rubbed Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Did you love this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment and let me know!
Crispy Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (like vegetable or avocado)
- parsley or lemon wedges for topping (optional)
Dry Rub (Per 1 lb chicken wings)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoons salt
Honey Lemon Pepper Sauce (Per 1 lb chicken wings)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper (1 pinch = 1/16 th teaspoon)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil, then with a fitted wire baking rack. Spray generously with cooking spray. Combine the seasonings for the dry rub together in a small bowl. Break down chicken wings into drumettes, wingettes, and tips. Discard the tips or save for making chicken stock.
- COAT: Pat the wings down dry with paper towels. Add the wings to a large bowl, and massage the oil into the wings. Sprinkle the dry rub seasonings over the wings and toss to coat evenly. Place the wings on the baking rack, giving them enough space around each other.
- BAKE: Bake wings for 20 minutes. Increase heat to 450°F and flip wings over. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and cooked throughout (reaches 165°F)
- GLAZE: When the wings are almost finished, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a large bowl. Add the finished wings to the bowl and toss with the glaze to combine.
- SERVE: Serve hot. Top with chopped parsley or lemon wedges. Serve with ranch, garlic aioli, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
Equipment
- bakings sheet with wire rack
- aluminum foil or parchment paper
Nutrition
Meet Lauren
I’m the blogger, recipe developer, food photographer, and otherwise food obsessed gal behind Lauren From Scratch. I was born and raised in New Orleans and lived in South Louisiana most of my life. Growing up around Cajun country has instilled a love of food that runs deep in my bones. I am passionate about food and teaching you how to make mouth-watering Louisiana inspired dishes in your own kitchen!
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