These hot honey lemon pepper wings are a crispy, sweet, savory, and tangy treat. You can make the wings for an appetizer for game day, serve them for dinner at home, or for lunch with friends! Keep reading for the secret to reliably crispy wings every time.
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Why You'll Love Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
This recipe produces perfectly crispy wings every time. The wings are coated in bright, tangy, bold lemon pepper seasoning and tossed in a sweet and spicy hot honey and butter sauce.
You can serve this recipe in lots of ways. Wings are the perfect appetizer, yes, but they're also a delicious dinner or lunch. Just serve them up with a salad or some veggies and you'll have a meal on the table everyone will love.
Plus, this recipe is easy to make. Just add the lemon pepper dry rub, cook the chicken wings, and toss them in the honey sauce.
If you don't want to use the oven, check out the "Variations" section below for instructions on using the air fryer! You can easily air fry the wings if it's too hot for the oven or you're baking other things.
Finally, these wings reheat surprisingly well. Warm them up in the oven for tasty leftovers.
What You'll Need
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Wings
- Fresh Chicken Wings You can also use a mix of chicken wings and drumettes (as pictured). You'll need a 2-pound package. If using frozen wings, be sure to defrost before cooking.
- Lemon Pepper Some lemon pepper blends (particularly generic brands) can be extremely salty. Be aware of this when using salt in any other part of your dish.
- Baking Powder This is the secret to the super crispy skin. Don't leave this out!
- Fresh Lemon You'll be using both the zest for the wings and the juice for the sauce below.
- Olive Oil or Cooking Spray Use this to coat the wire rack so your wings don't stick!
Hot Honey Lemon Sauce
- Honey Any type of honey will work well here.
- Butter I recommend using unsalted butter and then adding salt, but salted butter will work too. Just omit the salt mentioned below.
- Hot Sauce I recommend using a vinegar-based hot sauce like Tabasco or Crystal for this recipe.
- Salt Kosher salt is what I always recommend for cooking. It's less salty per teaspoon than other varieties of salt, making it easier to taste as you go, and harder to oversalt your food.
- Black Pepper optional. You can add a little extra black pepper to this sauce if you'd like. If you're out of black pepper, add a bit of the lemon pepper seasoning instead (but again, watch the salt!)
How to Make Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken
Step One Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels.
Step Two Place a wire baking rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step Three Spray the rack with cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking while it cooks.
Step Four Preheat the oven to 450. Coat the wings in lemon pepper, lemon zest, and baking powder. Add the chicken in a single layer to the wire rack and let sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
Step Five Bake the wings for 45 minutes and remove them from the oven. The wings should be crispy and golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the wings are done (have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
Step Six Meanwhile, prepare the hot honey sauce as shown in the linked post. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the hot sauce and honey, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the sauce.
Step Seven Toss the wings in a large mixing bowl with the hot honey lemon pepper sauce. Ensure the wings are evenly coated.
Step Eight Serve right away! Any remaining hot honey sauce can be transferred to a bowl for dipping.
Recommended Equipment
Instant-Read Thermometer - This is my favorite thermometer!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The secret to crispy chicken wings is baking powder. You will want to pat the chicken as dry as possible, then toss with baking powder and other dry seasonings, and let sit for about 30 minutes before cooking for a super crispy wing.
Some brands of lemon pepper can be very salty. Be sure to taste the lemon pepper before adding it to your chicken. If it is overly salty, dial back the salt in any other part of the recipe, or leave it out completely. To add extra lemon pepper flavor without the seasoning, add fresh black pepper and lemon zest to the rub for your wings.
You should. When baking your wings in the oven, adding some baking powder to the chicken skin allows it to crisp up nicely. This is also the time to add dry seasonings, like the lemon pepper blend in this recipe.
Variations
Air Fryer Rather than cooking these wings in the oven, you can air fry them instead. Preheat to 375 for 10 minutes, then place the wings in the air fryer basket and cook for about 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Extra Lemony Add more lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to the hot honey sauce while it cooks.
Garlicky Add some garlic powder or minced garlic to the sauce while cooking. Minced garlic has a tendency to burn, so keep a close eye on it.
How to Store Leftover Wings
Fridge Store the wings in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Freezer I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Reheating Reheat the wings in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the interior temperature reads 165 degrees.
You can also reheat them in the microwave, but they will not remain crispy.
Expert Tips
- For the best result, be sure to coat your chicken wings evenly in the lemon pepper and baking powder mixture before baking or you may run into a pocket of baking powder that's a little dry when eating.
- Having an instant-read thermometer on hand will help you determine if your chicken wings have reached the proper temperature to serve.
- An oven thermometer is another tool I highly recommend. Ovens can be off by 100 degrees or more, displaying a temperature of 450 F when in reality it is 350 or less. A reliable oven thermometer will give you an accurate reading of the temperature in your oven every time.
How to Serve this Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe
This chicken wing recipe is an excellent appetizer, lunch, or dinner! Try pairing it with some of the recipes below.
Appetizer This is a perfect appetizer for a big game or just a day at home with friends. Try serving with some other popular appetizers, like this Pineapple Habanero Salsa or these Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.
Serve the crispy lemon pepper wings as a main dish with these sides:
Roasted Vegetables I love roasted vegetables as a side with chicken. You could also serve up some Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli, or some Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts.
Potatoes These would be great with some spicy Calabrian Potatoes or a Warm Potato Salad.
Salad and wings are a perfect pairing. Try this Arugula Caprese Salad, this Burrata Salad with Balsamic Glaze, or a fresh Beet Cucumber Salad with Feta.
Pickled Vegetables I love chicken wings with some pickled veggies! This pickled celery is a favorite.
More Appetizers to Try
📖 Recipe
Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Equipment
- Wire Rack
- Mixing Bowls
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper see note 1
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- olive oil or pan spray to lightly coat the wire rack
Hot Honey Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, see note 2
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce vinegar-based, like Tabasco or Crystal
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- Place a wire baking rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray the grate of the wire rack with pan spray or lightly brush with olive oil.
- Preheat the oven to 450. Coat the wings in lemon pepper, lemon zest, and baking powder. Add the chicken in a single layer to the wire rack and let sit for about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Bake the wings for 45 minutes and remove them from the oven. The wings should be crispy and golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the wings are done (have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Meanwhile, prepare the hot honey sauce as shown in the linked post. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the hot sauce and honey, then simmer for about 5 minutes. Add freshly ground black pepper, salt (if using), and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the sauce.
- Toss the wings in a large mixing bowl with the hot honey lemon pepper sauce. Ensure the wings are evenly coated.
- Serve right away, using any remaining hot honey sauce as a dipping sauce.
Notes
- Some lemon pepper seasoning can be extremely salty. Be sure to taste yours before using. If it is on the salty side, you can use a bit less and supplement it with extra black pepper and lemon zest. You can also omit the salt in the hot honey sauce.
- If using salted butter, do not add any salt to the hot honey sauce.
- For extra lemony taste, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the hot honey sauce.
- If you only have hot sauce on hand that isn't vinegar-forward, you can balance the hot honey sauce with a bit of vinegar.
- For the best result, be sure to coat your chicken wings evenly in the lemon pepper and baking powder mixture before baking or you may run into a pocket of baking powder that's a little dry when eating.
- Fridge Store the wings in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer I don't recommend freezing this recipe.
- Reheating Reheat the wings in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the interior temperature reads 165 degrees. You can also reheat them in the microwave, but they will not remain crispy.
Carolyn says
I just found your page and I tell you, my mouth started to water just reading the recipe. I will be making these today. Thanks!
Genevieve says
That's so great to hear, Carolyn! I hope you enjoy them!
Sharina says
We had a chicken wings party last night and these hot honey lemon pepper wings are one of the crowds' favorite! They were packed with flavors and so juicy!
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Sharina!
Giangi Townsend says
Thank you for sharing your tip about baking powder to make the wings crispy. We all love this recipe and cannot get enough. We had a last-minute drop-in of friends, and we made it. They love them so much, and they stole my printed version.
Michelle says
These wings are a favourite in my household, they are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. The sticky glaze with a hint of honey combined with the tanginess of lemon and the heat of hot sauce make these wings absolutely delicious and addictive.
Genevieve says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks Michelle.
Elizabeth S says
I love lemon pepper and these were good. I used regular honey because I don't like spicy things.
Genevieve says
That's a great swap for someone who isn't a fan of heat! Glad you gave them a try, Elizabeth.
Addison says
These chicken wings had the best sweet and spicy flavors! Great for game days.
Genevieve says
Thank you so much, Addison!