Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are super easy to make using pantry-stable ingredients and only 30 minutes in the oven! These chicken wings are great for a quick game night dinner or as a savory appetizer.
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The Best Baked Chicken Wings
We are so excited to share this Oven Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wing recipe with you! Lemon Pepper wings are unique and incredibly delicious with their slight tanginess and earthy spice. They resemble Greek Chicken Wings that you might find at a restaurant and are a tasty alternative to regular Buffalo Wings.
We bake them at a high temperature so that the skin gets perfectly crispy and the flavors start to shine. And you’ll be surprised to know that there is no oil at all in this recipe! You don’t need to fry the wings nor do you need to use oil when coating the wings. So they’re healthy and not greasy.
We do use a secret ingredient to help get the skin nice and crispy. We toss the chicken with baking powder that helps draw out any extra moisture. If there’s anything you take away from this recipe is that a dry chicken wing = a crispy chicken wing! It’s the best tip to follow when making baked chicken wings.
Why You’ll Love These
This is the best way to make baked chicken wings and here’s why you’ll agree.
- It’s fast and easy. The wings take 5 minutes to prep and then they are out of the oven in 25 minutes.
- No frying, no mess. There is no need to deep fry chicken wings at home. This recipe is less messy and easier to clean up.
- It’s healthy. This option does not require frying in greasy and fatty oil so it’s a much healthier option!
- The wings are done in one batch. Sometimes you have to work in batches when you deep fry or use an air fryer. But with this recipe, all of the chicken wings cook at once.
What is the Best Method To Cook Chicken Wings?
One of the best ways to cook chicken wings is to oven bake them. The main goal when cooking chicken wings is to get crispy skin and moist and flavorful meat. The oven gets them crispy and they don’t dry out.
But you have to make sure you follow our secret tip when making oven baked chicken wings, and that’s to use baking powder to help dry the chicken wings. The drier the wing, the crispier they will get in the oven.
We also love to use the air fryer to make chicken wings. For instructions on how to do that, check out our easy Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
The list of ingredients for Lemon Pepper Chicken wings is below. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the amounts that you need for each ingredient.
- Chicken Wings: You’ll need about 4 pounds. Remember to pat them dry before you season them.
- Baking Powder: This helps the chicken wings dry out even more. You can also use cornstarch or baking soda.
- Lemon Pepper: You can use any kind of lemon pepper you like, we love this one from Badia as it has a good bit of lemon flavor.
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Lemon Juice: This is optional, but adds a little more tanginess.
- Salt
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Here’s how to make this oven baked chicken wing recipe. It’s quick and simple to prepare!
First, preheat the oven. This is very important! You want to put the wings into a very hot oven so they start to get crispy right away.
Then add the chicken wings to a large plastic bag. Or you can use a big bowl.
Add the dry seasonings. And then toss everything together so the wings are coated with the seasonings.
Lay the wings plate on a sheet tray. And then bake for about 25 minutes or until they are crispy and cooked through.
Enjoy your baked wings! They are best served fresh out of the oven with a dipping sauce like ranch or melted butter with a squeeze of lemon.
Helpful Tips
Follow the tips below so that your baked chicken wings come out perfectly seasoned and crispy every time!
- The power of baking powder: Using baking powder will help with the crispness of the skin. Baking powder helps to dry out the skin which helps to make the chicken crispy. Baking soda or cornstarch will also work.
- Pat the chicken dry. It is important to dry the wings before starting, the dryer the skin the better it’ll crisp up.
- Use the broiler to crisp up the wings even more. If you like the skin extra crispy, place the wings under the broiler for a couple of minutes after they are cooked. Watch very carefully as they will burn if you leave them under direct heat for too long.
- Don’t overcomplicate it! These are dry-rub chicken wings so they aren’t very saucy. They are tasty by themselves or paired with a simple dip (like ranch dressing) or just melted butter with lemon juice.
What to Serve with Baked Lemon Pepper Wings
Here are some of our favorite ways to serve these wings.
- Chili: Chicken wings and chili is one of the kid’s favorite dinner options! It’s a fun combo that’s so easy to put together, especially when you can make the chili in the Crockpot. Try our Mexican White Chicken Chili or Crockpot Chili.
- Salad: Add a healthy veggie-filled salad on the side like our Cucumber Tomato Salad or Mexican Corn Salad
- Sides: A quick and easy side dish is a great way to make a full meal with these chicken wings. Try our favorite Southern Baked Beans or Skillet Fried Corn!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover chicken wings for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
To reheat place the wings in an air fryer at 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes or in the oven at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until warm.
Can I Freeze Baked Chicken Wings?
These Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Wings are best when they are straight out of the oven. However, if you want to freeze some for another time, here is what we suggest.
First, flash freeze the wings on a sheet tray. When they are frozen, place them in an airtight container in the freezer. Thaw the chicken wings first before reheating and then follow the instructions above.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings
- 2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Make sure the chicken wings are dry by using paper towels to pat any moisture off. The dryer the wing the more crispy the skin will become.
- Place chicken wings into a gallon zip lock bag or a large mixing bowl.
- Add the baking powder, lemon pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon juice and salt.
- If using a ziplock bag, close the bag and shake the wings until they are all coated, if using a bowl use 2 large spoons to toss the wings until coated.
- Place the wings on prepared baking sheet, making sure not to overlap the wings.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown. (Wings need to reach 165°F, check temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the wing avoiding the bone.) Serve immediately!
