These Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are golden and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and coated in a buttery homemade lemon pepper sauce made with fresh lemon juice and best of all they are oven baked!
Whether you’re making them for dinner, game day, a party, or just because you’re craving some really good wings, this is an easy recipe you’ll want to make again.
Why You’ll Love These Lemon Pepper Wings
- Crispy without frying: Cornstarch and a wire rack help create crispy skin right in the oven.
- Fresh lemon flavor: Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the butter sauce a bright citrus flavor.
- Easy to make: Season the wings, bake them, make a quick sauce, and toss everything together.
- Simple ingredients: No complicated breading or deep-frying setup required.
- Perfect for entertaining: These are great for game day, parties, family gatherings, or an easy weekend dinner.
- Easy to adjust: Using salt-free lemon pepper seasoning lets you control the salt yourself.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
Watch the step-by-step video above to learn how to make this!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Chicken Wings
- 3 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt-free lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Juice of 1 medium to large lemon
- 1–2 teaspoons salt-free lemon pepper seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredient Notes
Chicken wings: I use a combination of drumettes and flats. If you purchase whole wings, separate them before preparing the recipe.
Salt-free lemon pepper seasoning: I specifically recommend salt-free seasoning for this recipe. It allows you to control the amount of salt instead of relying on a seasoning blend that may already contain a lot of sodium.
Cornstarch: This is one of the keys to getting crispier oven-baked wings. It creates a light coating on the outside of the chicken that helps the skin crisp as it bakes.
Oil: You only need a tablespoon. The oil helps the seasonings adhere to the wings and promotes browning.
Fresh lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the finished sauce a brighter flavor than bottled lemon juice.
Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the final seasoning of the sauce.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Wings
1. Prepare the Chicken Wings
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Place the wings in a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and toss until the wings are lightly coated.
2. Season the Wings
Add the salt-free lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, salt, paprika, ground black pepper, and cornstarch.
Toss everything together thoroughly, making sure every wing is evenly coated with the seasonings and cornstarch.
3. Prepare the Baking Sheet
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
Place an oven-safe wire rack on top of the baking sheet and spray the rack thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange the wings on the rack in a single layer, leaving a little space between each piece.
Don’t overcrowd the wings. Air needs to circulate around them for the skin to crisp properly.
4. Bake the Wings
Place the wings into the preheated 400°F oven.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning each wing over halfway through the cooking time.
Continue baking until the wings are browned and crispy and the chicken is completely cooked through.
Chicken is considered safely cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part without touching the bone.
Make the Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce
While the wings finish baking, melt 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter.
Add the juice of one freshly squeezed medium-to-large lemon, 1–2 teaspoons of salt-free lemon pepper seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Stir until everything is well combined.
Start with 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, taste the sauce, and add the second teaspoon if you want a stronger lemon pepper flavor.
Coat the Wings
Once the wings are crispy and completely cooked, remove them from the oven.
Transfer the hot wings to a large clean bowl and pour the lemon pepper butter sauce over them.
Gently toss until every wing is evenly coated in the buttery lemon pepper sauce.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to Get Crispy Wings in the Oven
You don’t need a deep fryer to make crispy chicken wings. A few small details make a big difference.
Dry the wings first. Excess moisture works against browning and crisping, so pat the wings thoroughly dry before adding the oil.
Use cornstarch. The light coating helps dry the exterior and contributes to a crispier surface during baking.
Bake on a wire rack. Elevating the wings allows hot air to circulate underneath instead of letting the bottoms sit in rendered fat.
Give them some room. Crowding the rack traps steam. Arrange the wings in a single layer without piling them on top of one another.
Flip them halfway through. Turning the wings helps both sides brown and crisp.
Sauce them after baking. Don’t add the butter sauce before baking. Get the wings crispy first, then coat them immediately before serving.
Tips for the Best Lemon Pepper Wings
Use salt-free lemon pepper. This matters because you’re adding salt separately to both the chicken and sauce. A salted lemon pepper blend could make the finished wings too salty.
Use fresh lemon juice. Since there are so few ingredients in the sauce, the fresh lemon flavor really comes through.
Taste the butter sauce. Lemon pepper blends vary in strength, which is why the sauce calls for 1–2 teaspoons.
Serve immediately. Like most sauced wings, these are crispiest immediately after they’re coated.
Don’t skip the rack. You can technically bake wings directly on a baking sheet, but the wire rack helps the hot air reach more of the chicken.
What to Serve With Lemon Pepper Wings
These crispy lemon pepper wings can be served as an appetizer or turned into a full meal.
Try serving them with french fries, potato wedges, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, a simple salad, roasted vegetables, or one of your favorite Southern sides.
For game day or parties, serve them alongside other finger foods with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover lemon pepper wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
For the best texture, reheat the wings in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave. Heating them with dry heat helps restore some of the crispness.
If using the oven, arrange the wings on a baking sheet or rack and heat until they’re hot throughout.
Avoid adding additional butter sauce before reheating. You can toss the hot reheated wings with a small amount of fresh lemon pepper butter afterward if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes Oven-Baked Chicken Wings Crispy?
Patting the wings dry, coating them lightly with cornstarch, spacing them apart, and baking them on a wire rack all help promote crispier skin.
Why Use Cornstarch on Chicken Wings?
Cornstarch helps absorb surface moisture and creates a thin exterior coating that becomes crisp as the wings bake.
Can I Use Regular Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
You can, but check the label first. Many lemon pepper seasonings already contain quite a bit of salt. This recipe was developed using salt-free lemon pepper seasoning, so using a salted blend without adjusting the added salt could make the wings too salty.
Do I Need to Flip the Wings?
Yes. Flip the wings about halfway through the 45-minute baking time so both sides have a chance to brown and crisp.
How Do I Know When Chicken Wings Are Done?
The wings should be browned and cooked through. For food safety, chicken should reach at least 165°F internally when measured in the thickest part away from the bone.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels and place them in a large bowl.
- Add the oil and toss to coat.
- Season with lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper, and cornstarch. Toss thoroughly until every wing is evenly coated.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place an oven-safe wire rack on top and spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on the rack without overcrowding.
- Bake for approximately 45 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through cooking.
- Cook until browned and crispy and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F.
- Meanwhile, melt the unsalted butter for the sauce.
- Stir in the fresh lemon juice, 1–2 teaspoons salt-free lemon pepper seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Transfer the cooked wings to a clean bowl.
- Pour the lemon pepper butter sauce over the hot wings and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Pat the wings dry before seasoning for better crisping.
- This recipe uses salt-free lemon pepper seasoning. If yours contains salt, reduce the additional salt accordingly.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking rack.
- Flip the wings halfway through the baking time.
- Always use a clean bowl for the cooked wings rather than the bowl that held the raw chicken.
- Start with 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning in the butter sauce and increase to 2 teaspoons according to taste.
- Serve immediately after tossing with the sauce for the crispiest results.
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Did you make these lemon pepper chicken wings? Leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out!