Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

These Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Crispy chicken wings tossed in a delicious, homemade lemon pepper sauce that is absolutely delicious. Serve these at your next game day party or for dinner tonight. They will definitely be a hit.

Chicken Wings! These chicken wings are seriously sooo good! If you like lemon pepper you are going to love this lemon pepper sauce. It is made from scratch with just 7 simple ingredients, no premade lemon pepper seasoning needed. The fresh lemon flavor makes these wings! Using fresh lemon is the key to really good lemon pepper chicken wings. Make extra because these are going to go fast.

I have already posted my Garlic Parmesan Wings recipe as well as my Spicy Teriyaki Wings recipe, if you haven't already, you should check those out. When making chicken wings at home we love making a few different sauces. These are my family's favorite sauces.

Chicken Wings - Whole chicken wings cut into two pieces; the tip discarded.

Cornstarch - The secret ingredient to making crispy chicken wings.

Garlic Powder - For added flavor.

Salt - Used to dry brine the chicken.

Pepper - Freshly cracked is what I prefer to use. If using ground, use a little less, test the chicken the adjust as needed.

Butter - I prefer to use unsalted butter.

Fresh Lemon - For the BEST flavor use fresh lemon not bottled lemon juice.

1. Pat dry and lay out on a rack with a pan beneath it. Liberally sprinkle with salt and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This allows the chicken skin to dry out more, which helps it crisp up better. It also flavors the chicken.

2. In a large skillet, saucepan or deep fryer heat enough oil to fry. For a skillet or pot you will need about 1″ of oil. Heat to 350°F – 375° F.

3. Season the chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss in cornstarch. Make sure to evenly coat the chicken with the cornstarch.

4. Make the sauce by melting the butter. Mix in the fresh lemon juice, and pepper. It's okay if the butter solidifies, while you are frying the wings, the hot wings will melt it again.

5. Fry the chicken wings (in batches) for 8-10 minutes. Drain on rack or paper towel lined sheet tray then immediately toss in butter mixture. Garnish with fresh lemon zest. Enjoy!

Dry Brine and Chill: This should be the motto for all poultry. By doing this you are allowing the chicken to soak up the salt (and any other seasonings) and the skin is drying out at the same time. Which means your chicken wings will be flavorful and have a crispier skin when fried.

Toss in Cornstarch: Tossing chicken in cornstarch yields a crispier chicken wing. Sure, you can skip this step, but trust me, use the cornstarch.

Zest First: It is much easier to zest the lemon while it is whole than it is after it has been cut and squeezed.

If you are looking for a healthier option to frying chicken wings, bake them! I go more in depth on how to bake chicken wings in my Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Wings recipe. Also, if you are making a lot of chicken wings you can opt to bake some of them and fry the others. Then you can compare them side by side to see which one you prefer. Or bake all of them if you are wanting to mingle with party guests.

1. Steam the chicken wings in a steamer basket for 10 minutes. Working in batches if needed.

2. Lay the wings out on a rack with a pan beneath it and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Roast in a 425° F oven for 20 minutes, rotate and roast for another 20 minutes.

4. Toss in sauce. Enjoy!