ATL-Style Lemon Pepper Wet Wings (Air Fried or Baked!)

This recipe for Lemon Pepper Wet Wings is the MOST popular post on my site, and for good reason! We’re going to make some juicy chicken wings (using the air fryer or our oven), then toss them in a tangy lemon-pepper sauce. I love to serve this with homemade fries for a better-than-take-out experience at home!

Let’s get into these juicy, lemon pepper wet wings. From an Atlanta native, with love.

So I stay in Atlanta, and although I don’t think we are the #1 wing spot (that’s reserved for Memphis!) the city comes in a very strong Top 2.

There are wing spots everywhere you look around here. And on Atlanta, one of my favorite shows by the super talented Donald Glover, one of the main characters gets hooked up with a special “off-the-menu” box of lemon pepper wet wings. The entire box lights up and everyone at the table is gasping in awe that they are about to experience these “for the free”.

In real-life Atlanta, this flavor isn’t so rare; although I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find these wings outside of the city. The two top contenders that serve lemon pepper wet are American Deli and JR Crickets.

Today, I’m gifting y’all with my spin on the American Deli version of lemon pepper wet wings. And as a special bonus – I’m showing two ways to cook them… air-fried or crispy baked. That’s right guys, I finally got an air fryer and I am excited!! I can’t wait to show more air fryer recipes on the site.

These wings are juicy and zesty, healthier than their fried counterparts, and the perfect way to treat yourself. I love to make these for watching the game on TV or when I feel like take-out but I don’t want to spend that extra $$ on delivery fees. But really, who doesn’t love wings? You can make these on a Tuesday afternoon and your tastebuds will sing.

How to Make Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven

I perfected my Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wing recipe and you won’t need any other way to make them after that! Baking them is great because you use lots of less grease as opposed to frying, plus you don’t have your entire kitchen smelling like old frying oil!

A few keys to success:

1. You want to make sure you pat the wings dry before seasoning and baking. If you buy the frozen party wings and defrost them, make sure you DON’T skip this step!
2. There are two-piece baking pans that come with a rack and the pan… this is essential to perfect crispy-baked wings that are juicy on the inside. While they bake on the rack, the extra juices drain to the pan below it and avoid that soggy texture we don’t want.
3. High heat! 400°F is the perfect temperature to crisp up that skin without burning.

When you follow my techniques, you get perfect crispy-baked wings each and every time that hold up to any type of wing sauce! If you would rather air fry your wings, I also include temperature and time instructions for that method below.

Serve these next to some fresh veggies and my recipe for homemade fries – heavenly! And let me know in the comments section below: Are you team air fryer wings or team baked wings?

Other Game-Day Eats You’ll Love!

Creamy Spinach Dip

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

Easy Air Fried Coconut Shrimp

ATL-Style Lemon Pepper Wet Wings (Air Fried or Baked!)

Shani W.

You can’t go wrong with an Atlanta classic: Lemon Pepper Wet Wings. All my ATLiens, stand up! (Just kidding, no one really calls themselves that here.)

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Servings 12 wings

Ingredients

  

Chicken Wings

• 12 ct. chicken wings (party-sized)
• 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning
• ½ tbsp. garlic powder
• ½ tbsp. smoked paprika

Wing Sauce

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 ct. lemon
• 2 tbsp. hot sauce
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley optional
• 2 tsp. salt to taste

Instructions

 

For the wings:

• Add wings to a large bowl & pat wings dry (take your time to do this thoroughly – the drier they are the better!)
• Drizzle grapeseed oil and sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, and smoked paprika on the wings. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
• Using an air fryer? Fry using the machine's directions (my instructions stated to cook at 390°F for about 15 minutes, flipping once.)
• Baking in an oven? Follow the cooking instructions on my recipe for Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings.
• Once cooked, toss them in the wing sauce below.

For the sauce:

• Melt the butter in a large bowl. Juice the lemon, then zest a little bit of the peel into the sauce.
• Stir in the hot sauce, chopped parsley, and salt to taste. Combine well.
• Take the cooked, seasoned wings and toss in the wing sauce. Serve with fries, celery, and carrots. Enjoy!

Keyword Air Fryer Recipes, Chicken Wings, Party Ideas

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The Coined Breakdown

• Total Cost per serving (6 wings): $1.75
• Total Cost (28 wings): $8.17
• Those Other Guys: $12.00 a serving