ATL-Style Lemon Pepper Wet Wings (Air Fried or Baked!)
You can’t go wrong with an Atlanta classic: Lemon Pepper Wet Wings. Made with a zesty, homemade sauce, these are truly so addictive.
Servings: 24 wings
Calories: 120kcal
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
Ingredients
Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings
- 4 pounds party-sized chicken wings about 24 wings
- 2 tablespoons McCormick roasted garlic & herb seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
Wing Sauce
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 count lemon we use the juice and the zest
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
Crispy Oven-Baked Wings:
- Use paper towels to pat your wings dry, then add the dried wings to a large bowl.Take your time to do this thoroughly - the drier they are, the better they crisp up in the oven.
- Sprinkle the garlic & herb seasoning, garlic powder, and smoked paprika onto the wings. Toss wings to ensure they are evenly covered in seasonings.
- Line your baking tray with aluminum foil and add the wire rack on top.
- Add the seasoned wings to the lined baking sheet and wire rack.Let the seasonings marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. If you let them sit overnight, that's fine too.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Add the marinated wings to the bowl. Sift baking powder over the wings and toss once more until evenly coated.
- Place the wings back on the lined baking sheet. It's okay if they are a little snug on the wire rack; they shrink while cooking.
- Bake the wings on your lowest oven rack for 20 minutes. Flip the wings, then cook for another 20 minutes on the highest oven rack.
- Finally, turn your oven heat up to 425°F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes on the top rack, flipping the wings every 5 minutes.Once they are at your ideal level of crispiness, you're ready to toss in the sauce.
Crispy Air Fried Wings:
- Air fry the wings at 390°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Zest the peel into the pot, the juice the lemon and pour that in as well.
- Stir in the hot sauce, black pepper, and chopped parsley.
- Take the cooked wings and toss them in the wing sauce. Serve with fries and celery/carrot sticks. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips & Tricks:
Sift the baking powder over the wings before tossing. This helps get a more even coat on each wing.
Baking on a sheet pan with the wire rack ensures that the extra juices fall to the bottom, which helps get our crust nice and crispy. Line the sheet pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
Zest the lemon before you cut it to juice; it's a lot easier to get more out of your fruit this way.
Reheating Instructions:
You can always microwave these of course; but to keep the wings crispy, I would pop them in the air fryer to reheat. If you don't have an air fryer, pop them in the oven (no wire rack needed to reheat) at 390°F for 8-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 wing | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg