Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

These air fryer lemon pepper chicken wings might be winning my heart as my new favorite game day wing flavor.

Lemony, peppery, buttery air fryer lemon pepper wings are perfect for game day or any day!

I never considered myself a huge lemon pepper wing fan. I’ve always been drawn to the spicy, saucy Buffalo wings or anything sweet and spicy, like sweet chili wings. Consider my heart changed. Big time. I’m completely obsessed with these air fryer lemon pepper wings. The wings are coated in McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Lemon & Pepper Seasoning and tossed in the most irresistible sweet, sticky, and zesty lemon butter sauce. Have I convinced you yet? I hope so!

How to make Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings

I developed this recipe alongside my standard Air Fryer Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Malaysian Curry Wings, so many steps are the same!

What you need

• Cut chicken wings: You can buy a pack of cut chicken wings or grab the whole wings and cut them yourself. Reserve the tips for broth or stock. Two pounds of cut chicken wings yields 10 to 12 drumettes and flats, so you’ll need 5 to 6 whole wings for this recipe.
• Baking powder: As I’ve mentioned in all my air fryer chicken wings posts, baking powder is a MUST. It’s the secret to crispy chicken skin. Baking powder’s chemical properties help break down the proteins in the chicken skin. This process pulls out the moisture from the chicken skin. It’s almost like speedrunning a dry brine. Pulling out that excess moisture makes the skin more prone to even browning and crisping up under heat. You only need a scant amount, about ½ teaspoon for a pound of chicken wings.
• Lemon & Pepper Seasoning: I use McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Lemon & Pepper Seasoning, but you can use your favorite lemon pepper blend.
• Lemon butter sauce: I make a lemon butter sauce with butter, honey, lemon pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne. It’s divine!
• Fresh parsley and lemon wedges: I serve the lemon pepper wings with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.

How to make it

• Step 1: Pat the wings dry and season them with lemon pepper, salt, and baking powder. Add the neutral oil and toss to coat.
• Step 2: Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.

• Step 3: Arrange the wings in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Do NOT overcrowd the basket. Cook them in batches if needed. Air fry for 15 minutes. Flip and air fry for 13 to 15 minutes or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Ensure the wings have reached 165ºF when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

• Step 4: While the wings air fry, make the sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan. Once bubbly, add the lemon pepper seasoning, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is thick and viscous.

• Step 5: Once the wings are out of the air fryer, add them to a large bowl. Pour the lemon butter sauce on top.

From there, you can pile the wings on a serving platter and finish with freshly minced parsley and a few lemon wedges. These wings bring the best balance of sweet, savory, zesty, and just a hint of heat from the cayenne powder. They’re divine!

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings

These air fryer lemon pepper wings might be winning my heart as my new favorite game day wing flavor.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 to 12 wings

Calories: 141kcal

Equipment

• Air fryer
• Saucepan

Ingredients

• 2 pounds cut chicken wings (see Note 1)
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning (see Note 2)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

Lemon pepper butter sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 lemon (juiced and zested)
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
• Kosher salt (to taste)

For serving:

• 1 tablespoon parsley (minced)
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

Prepare the chicken:

• Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF.
• Pat the chicken dry and season with lemon pepper, salt, and baking powder. Add the neutral oil. Toss to coat.

Air fry the chicken:

• Spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil. Arrange the chicken wings in an even layer. Air fry for 15 minutes.
• Flip the chicken wings and air fry for 13 to 15 minutes or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken wings have reached 165ºF.

Prepare the lemon pepper butter sauce:

• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once bubbly and melted, add the honey, lemon juice and zest, lemon pepper seasoning, and cayenne powder. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until thick and viscous. Taste and add a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat.

Sauce the wings:

• Transfer the air-fried wings to a large bowl. Pour the on top and toss to coat.

To serve:

• Transfer the wings to a serving platter. Sprinkle freshly minced parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: You can buy a pack of cut chicken wings or purchase whole wings and cut them yourself. Reserve the tips for broth or stock. Two pounds of cut chicken wings yields 10 to 12 drumettes and flats, so you’ll need 5 to 6 whole wings for this recipe.

Note 2: I used McCormick’s Perfect Pinch Lemon & Pepper Seasoning. You can use your favorite brand of lemon pepper seasoning for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 185mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 6mg

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