Crispy, Buttery, Lemony Chicken Wings make for an excellent Chicken Appetizer. The best part about this recipe is the zesty and fragrant Lemon Pepper Seasoning. I have made Lemon Pepper Seasoning at home and trust me it was so much fun doing it. Brushed with Buttery, zesty Lemon Pepper Seasoning these crispy Wings are a reader's favorite!
What Do Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Taste Like?
For me, the best part about this recipe is the buttery Lemon Pepper Topping on Chicken Wings. Freshly cracked Black Pepper with zesty Lemon leaves a zing to your taste buds. The refreshing taste of Lemon paired with the light spiciness of cracked Black Pepper and the crispy Chicken Wings creates a blast of flavors in your mouth with every bite.
Where did Lemon Pepper originate from:
As per the records, Lemon originates from India and so does Black Pepper. So, chances are Lemon Pepper seasoning was first thought of and used in India. Lemon originates particularly from North Eastern Indian States, while Black Pepper is grown in the Southern part of the country - especially Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
What does Lemon Pepper taste like?
I think the answer to this question likes in the question itself. Lemon has an inherently zesty, refreshing, and zingy taste while pepper has a sharp kick to itself. In my opinion, both lemon and pepper land in two extremes. On one hand, you have something fresh, refreshing, zesty, juicy and on the other hand, you have sharp, punchy, spicy black pepper. When both of them come together, what you have is a blast of flavors. It leaves you with something that is fresh, zesty, juicy with an undertone of spicy, sharp, and punchy.
How to Make Crispy Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings?
The magic ingredient that makes lemon pepper wings crispy is Flour. Yes, no fancy flour, just your regular all-purpose flour is just what we need to make crispy lemon pepper chicken wings. But the idea is to coat your chicken wings in flour evenly and shaking off the excess before adding it into the pan with hot oil.
Other than that all you need is:
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil
- You can also add some Cayenne Pepper to bring a spicy undertone to your wings.
The three basic ingredients to make your crispy lemon pepper wings. Toss them until they are well coated.
- Now heat some oil in a pan and as the oil gets hot add chicken wings. fry both sides until crispy and then take them out on a paper towel.
How Do you Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
I made lemon Pepper Seasoning at home. And, that's the secret to this amazing wing recipe. Most of the time I have heard people say that making the seasoning at home is a lot of work. It takes an unnecessarily long time. But, trust me, you don't want that store-bought seasoning that is packed with preservatives. You want something organic and natural. And, what could be better than something made right in front of your eyes with fresh ingredients.
- So, first of all, you'll need a lot of Lemon Zest. So, grab your zester and scrape out a lot of lemon zest.
- Next, add in Freshly Cracked Black Pepper. Yup, you heard that right. No ground black pepper. There is a sharp taste to freshly cracked black pepper and trust me, you need that in your lemon pepper seasoning.
- Place it in a baking tray and pop it in the oven at 350F for 4-5 minutes or until completely dried. It might take longer depending on the amount of seasoning you are making.
- Lastly, sprinkle some salt. Your Homemade Lemon Pepper seasoning is ready.
How to Coat Wings with Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
So, you've fried your chicken wings. And you've made Lemon Pepper seasoning. Now, all we have to do is mix these two. So, for that, just combine melted butter and lemon pepper seasoning.
In a ramekin melt some butter. Add lemon pepper seasoning to that and then stir well to combine.
Brush this over your chicken wings or just spoon them over chicken wings.
How to Serve Lemon Pepper Wings?
You can serve these zesty and flavorful Lemon Pepper Chicken wings with some chopped parsley along with some dipping sauce. You can choose any dipping sauce you prefer. The thing is, these wings are so juicy and flavorful that you might not even need a dipping sauce. You can also keep some lemon wedges for that juicy touch to your plating.
Other recipes you can try:
Extra Crispy Cajun Dry Rub Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings (BAKED)
Tandoori Chicken Wings (in Air Fryer & in Oven)
Crispy Baked Thai Chicken Wings
Sticky and Spicy Korean Chicken Wings
Lemon Pepper Wings
INGREDIENTS
For Chicken
- 2.2 lbs Chicken Wings cut into sections
- ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- Oil for deep frying and coating chicken
For Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 3 Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
For Brushing Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- ¼ Cup Butter melted
- chopped parsley and lime wedges for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare Chicken Wings
- Coat Chicken Wings: In a bowl combine Chicken wings with flour, Salt, Pepper, and Oil. Coat each chicken wing evenly. Shake off any excess.
- In a skillet heat about 4-inches of oil. The oil should be about 350F. Now add in chicken wings in batches. Add only 7-8 wings at once. Flip over and fry both sides until crispy. Once done take them out on a paper towel.
Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- Make Lemon Pepper Seasoning: On a baking sheet combine lemon zest and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir lightly. Allow it to bake in the oven at the lowest temperature until completely dry. For me, it took 7-8 minutes at 350F.
Brush Lemon pepper Butter
- In a bowl combine melted butter with lemon pepper seasoning. Stir well to combine. Spoon this over your fried chicken wings. You can also brush them on your chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and lime wedges if desired.
Video
Notes
- You can also use store bought lemon pepper seasoning for this recipe.
Gina Smith says
This is absolutely delicious!!
Anjali says
I know. So glad you liked it.
tobe says
These wings were super-crispy and so damn good. The lemon pepper seasoning was super good.