These Air fryer lemon pepper wings are super crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and have a beautiful bright and citrusy flavor that you’ll fall in love with.
This easy recipe takes just a few ingredients to make, and with just the right balance of flavors, it’ll become one of your favorite game day or snack recipes to make.
Best of all, the air frying makes it less greasy than your traditional deep-fried chicken wing, too!
I’ve been obsessed with my sweet and spicy grilled wings, but this way of preparing wings is just as delish!
Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients For Making These Chicken Wings
Chicken wings: Start with some fresh or frozen {then thawed) chicken wings. Make sure they’re completely patted dry before you cover them in the marinade to get that perfect crispiness.
Oil: Oil helps act as the base for the marinade, helps get the chicken to crisp up nicely, and also adds some additional moisture to them.
Lemon juice & zest: You’ll also need a generous amount of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest to echo that lemony bright flavor that’s in the seasoning.
Lemon pepper Seasoning: I used some store-bought lemon pepper seasoning. However, if you want, you can make your own lemon-pepper mixture homemade.
Extra Seasonings: To season the chicken wings, I used a bit of garlic powder and salt. Alternatively, try using a sprinkle or two of seasoning salt or even better, Montreal Chicken Seasoning. (A seasoning mixture that I use A LOT on this blog because it’s so versatile.)
Extra Fresh Lemon and Herbs: Chop up any of your favorite fresh herbs and slice some lemons to use as a garnish for your crispy chicken wings. A squeeze of lemon juice over the wings elevates them even more!
How to Make Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Seasoned Wings
Step #1: Clean and pat dry the chicken wings. This step is really important so don’t skip it! The wings have to be patted dry from extra moisture because if not, it will take a lot longer in the heat of the air fryer to get all crispilious, and could easily overcook the meat while you’re waiting.
Step #2: In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and coat the chicken well. Let the wings marinate. Let the chicken wings rest for a few minutes at room temperature.
Step #3: Lay them in a greased Air Fryer basket (or, use an air fryer parchment liner) and cook until golden brown on both sides, flipping midway through the cooking time. Do NOT overlap them in the basket.
Step #4: Air fry the wings, flipping them halfway through the cooking process for super crispy wings!
Step #5: Serve with some lemon slices and dipping sauces of your choice.
SaltyPot tip: Check the printable recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions with notes to make this recipe perfect every time.
Tips & Variations for Making Lemon Pepper Wings in the Air Fryer
- To balance out the tanginess of the marinade, you can add a dash of honey into the mix as well.
- Drizzling some HOT HONEY over the wings when serving would be insanely delicious if you like a lemon pepper sweet/heat vibe.
- We’ve only used black pepper for the spice, but you can also choose to add some red pepper flakes or smoked paprika for extra heat.
- Make sure you leave a bit of space between each chicken wing in the Air Fryer basket. This will allow the hot air to circulate throughout the basket and will make the chicken crispy on all sides. It’s ok to have them touching slightly in the beginning as they will shrink a bit through the cooking process and allow more air circulation. You just don’t want to overlap them.
- You can also choose to bake these if you don’t want to use the Air Fryer! Check the recipe card below for instructions on baking lemon pepper wings.
How to Serve the Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
These crispy air-fried lemon pepper wings can be teamed up with a nice dip (or my hot honey sauce – eeeek!! SOO delicious!!!) and served at a party or a get-together. You can also team them up with other variations of wings like some teriyaki chicken wings or garlic parmesan chicken wings.
If you want these chicken wings to be a part of your meal, you can team them up with a nice salad on the side. Pick a salad that’s full of veggies like an Asian carrot and cucumber salad or a dill pickle salad with pasta.
Storage Ideas & Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, you can move them to an airtight container and refrigerate them. They can stay good for 2-3 days, and you can reheat them in the microwave.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing these wings, especially if they’ve already been fried- they can lose their crunch factor when you reheat them after they’ve thawed.
FAQ
This is why you should air fry wings in batches that fit the air fryer basket appropriately. Resist the urge to put more wings than the air fryer has space for. You need plenty of space around each wing so it can get nice and crispy.
If they are over-crowded or over-lapping each other in the basket, the heat that comes off the wings as they cook will only serve in steaming the chicken wings, and not allowing the moisture to evaporate. This will leave the wings soft, flabby, and not crispy.
Technically yes. But if you want them crispy and cooked promptly, I don’t recommend it. You should thaw frozen wings first. Cooking them in the air fryer from frozen will prevent you from seasoning them from the beginning and you’ll need to cook them for at least double the cooking time (if not more) in order to get them crispy and cooked through.
Did you try this air fryer lemon pepper chicken wing recipe? Do you have any questions about the recipe? Please leave your thoughts and questions in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them asap! Thank you again for stopping by The Salty Pot and I hope you have a fantastic day!
~Joanne
Crispy Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Marinated with fresh lemon juice and zest, these air fryer lemon pepper wings are air-fried to perfection for insanely crispy skin. Better than any restaurant, this easy recipe will be your new favorite for game days, parties, or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken wings pieces (dummettes and flats), raw
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- lemon, herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Rinse the wings and blot them dry on a kitchen paper towel.
- Place the wings in a bowl. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, and lemon pepper. Add the lemon juice and olive oil.
- With clean hands, mix the marinade seasonings into the wings, covering all surfaces of the chicken. Cover with a lid and rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Pre-heat the air fryer to 400 F for 5 minutes. Spray the bowl of the air fryer with oil. Place the wings so they are not touching in the air fryer basket. (see notes).
- Cook for 10 - 12 minutes until golden in color. Turn the wings over and continue cooking for another 7 -9 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken wings should read 165 degrees. (see notes)
Notes
1. If the air fryer basket is not quite large enough to do all the wings at once, air fry them in batches. My basket can cook 8 at a time. It's ok if they initially touch when you begin cooking as they will shrink during the air frying and allow even more air circulation. It's just important that they don't overlap each other.
2. When testing the chicken wings' temperature, test on a drummette instead of a flat. The drums have more meat and are thicker so if the correct reading comes from the thickest part of the chicken wing, you know the rest should be perfectly cooked.
3. Your air fryer's cooking time may differ depending on the wattage.
COOKING LEMON PEPPER WINGS IN THE OVEN DIRECTIONS:
Follow all the steps up to step 3. (remember to PAT DRY THE WINGS before seasoning!). Move the oven rack to the upper ⅓ of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Place the wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and SPRAY the foil with non-stick spray. Roast in the oven for 45 - 50 minutes, flipping them every 10 minutes. Remove and serve when the wings reach 165 degrees F.
Do not use parchment paper in the oven for this recipe as the prolonged high heat could catch the paper on fire.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 4 wingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 471Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 2123mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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