Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

Crispy honey lemon pepper wings in air fryer are crispier than our Chicken Wings in Oven at 375 but both are great with this sauce. Crispy, sweet, full of flavor and can be made spicy for an easy appetizer or finger food dinner for a cheap party food.

Honey Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe

SO we have made Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings before, without the honey or sauce. It was more of a dry rub of sorts which still delicious but different. Love the duo of savory and sweet together for sure. Whether you love some spice or keep it mild both options are beyond amazing y’all.

I love a treat of sweet myself but hot honey sauce is another option you can try on these babies if you’d like. First time having these was at a Southern restaurant and tried them because they just sounded interesting. Loved them so much that we had to experiment at home to make from scratch.

Ingredient Tips

• You will want fresh or defrosted chicken wings for this one. Frozen won’t work as they can’t absorb any sauce really. In that case you’d need to follow the recipe card below or use our Baked Frozen Chicken Wings steps and toss with this sauce when done.
• Lemon pepper seasoning is dry and comes bottled at the store with all the things combined, makes things easier vs. crushing dried lemon skins with crushed black pepper. We use this sometimes to make Dry Rub Air Fryer Wings
• We are going to need some olive oil as the base of the sauce. An alternative could be avocado oil though.
• 1/2 tsp coriander and garlic powder
• A simple must is some salt. Kosher with a bit more texture is nicer, sea salt I mean is what I prefer
• If you want a stronger citrus flavor then add some lemon zest but that is optional of course
• 2 tbsp lemon juice will enhance the tartness of this sauce we love.
• For the sweetness we are using honey, agave nectar or maple syrup are alternatives
• Butter melted is needed to make this smooth, dairy free plant based products work just fine for this too.

in Air Fryer

Same instructions apply for Cosori, AirWave or Ninja Foodi chicken wings to make these super crispy air fryer honey lemon pepper wings. Those simple instructions are below in the recipe card for you to follow.

Oven Directions

This is How Long to Cook Wings in Oven – Rinse and dry wings with paper towels well so skin is nice an dry. Grease a baking dish or line with non stick foil. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and seasonings listed above sauce ingredients. Arrange in the dish so they aren’t overlapping. Melt butter in a dish, then add lemon juice, zest and honey. Whisk together.

Spread 1/2 of your sauce over the wings. Place in a preheated oven set to 375 degrees F and bake about 30 – 35 minutes or until inside meat reaches a minimum of 165 F and is pulling away from the bone.

For super crispy skin you can switch to broil for 2-3 minutes or until it is as browned as you’d like. Brush other 1/2 of sauce on before broiling so it bakes right on and gets sticky, or after done. That part is really preference and both are fabulous.

with Whole Wings

If you wanted to make larger Baked Whole Chicken Wings with the wingette and drumette attached you would follow the same steps but increase the timing. Internal temperature should always reach 165 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer check for juices to run clear and meat should pull away from the bone too when done.

What else can you use this sauce for?

You could use this same sauce and seasoning blend on tenders too if you like meat without the bone too. It is super versatile. Like I said too you can tweak it to be spicy like our hot wings in air fryer or keep it mild. If you just want super mild you can omit the pepper entirely too. Use your tastebuds as a guide.

I have even used it on Baked Turkey Wings in the past when I find those so cheap at the store I just can’t not buy them. A lot more meat on the bone for sure, darker meat but with tons of flavor. If you haven’t tried these as a different option you really should!

Serving these for Game day?? Great idea. You can get them extra crispy with the broil setting in oven or with a spray of olive oil and an extra minute in your air fryer. I would keep the sauce on the side and drizzle over the top at the end once you want to serve them. Allows you to make into batches so they are always warm and fresh.

How to save leftovers

If you do have leftovers wait until cool and store in freezer bags with air sucked out. This is how to reheat chicken wings in air fryer the next day. Best way to get crispy again with a pinch of fresh salt and black pepper. Keep sauce separate and add when done.