These are the best honey lemon pepper wings! They have the perfect sweet yet tangy flavour and these chicken wings are both crispy on the outside yet melt in your mouth tender on the inside. They are not hot, make a great appetizer, and are really easy to make.
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Why you will love this recipe:
- The taste! The honey lemon pepper glaze on these chicken wings is so good. It's sweet, sticky, tangy, with a little bit of spice. But don't worry, these wings aren't hot, so if you don't like spicy food you will love these wings.
- They are so easy to make!
- I have included both oven and air fryer directions so you can make them however you like.
- These honey lemon wings are a great main dish but also make a great appetizer and would be perfect to serve at a tailgate or Super Bowl party. They are the perfect party food.
- Not only do these wings taste amazing, but they are healthy, naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free and paleo too.
If you're looking for an even easier chicken wing recipe you need to try making air fryer chicken wings from frozen or salt and pepper chicken wings.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card
- Fresh chicken wings - you will need one pound of cut up chicken wings. If you have frozen chicken wings be sure to let them thaw first so that you get the most crispy wings when you cook them.
- Spices - sea salt, ground black pepper and paprika help give these wings the best taste. You could also add other spices such as garlic powder or onion powder to kick up the flavour even more.
- Honey - the base of the delicious honey lemon pepper sauce that coats these delicious wings while keeping them refined sugar free.
- Fresh lemon juice - this adds the perfect amount of citrus flavour to the glaze on these wings.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To make these wings spicier: add some cayenne pepper to the spice rub.
- If you are serving a crowd feel free to double or triple this recipe.
- If you want a stronger lemon flavour: add some lemon zest to the glaze or add some lemon pepper seasoning to the rub.
- To turn these into hot honey lemon pepper wings: add a bit of hot sauce such as Frank's red hot sauce to the honey sauce.
- Instead of honey you can use maple syrup or date syrup for the sticky honey lemon pepper sauce.
How to make honey lemon pepper wings:
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven is heating, dry the chicken wings with a paper towel and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the oil and the spices to the bowl and toss everything well until the chicken wings are coated.
- Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the seasoned chicken wings to the baking sheet. Bake the chicken wings in the oven for ~45 minutes, until the wings are crispy on the outside.
- Step 3: To make the honey lemon pepper sauce, when the wings are almost done, place all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan on the stovetop and heat for a few minutes over medium heat, until the glaze thickens.
- Step 4: Once the chicken wings are done cooking, transfer them to a bowl and pour the sauce over them. Toss the wings until they are evenly coated in the honey lemon pepper glaze. Then serve and enjoy!
To make in an air fryer:
Prepare the wings as you would for the oven cooking method. Then transfer the chicken wings to the air fryer rack or air fryer basket and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Make the honey lemon pepper sauce on the stovetop according to the oven instructions and once the wings have finished cooking, coat them in the lemon pepper sauce and then serve!
Top Tips:
- Be sure to dry the chicken wings before you coat them in the oil and spices to help the skin get extra crispy.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken wings. For larger wings you might need to add a few more minutes of cooking time.
- You can also use the honey lemon pepper sauce recipe from these wings for other recipes such as on chicken or salmon, or as a dipping sauce - it's really good with air fried chicken tenders!
Honey lemon pepper wings FAQs:
Lemon pepper wings can be made either way. If you cook chicken wings and then season them with lemon pepper seasoning, those would be dry lemon pepper wings. If you toss the cooked chicken wings in a lemon pepper sauce, that would make them wet lemon pepper wings.
Store any leftover honey lemon pepper wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat these wings let the chicken wings come to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then bake for 10-15 minutes.
Other delicious chicken recipes you will love:
Recipe
Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Equipment
- Large bowl
Ingredients
For the chicken wings
- 1 lb chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the glaze
- 3 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Dry the chicken wings with a paper towel and transfer them to a bowl. Add the oil and spices and toss everything well until the chicken wings are coated.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer the wings to the baking sheet. Bake the chicken wings for ~45 minutes, until nice and crispy.
How to make the glaze
- When there is about 5 minutes left of cooking time for the wings, you can make the glaze. Place all the glaze ingredients into a small saucepan and heat for a few minutes over medium heat, until the glaze thickens.
Final assembly
- Once the chicken wings are done baking, transfer them to a large bowl and pour the glaze over them. Toss the wings until they are evenly coated in the glaze. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional values are estimates and will vary depending on the specific ingredients you use.
- To make the wings in an air fryer: prepare them as you would for the oven method and then air fry them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.
- Store these chicken wings in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Dana
They were delicious.
Erin Carter
Yay I am so glad you loved it!