These are the best salt and pepper chicken wings! These wings are nice and crispy on the outside yet juicy and tender on the inside. They are so easy to make and are made with no oil. You only need three ingredients to make them!
This is the chicken wing recipe I grew up eating. I really cannot take credit for it as it was my dad who made these, but they are always such a hit that I couldn't keep the recipe to myself any longer. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- The flavour! These chicken wings are so tasty! They are nice and crispy on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside.
- They are really easy to make and only require 3 ingredients.
- You can make them on the barbecue, bake them in the oven, or cook them in an air fryer.
- This easy chicken wing recipe is healthy, low carb, keto, paleo, gluten-free, oil free, dairy free and Whole30 compliant. They are also made with no batter.
- These crispy wings make a great appetizer and are also perfect for picnics, barbecues, tailgates, Super Bowl parties, game days, or any weeknight dinner.
If you love chicken wings you will also want to make my honey lemon pepper chicken wings and air fryer frozen chicken wings.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the exact measurements refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Jump to the Recipe Card
- Chicken wings - fresh chicken wings are the star of this recipe. If you buy frozen chicken wings, be sure to thaw them first. To make this recipe even easier I recommend buying pre-cut chicken wings if you can find them.
- Salt and pepper - the only seasonings you need to season these delicious wings.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- To turn them into buffalo wings: coat the cooked chicken wings in your favourite buffalo sauce.
- To make into bbq wings: coat the cooked chicken wings in healthy barbecue sauce.
- To turn into teriyaki chicken wings: coat the cooked wings in healthy teriyaki sauce.
- Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of wings you cook depending on how many people you are serving.
How to make salt and pepper chicken wings (grilling method):
Step 1
Turn your bbq onto high heat and let it heat up. While your barbecue is heating, sprinkle a baking sheet with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Step 2
Place the chicken wings on your barbecue grill. Cook the chicken wings for about 5 minutes and then flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes. Then repeat this process twice more, so the total cooking time is about 20 minutes until the wings are crisp and browned on the outside.
Step 3
Transfer the chicken wings to the pre-seasoned baking tray and rub the wings into the salt and pepper to coat the bottom side. Sprinkle the top with additional salt and pepper to taste. Then serve and enjoy!
Alternate cooking methods:
- To make in an air fryer: coat the chicken wings with salt and pepper and then place the wings in your air fryer and cook them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes, then flip the chicken wings and cook for another 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, until the wings are nice and crisp.
- To bake in the oven: preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the wings out across the baking sheet. Sprinkle the chicken wings with salt and pepper and bake the wings for 20 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven, flip the chicken wings over and coat the opposite side with salt and pepper. Then bake them for another 20-25 minutes, until nice and crispy on the outside.
Top Tips:
- Dry the wings completely before you cook them to help them get extra crispy.
- Keep the lid of the barbecue open when cooking these wings to keep an eye on the wings and ensure they don't get over-cooked.
- These wings are delicious served as is, but you could also serve them with a dipping sauce as buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, bbq sauce, ketchup, honey mustard sauce, or mustard aioli.
Salt and pepper chicken wings FAQs:
6-8 depending on the size of the wings. 6-8 chicken wings is also considered the serving size for chicken wings.
Store any leftover cooked chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can serve chicken wings with many different side dishes. Some of my favourite sides to pair with these wings include:
Healthy dairy free potato salad
Easy healthy broccoli salad
Sugar free coleslaw
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Other recipes you will love:
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Recipe
Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 5 lbs chicken wings
- sea salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Cut and dry your chicken wings.
- Turn your barbecue onto high heat and let it heat up.
- While your barbecue is heating, sprinkle a baking sheet with sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Place all the chicken wings on your bbq grill and cook the first side of the chicken wings for ~5 minutes and then flip them over to the other side.
- Cook the wings for another 5 minutes. Then repeat this process twice more, so the total cooking time is ~20 minutes until the wings are crisp and browned on the outside.
- Transfer the chicken wings to the pre-seasoned baking sheet and rub the wings into the salt and pepper to coat the bottom side. Sprinkle the top with additional sea salt and ground pepper to taste. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is very adaptable. Depending on how many people you need to feed feel free to increase or decrease the amount of wings you make.
- Keep the lid of the barbecue open when cooking these wings to keep an eye on the wings and ensure they don't get over-cooked.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Kristie
These chicken wings are THE BEST!
Erin Carter
They really are!!!