Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are tossed in a little oil and lemon pepper seasoning, baked in the oven until crispy and crunchy, and make the best low carb and keto appetizer recipe.  Serve up these healthy baked wings at your next Super Bowl or game day party and watch as your guests go absolutely crazy for them!  

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe

No Super Bowl or game day party is complete without a finger-licking plate FULL of baked chicken wings.

Parmesan Garlic baked chicken wings, Thai chicken wings, Buffalo Chicken Wings, or this lemon pepper variation – I’m not picky!

However, chicken wings sort of get a bad rap for being unhealthy and difficult to make.

But can I let you in on a little secret?

They can actually be A LOT healthier for you if you bake the chicken wings in the oven instead of deep-frying them!

What-the-what?!  How could baking them in the oven create such crispy and crunchy skin?

Well you’re going to need to pay attention very closely to a few tips and tricks for the BEST baked wings recipe below.

And you’ll also learn how to easily prep them ahead of the big day so they can be popped in the oven when the game begins!

Ingredients

There are only a few ingredients you will need for this recipe and they’re all pretty easy to find:

• Wing Portions – You can either buy wingettes, drummettes, or a combination of the two.  Read below for more information.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is best since it is full of the most flavor.  Garlic powder can be substituted but will not give you nearly the same taste.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice is used but bottled may also be substituted.
• Olive Oil – Feel free to substitute with another mild-flavored oil such as avocado oil.
• Cornstarch – Tapioca starch or arrowroot starch may also be used if you are avoiding grains.
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning – Read below for more information about the best type to get.

Chicken Wing Portions

A whole chicken wing is composed of three different parts or portions:

• Drummette – this is the part that looks like a drumstick.  Drummettes usually have a bit more white meat and more meat to skin. (On right in image above.)
• Wingettes / Flats – this is the middle part of the chicken wing.  It is composed of two bones, has more dark meat, and slightly less meat to skin than drummettes. (In left hand in image above.)
• Tips – this is the cartilaginous tip of the wing.  Most often these will not come on the ones purchased at local grocery stores.

You can choose to use either all drummettes, all wingettes, or a mixture of both!

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Please pay very close attention here, because I have made this mistake myself before!

READ THE LABEL.

Some lemon pepper seasoning mixes come with salt already added to the mix while others are salt-free.

If your lemon pepper seasoning is SALT-FREE, then follow the recipe below as written.

However, if your mix DOES contain salt, then do not add the salt mentioned in the lemon pepper wings recipe below.

A few brands of lemon pepper seasonings that work well in this baked chicken wings recipe include:

• McCormick Lemon & Pepper Seasoning – contains salt.
• Lawry’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning – contains salt.
• Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning – salt is optionally added.

How to Make

Preparing lemon pepper wings is very much like every other chicken wings recipe.

Here are the step-by-step instructions you’ll want to follow: (See recipe card below for more detailed information.)

1. In a large bowl, mix together a combination of crushed garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.*
   • This step gets the wings slightly wet so the starch will adhere to the skin.
   • Remember, only add salt to the mix if your lemon pepper seasoning is salt-free.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and lemon pepper seasoning.  Sprinkle mixture over the chicken and toss to coat completely.
   • You can also use arrowroot or tapioca starch in this step.
   • The starch gives the chicken wings their crispy coating, so DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
3. Place the coated wings on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a SINGLE layer.
   • Be careful not to overlap them for the most crispy skin!
   • You can also place a wire rack on the baking sheet to get them extra crispy!

How Long to Bake Chicken Wings

Bake chicken wings in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Lather on your sauce of choice and return them to the oven on a high broil and broil the chicken wings for 4-6 minutes or until crispy.

Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven

As mentioned previously, there is a secret weapon when making lemon pepper wings in the oven… the starch!

In order to get a crispy and crunchy coating on these baked chicken wings, you CANNOT skip this step.  (Even if you’re watching your carbs!)  Trust me, without the tapioca starch your chicken wings will be a soggy mess instead of a crispy and crunchy delight.

Also, making sure your chicken wings are in a single layer ensures they do not get stuck together and crisp up on ALL sides.  I personally like to place my chicken wings skin side-up during the first 20 minutes of baking, skin side-down during the second 20 minutes of baking, and then skin side-up again when broiling.

Lemon Pepper Sauce

Once your chicken wings have baked in the oven you will mix together a bit of lemon pepper seasoning with melted butter and brush it over your baked wings.

If you are Whole30 or Paleo, simply use ghee.  If dairy-free, use a vegan “butter” stick instead.

Serving & Prep-Ahead Instructions

These lemon pepper wings are best served straight out of the oven with an extra sprinkling of pepper and a bit of fresh lemon zest.

You can also prep these baked chicken wings ahead of time.

To do this simply prepare them and stop just before baking in the oven.  Store the wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Bring them out at least 30 minutes before baking so they can come to room temperature.  Follow the remaining instructions as outlined below.

Other Game Day Recipes:

• 15 Healthy Super Bowl Recipes
• Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
• Buffalo Chicken Celery Sticks
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Chicken Leg Quarters

4.25 from 16 votes

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe

Lemon Pepper Wings are full of lemon pepper seasoning and are a great healthy, low carb, keto, gluten-free, Paleo, and Whole30 appetizer or snack recipe for your Super Bowl or game day party.

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Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken wings, lemon pepper chicken wings, lemon pepper wings

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6 wings

Calories 319 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken wings portions wingettes and/or drummettes
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. salt to taste*
• 2 ½ tsp. lemon pepper seasoning divided
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch tapioca or arrowroot starch
• 1 ½ Tbsp. butter melted, or ghee*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl whisk together crushed garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt (if lemon pepper seasoning is salt-free.) Add chicken wings and toss to combine.
3. In a small bowl whisk together 1 ½ teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning and tapioca flour. Sprinkle mixture over wings and toss to combine.

4. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place wings in a single layer. (You can also place them on a wire rack to get them extra crispy!)

5. Bake wings in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through.

6. While chicken wings are baking, whisk together melted butter and remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Once wings are done, brush lemon pepper-butter mixture over wings. Broil wings on high for 4-6 minutes or until skin is crispy and slightly browned.

7. Serve lemon pepper wings immediately with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper and lemon zest and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Some lemon pepper seasoning mixes have salt added and some do not. Be sure to read the label carefully and only add salt to the recipe if the seasoning is salt-free.
• Can also use a dairy-free vegan "butter" stick.
• A few brands of lemon pepper seasonings that work well in this baked chicken wings recipe include:
  • McCormick Lemon & Pepper Seasoning - contains salt.
  • Lawry's Lemon Pepper Seasoning - contains salt.
  • Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning - salt is optionally added.

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 319 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 124mg41%

Sodium 296mg13%

Potassium 269mg8%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 325IU7%

Vitamin C 2.5mg3%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.