Make the best lemon pepper wet wings the way I learned to make them in Atlanta. These crispy wings are fried with my homemade lemon pepper seasoning blend for seriously tangy flavor and tossed in a tangy, buttery lemon pepper sauce. A perfect game day appetizer for all wing lovers!
When I was 22, my family lived in Atlanta, Georgia, and lemon pepper wings were a well-known local delicacy. In the South, wings are top tier celebration food.
And on game day we have a whole spread. I'm talking juicy roast beef sliders, tons of guacamole and salsa with chips...and if it's a real party, there's a newspaper put down covered with a classic garlicky seafood boil.
But when Donald Glover on the Atlanta tv show showcased J.R. Crickets' lemon pepper wet, the lemon pepper wing phenomenon went absolutely nuts on the mainstream stage.
And honestly, I can't blame y'all. They're that good.
This homemade lemon pepper wings recipe calls for deep frying so we have the crispiest classic wings, but I do have a recipe for air fryer lemon pepper wings if that's your thing.
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Origins of Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
The actual origins aren't clearly documented, but many people believe that lemon pepper wings were first created in Atlanta, Georgia.
The story goes that local people used lemon pepper seasoning on their buffalo wings to cool the spice down, as lemon helps negate spicy food. Didn't know that? Now you do!
While the original mix was buffalo sauce and lemon pepper seasoning, lemon pepper eventually caught on as its own flavor, and boom, a food craze was born!
Equipment
Dutch oven - if you don't have a deep fryer, a dutch oven is your best bet. It's large, heavy, and holds heat evenly.
Microplane - this tool is so great for zesting just the right amount of citrus peel without the pith.
Tongs - I use two sets: one for the raw chicken, and one to grab the fried chicken. Use tongs that are sturdy with metal ends so they are sure to grasp the slippery chicken wings.
Baking sheet - the base of your after-frying set up.
Paper towels - these will sit on the baking sheet to grab the excess oil from the chicken wings after they're done frying. No super greasy wings around here!
Wire rack - this lays on top of your paper towel-lined baking sheet, holding the wings up so they don't end up getting soggy on the paper towels.
Key Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Chicken wings. Getting them segmented, or cut into 'drums' and 'flats', will often be called party wings when you look for them in a pack. At Costco I was able to get about 6 pounds of wings for 20 bucks, so check there for them!
Lemon Pepper Seasoning - The whole point of lemon pepper wings right here! You can buy store bought or make your own lemon pepper seasoning.
Flour, Cornstarch, and Baking Powder - These three together make the crispiest, crunchiest crust on your wings! Argue with your mama on this one, this is science. It's the same mix I use in my southern fried chicken.
Eggs and Milk - Dip the wings in this mixture so the seasoned flour will stick. I add hot sauce to it for flavor. Layers of flavor, y'all. Layers.
Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest - I add fresh lemon zest into my lemon pepper sauce for extra lemony flavor. Just make sure you only grab the zest, not the bitter white pith.
Spices - I use a blend of the good stuff: smoked paprika, onion and garlic powder, and some kosher salt.
Unsalted butter and hot sauce - the OG version of lemon pepper wings was buffalo sauce mixed with lemon pepper seasoning. I keep the essence of that with hot sauce in my recipe. But that butter is getting mixed with seasonings and tossed with wings. Mmm!
Instructions
Step 1 | whisk up the hot sauce, spices, milk, and eggs and mix the chicken wings in the egg mixture. You can do this step a day ahead!
Step 2 | whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, lemon pepper seasoning and other spices, then coat the wings in the seasoned flour mixture.
Step 3 | fry the wings in 350ºF oil for 6-7 minutes until they are golden brown and mega crunchy. Carefully lace them on your wire rack to get rid of the excess oil.
Step 4 | Melt your unsalted butter with the lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon zest, salt, and garlic powder. Whisk it up good!
Step 5 | toss the wings in just a small bit of the melted butter mixture for Atlanta style 'regular' lemon pepper wings. But pour on about ¼-1/3 cup of lemon pepper sauce and give a hearty toss to make the famous lemon pepper wet wings. The green in the photo is fresh parsley for some *fancy*.
Pro Tips
If you have whole wings that you are breaking down, save those wing tips for a tasty chicken stock. They're also perfect for throwing into a ramen broth.
When using baking powder, always make sure it's 6 months old or less. Baking powder loses its potency as it ages, which means that amazing bubbly-crisp action we want for a seriously light, crispy chicken wing crust won't happen.
While we're on baking powder, get the aluminum-free kind so there's no metallic taste!
And don't skip the cornstarch. Cornstarch absorbs some of the water on the chicken, swelling up and locking in the rest of the juiciness inside the chicken, like a starchy shield. Then, when the wings fry, the water evaporates from the cornstarch, making that shield create a complex little starch network that expands and crisps up.
The butter sauce does solidify when cold. Just rewarm it in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat to make it nice and loose again.
What to Serve with your Lemon Pepper Wings
These wings are too good just to save for a game day, so here are a few menu ideas to serve with your wings year round:
We love these wings for game night! Serve with a Shirley Temple for the kids and a pitcher of sparkling tuscan lemonade for the grown ups.
We also love them with dinner. Serve up with sautéed asparagus, mashed potatoes, and extra lemon pepper butter sauce.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating Instructions
Make Ahead: Marinate the chicken wings in the egg mixture overnight and make the lemon pepper butter sauce the day before. Keep both in the fridge, then move on the the rest of the recipe when ready to serve.
Store: Keep the wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Put the leftover lemon pepper wings on a baking sheet in one layer, on a wire rack and reheat at 300 degrees F in your oven until they are warmed through.
FAQs
To ask for 'lemon pepper wet' wings just means that the wings are tossed in double the amount of sauce at your local Wingstop or wing restaurant. And since you're making lemon pepper wings at home, you can make as much as you want!
Lemon pepper is a popular seasoning blend made with lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper. Depending on the blend you find at the store, it can also include granulated onion and garlic, salt, different types of pepper, paprika, real lemon juice crystals (which I actually really enjoy, it adds a bright, tangy flavor!), and other spices.
Many store bought lemon pepper blends have preservatives and artificial lemon flavorings, which kinda taste like how lemon pledge smells to me so I have my own recipe for homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Pepper Wet
Crispy, tangy, juicy lemon pepper wings the way I learned to make them in Atlanta. The wings are fried with a zesty lemon pepper seasoned flour and tossed in lemon pepper wet sauce, made with fresh lemon juice and zest. A perfect game day appetizer or game night snack!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings, segmented
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Seasoned Flour
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
Lemon Pepper Wet Butter Sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tbsp) unsalted butter
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, pour in about 3 inches of vegetable oil. Begin heating the oil to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) while dredging the chicken wings.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together the eggs, milk, and hot sauce. Then, in a gallon sized zip top bag, or in another large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the seasoned flour together until well combined. .
- Take the chicken wings and put them into the egg mixture in batches, ensuring all the wings are coated in egg.
- Take about 5-6 egg-coated wings and put them into the seasoned flour. Give a really good shake (if in the zip top bag) or toss and stir them well (if using a bowl) to coat the wings in flour. Let them rest on a plate while you continue coating more batches of wings, until all the wings are done.
- When the oil has come to temperature (using a candy/frying thermometer is important here) fry the lemon pepper wings in batches, about 5-6 at a time, so you don't overcrowd the pot and lower the temperature of the oil.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and then place a wire rack on top for the cooked wings to rest on.
- Fry the wings for about 7 minutes per batch, then use a slotted spoon or tongs to take them out of the oil and place them on the prepared wire rack. Repeat with all the chicken wings until all of them are done frying. Make sure to check on the temperature before every batch, we don't want the heat to be higher than 360 degrees F (182 degrees C)or lower than 350 degrees F (176 degrees C).
- Mix the melted butter, lemon zest and juice, lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Put the wings in a clean mixing bowl and pour some of the sauce over the wings. Give them a really good toss, and if you want to make lemon pepper 'wet' wings, add all the sauce to the wings.
- Serve hot, with any leftover sauce on the side to dip in.
Notes
Want to reheat any leftover lemon pepper wings? Put them on a baking sheet in one layer, on a wire rack and reheat at 300 degrees F in your oven until they are warmed through.
When using baking powder, always make sure it's 6 months old or less. Baking powder loses its potency as it ages, which means that amazing bubbly-crisp action we want for a seriously light, crispy chicken wing crust won't happen.
While we're on baking powder, get the aluminum-free kind so there's no metallic taste!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 492Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 280mgSodium: 3351mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 45g
All nutrition facts are estimations. Please see a physician for any health-related inquiries.
Eden Westbrook is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind Sweet Tea and Thyme. A classically trained chef, Eden has inspired home cooks into the kitchen with cultural comfort foods, easy family-friendly eats and sweets, and glorious spreads for date night and entertaining since 2015.
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