Honey lemon pepper wings are not only crispy, bold and full of flavor, they’re sweet, savory with a bit of tang. These hot lemon pepper wings make the perfect BBQ or game day appetizer.
Instructions included to make hot honey lemon pepper wings on the grill, or in the oven.
Lemon Pepper Wet Wings
Tender chicken wings are coated in a dynamic and complex honey lemon pepper sauce before being cooked to perfection. This ain’t no dry chicken wing. This is a saucy chicken wing recipe, requiring only 10 minutes of prep time to pull this lemon pepper honey wings recipe together.
This is the BEST honey lemon pepper wings recipe. With extra crispy skins, juicy meat and flavorful honey lemon sauce, these wings rival restaurant quality.We find it’s similar, but MUCH better than, the Wingstop lemon pepper wings recipe. It’s exactly how Chicken Recipes should be.
Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Before we get into specifics I will answer a popular question first: “Are these spicy lemon pepper wings really spicy?”. These lemon pepper buffalo wings are as hot as normal buffalo chicken wings. They have a bit of a kick, but aren’t overly so. If your tolerance for heat is under 5 on a scale of 5-10, you may find these on the spicy side.
Ingredients
Hot honey lemon pepper chicken wings take minimal ingredients to make. Many items you probably already have on hand.
Lemon Pepper Seasoning – To make the lemon pepper rub you’ll need the following: olive oil, lemon pepper, cajun seasoning, black pepper and garlic salt. We use salt free seasoning as so we can control the sodium content. If you prefer to purchase ready made spices, here are some options on Amazon.
Honey Lemon Pepper Glaze – To make the honey lemon pepper sauce, you’ll need: butter, hot sauce (we use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce), honey, fresh lemon juice, lemon pepper and cajun seasoning. Omit if you prefer dry rub wings.
Fresh Chicken Wings – Try and snag a bag labeled “split wings” or “party wings” to make honey lemon pepper wings. This means the chicken wings arrive with the drummette and wing already detached. We always snatch up this bag at Costco. If you can’t find them, no worries. Just cut the chicken at the joint and remove the wing tip before tossing.
That’s it! That’s all the ingredients you need!
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Dipping Sauce
Enjoy uber saucy wings? Multiple the lemon pepper hot sauce recipe by 1.5 to have some leftover to use as a chicken wing dipping sauce. Just make sure the portion being utilized as a chicken wing dipping sauce does not come in contact with any raw poultry.
Variations
- Don’t care for honey? You can swap in maple syrup, agave instead to make lemon pepper marinated chicken.
- Like garlic? Make it a honey garlic lemon pepper sauce by adding 2-3 cloves of grated garlic, or even a 1 tsp of garlic powder, to the sauce before glazing the chicken.
- Don’t like chicken bones? We get it. This honey lemon pepper glaze can be used on boneless chicken wings, boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs instead. While the preparation would be the same, the cook time would depend on the cut you utilize. So adjust accordingly.
Recipe Tips
- You can utilize frozen or fresh chicken wings. If using frozen wings, just defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Make sure to utilize fresh lemon juice vs canned lemon juice. It makes a huge difference to the final flavor. We even throw in a bit of lemon zest if we’re feeling up to it.
- You can make the sauce in advance, so it’s ready to go when the wings are finished, or you can wait until the chicken is almost cooked, if easier. The timing works great for both.
- As with all chicken recipes, do not leave out at room temperature for more than two hours. If you have leftover store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To re-heat leftover wings, pre-heat the oven to 350 and cook for 10-12 minutes, until heated throughout.
More Chicken Wing Recipes
Here are a few more chicken wing flavors and appetizer recipes to try:
- Korean Chicken Wings
- Mango Habanero Wings
- Smoked Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
- Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 1½ Lb Chicken Wings (Separated) (*Note 1)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- ½ tbsp Cajun or Creole Seasoning
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp OPTIONAL: Kosher Salt (*Note 2)
HONEY LEMON PEPPER SAUCE
- 2 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
- ½ cup Hot Sauce
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 Lemon, Juiced
- 1 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1 tsp Cajun or Creole Seasoning
Instructions
HONEY LEMON PEPPER SAUCE:
- TIP- Make the sauce in advance, so it's ready to go when needed, or wait until the chicken is almost cooked, if easier. The timing works great for both.Pre-heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Add the hot sauce, honey, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning and cajun seasoning to the pan and stir to combine.
- Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Set aside until needed to toss the chicken wings. Mix to combine again before using.
GRILLING:
- Pre-heat the grill to medium heat (350°F) and set up for indirect cooking. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper over the chicken and toss to evenly coat.
- Place the chicken on the direct heat side of the grill and grill for 3-4 minutes per side, with the lid down. Add an extra minute or two per side if the skin doesn't look as crispy as you would like.
- Move the chicken to the indirect heat side of the grill and brush both sides with the sauce. Cook, with the lid closed, for 8-10 minutes. Grill until the internal temperature is 175°F.
- Transfer the cooked chicken wings to a large mixing bowl and toss with the remaining sauce. Enjoy immediately for best texture.
SMOKER:
- Pre-heat the smoker to 225°F and add your wood of choice, right before adding the chicken. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper over the chicken and toss to evenly coat.
- Place the chicken on the smoker and grill for approx. 75 minutes. Brush both sides of the wings with the sauce and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F. If using a manual smoker, turn the wings every 30 minutes or so and watch for flare ups.
- Transfer the cooked chicken wings to a large mixing bowl and toss with the remaining sauce. Enjoy immediately for best texture.
OVEN:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil to the chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle the lemon pepper seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder and black pepper over the chicken and toss to evenly coat.
- Transfer the wings to a parchment lined baking sheet or broiler pan and arrange in a single layer (they should not touch).
- Cook for 15 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
- Transfer the wings to a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce. Enjoy immediately for best texture.