Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Lemon Pepper)
56 Comments
Updated Feb 04, 2024
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These air fryer chicken wings have ridiculously juicy insides, crispy skin outsides, and the best lemon pepper flavor. Aka, they’re perfect for game day, Super Bowl or any dinner party really!
The Best Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, Ever
Let’s just say your search for the most delicious chicken wings stops here. Not to say my baked soy garlic ginger chicken wings aren’t amazing (because trust me, they are). But these air fryer chicken wings achieve that golden crispy perfection that you’d normally only get from oil frying. Except, you’re not drowning your wings in tons of oil. So yes, I’d say the air fryer lives up to the hype.
Plus, everyone will be gung-ho over this lemon pepper seasoning and dipping sauce – especially your Super Bowl crowd! It’s extremely simple, but has that addictive flavor that will have everyone reaching for a second plate. Translation: make a double batch. You just might need it!
Let’s Talk Ingredients
Ideally, it would be best to buy fresh chicken wings where the wings and drumettes are already separated for you by the butcher (to save you time). But if you buy them whole, you can easily chop them yourself. If you need some guidance on how to do so, take a peek at the video in my honey mustard chicken wings recipe.
Now, let’s get into the good stuff. This lemon pepper seasoning and sauce are what really makes these wings delicious. Like, finger-licking delicious. The sauce is optional and you can omit it if you prefer a simple dry rub on its own. But if you’re one that loves sauce with wings, this zingy, lemony, slightly sweet sauce will definitely enhance the lemon pepper seasoning.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chicken Wings: You’ll need about one pound for 4 servings. If you’ve got a bigger crowd, just double (or triple) the recipe and cook in batches.
- Olive Oil: Just one tablespoon is needed to coat the wings and prep them for air frying.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Although you can make your own lemon pepper seasoning, I find that it’s easier to just grab a bottle of it. It should be available in almost every market. Plus, you can use it to make my lemon pepper chicken recipe!
- Salt: While lemon pepper seasoning does contain some salt, I think a little extra kosher salt ups the flavor.
Lemon Pepper Dipping Sauce
- Butter: It goes without saying that butter makes everything better, especially when it comes to wings! Alternatively, you can use ghee if you’re dairy-sensitive.
- Honey: It adds a hint of sweetness to balance out the bright lemon flavors.
- Lemon Juice & Zest: This combination will add a “fresh” lemon touch to these wings.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Just one more teaspoon of this for ultimate lemon pepper goodness!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Air Fryer Chicken Wings
In just 30 minutes, your chicken wings will become beautifully golden with that irresistibly crispy skin. Yep, it’s that easy with the air fryer (like my air fryer salmon!). Here’s how to make them:
Prep the chicken wings. Preheat the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes at 390℉ (200℃). Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and toss them in a large bowl with the oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt.
Begin air frying! Place the wings in an even layer (not too crowded) and air fry for 18 to 20 minutes, until they’ve reached a perfectly golden color. Just make sure to flip them halfway through using tongs or pull out the basket and giving the wings a “shake” to ensure even cooking.
Prep the sauce. While the wings finish cooking, stir together the warm butter, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt in a small bowl.
It’s time to serve! You can toss the crispy wings with some of the sauce right before serving for a buttery, lemon-y touch. Or, serve the sauce in a bowl next to your platter of wings. The choice is yours!
Tips For The Best Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Use fresh chicken wings! Although frozen is an option (which I’ll go over below), I always find that using fresh chicken lends the juiciest, most tender results. Plus, you won’t have to spend time thawing it.
- Pat them dry. The more dry your chicken is, the better the seasoning will stick to the wing! You’ll also see how this works with my air fryer chicken breast.
- Let the wings chill in the fridge for maximum crispiness. The wings will be crispy no matter what, but for a little extra oomph you can chill them uncovered in the fridge for about 2 hours before seasoning.
How to Reheat Crispy Chicken Wings
I can attest to the fact that these chicken wings are easy to demolish. But if you’ve got some leftover, these wings are incredibly easy to reheat with your air fryer!
- To store: Place the leftover wings and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat: If your air fryer has a ‘reheat’ function you can use that. Otherwise, you can fry them again at 390°F for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they’re heated through and crisped up.
Lemon Pepper Air Fryer Chicken Wings Recipe Video
Watch how easy these super crispy wings come together in the video below!
Round Out Your Party Appetizers
These lemon pepper chicken wings are just one essential party food. Here’s a few others you’ll need for the ultimate appetizer spread.
- Best Ever Guacamole: A bowl of fresh guac always belongs on a party table!
- French Onion Dip: If you’ve got french onion lovers, this homemade creamy dip will surely be a hit.
- Best Ever Chili: Serve up mini bowls of chili, or use it as a dip with tortilla chips!
- Coleslaw: You can never go wrong with coleslaw. And for those who aren’t a fan of mayo – they’ll love this vinegar coleslaw!
- Bacon and Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers: Who can resist cheesy stuffed peppers with crispy bacon bits?
There’s always a time and place for these crispy air fryer chicken wings. The next time you make them, I’d love to hear what you think of them in a comment below!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (Lemon Pepper)
Description
Video
Ingredients
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- 1 pound chicken wings (about 10 wings), wingette and drummette separated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Lemon Pepper Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup melted butter or ghee
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from half the zested lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes at 390℉ (200℃). Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel, and place them in a mixing bowl. Toss the wings with the oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt.
- Place the wings in an even layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through or shaking and tossing the basket every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.
- While the chicken wings are cooking, prepare the lemon pepper sauce. Stir together the warm butter, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon pepper seasoning, and salt.
- Serve the chicken wings along with the dipping sauce. Alternatively, you can toss the chicken wings in a little bit of the sauce before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- Each serving is about 3 wings.
- There’s a lot of air fryers to choose from. After doing a bit of research I purchased this Ninja Max Air Fryer and have been loving it!
Nutrition
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Recipe is perfect! We got fresh drummettes and flats from Walmart. I used Kinder Lemon Butter Garlic seasoning. They were a hit and my husband is obsessed!
Hi Jennifer – Happy to hear your air fryer chicken wings turned out perfectly!
The temp and time listed in the recipe turns out perfect every single time! We have “Downshiftology Wings: 390* for 20 minutes” written down on a note inside the cabinet right above the airfryer so we never forget! So delicious and easy!
Hi Becca – I love the personal note in your kitchen! I’m glad you love this recipe.
Make a double batch as they will go quickly. If his was my first time making chicken wings and they were a hit. Recipe is very easy and delicious!
Hi Mindy – It’s always a good idea to make a double batch! I’m glad these wings were a hit.
Made this recipe over the weekend, with my new air fryer. It is so delicious!
Hi Jennifer – Happy to hear your wings turned out great!
Super easy and super delicious 👌🏻😋. This is a must try recipe.
Thanks for leaving a review and happy to hear you enjoyed these air fryer chicken wings, Mira!
This is amazing. More flavors please :).
So happy you loved the chicken wings, Mira! And yes, I definitely need to add more flavors.:)
This was my first time making chicken wings in my air fryer and I was impressed with how they turned out! It took closer to 25 – 28 minutes for the wings to get the golden brown tint I was looking for. At first, I thought turning the wings every 5 minutes might be a little excessive, but flipping them multiple times turned out to be key. The flavor was delicious! Consider warming up the butter dipping sauce again right before serving. Mine started to thicken which began to look a bit unappetizing. Overall, it’s a tasty recipe! Thank you!
Happy you loved the recipe, Jessica!
Wow, these wings were a hit at my job delicious 😋
Glad these wings were such a hit, Rosa!
The wings are perfectly-cooked in this Air Fryer recipe. So crispy. Don’t skip the dipping sauce, it is to die-for!
Thank you Lisa for your website and all of your beautiful recipes. I’ve had to drastically change my diet 6 months ago to a strict Paleo lifestyle due to health issues. Your recipes have helped transition into this new food world. You have given me passion to learn to cook and bake in a healthier fashion. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Happy to hear these air fryer wings turned out perfectly! Thanks for leaving a review and glad Downshiftology recipes have been helping along the way :)
This recipe is such a great basis for modifications. I used chicken drumsticks since those were on hand and the seasoning and butter for dipping worked out well. I used the 18-20 mins as a starting point for cooking in my air fryer but it’s likely closer to 25 mins with the larger sized pieces.
These were amazing – whole family loves them!
Yay, happy to hear it!
Hello Lisa, is it safe freeze them for batch cooking?
Yep, you can freeze these wings!
Thank you! I’m trying them for tonight dinner and if they are success, as I foresee, I’ll make a batch.
Lisa, I loved the wings they were amazing! I wanted Wingstop but they didn’t have fries so I made it on my own. These were really good everything balanced perfectly all the flavors. It was super easy especially since I don’t like really oily wings.
Glad you enjoyed these wings Maite!
Hi Lisa,
I do enjoy your videos and tips. Would you be able to say which AirFryer you are using?
I’m using the Nina Air Fryer :)
Hello Lisa,
discovered your channel lately and enjoying it very much. It is a refreshing addition to my healthy-vegan lifestyle. I did not find your typical extensive opinion / recipes regarding an air fryer. Could you pls relate to the issue? Thanx in advance!
Hi Gabriella – Happy to hear you’re loving Downshiftology so far. As per my opinion on air fryers, they’re a great tool for convenient, fast, and delicious recipes. I haven’t tested too many recipes yet, but these chicken wings came out perfectly. I plan to make more air fryer recipes soon so stay tuned!
I would love to have a recipe for air fryer roasted veggies! thanks
In the words of my husband, this was a home run! These were delicious will definitely make again.
Could these be made ahead of time? Any recommendations for reheating?
These are best made fresh since it doesn’t take very long. As for reheating, I have a few notes on how to re-heat in the air fryer written in the post :)
What about the non stick coating in the air fryer? Is there an air fryer that uses stainless steel?
Hi Angela – I haven’t found one yet.
My air fryer is stainless steel inside & I love it, a CalmDo air fryer that I found on Amazon. Had to return my first air fryer when the non-stick coating started peeling.
Just found your website & now I’m planning to try these wings!
Hope you enjoy this chicken wing recipe Jamie!
I Love LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS. it’s Yummy
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I have never gotten an air fryer, but this recipe temps me to get one because you always have good ideas. I notice that there are a significant number of reviews for most air fryers that complain about a strong plastic odor and taste in the food. Knowing how you prefer glass containers for storage, and how you avoid toxins in your food, I would appreciate knowing what your experience has been. I assume this has not been an issue for you or you would not have posted the recipe. Are there any precautions or procedures you used to avoid this problem? Thank you for your advice.
Hi Paul – I did not experience any plastic odor from my air fryer at all.
I LOVED this recipe Lisa. I just got an Air Fryer and have no idea what to do with it. More recipes using that for sure. Love your site and YOUTUbe channel. You are awesome. Thanks for your had work and recipes.
Will definitely be making more air fryer recipes – so stay tuned Brock!
So delicious! Juicy. Made me like chicken wings again. Thanks Lisa!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed these chicken wings Shannon :)
Just made these chicken wings for Super Bowl, and WOW. I’m going to have to make several more batches as my husband devoured the first one before the guests even arrived – haha. So good!!
Yay, love to hear that! And yes, it does make sense to purchase a couple extra pounds of chicken when making this recipe. ;)
Hello,
I have a Breville smart oven, do you think l could make this recipe in it?
Thank you
Diana
Yes you can! Although, the temp and time may vary. It should be fairly similar though.
Air Fryer Recipe Suggestion: Spicy Egg Rolls filled with Shrimp, Hot Sausage, Cabbage, Garlic, Ginger, etc…
Thanks Mike! I’ll keep those in mind for the future. :)
Excellent recipe. I’m going to try this with sliced chicken breasts.
Hope they turn out great!
They look so tasty‼️ Thanks again for your videos; I love them all💕
Hope you enjoy these chicken wings Mary!