Lemon Pepper Wings
These oven-baked lemon pepper chicken wings with almonds and parmesan are buttery, garlicky, and zesty, and don't forget crunchy!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Wings:
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken wings drumettes and wingettes separated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese plus a little more for garnish
- ¼ cup dry roasted sliced almonds finely crushed
- 1½ tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest
For the Sauce:
- 2½ tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.
- Coat the chicken wings. Mix the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Toss the chicken wings in the mixture until completely coated. Discard any excess flour. Then, add the garlic, olive oil, parmesan, crushed almonds, lemon pepper seasoning, and zest to the wings. Toss to combine.
- Bake. Place the chicken wings on the baking sheet. Pour any remaining lemon pepper mixture over them. Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, turn them over, and baste them with the cooking juices. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- Make the butter sauce. In the meantime, prepare the sauce by combining the melted butter, cayenne pepper, parsley, lemon juice, honey, and black pepper in a mixing bowl until well combined. Set it aside.
- Finish and serve. Remove the chicken wings from the oven. Transfer them to a heat-safe bowl and pour the prepared butter sauce over them. Toss until well coated. Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Chicken Wings: I used fresh (not frozen) chicken wings, but you can also use frozen chicken wings. However, frozen wings will take longer to cook through, about 15 more minutes or so.
- For crispier skin, I suggest arranging the chicken wings on a baking sheet the night before. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Precut wings: To save some time, you can look for chicken wings that have the wingettes and drumettes already separated.
- Almonds: In this recipe, I used roasted sliced almonds and then pulsed them a few times in my food processor. If you don't have a food processor, place the almonds in a ziplock bag, seal the bag, and crush them with a rolling pin or a skillet.
- Air Fryer Method: Cook the wings at 400˚F for 16 to 20 minutes or until cooked through, turning them over halfway through cooking.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 371mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 347IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 1mg
