Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings (Oven-baked recipe)

 Fire up the oven, grab some napkins, and get ready to experience crispy wings with delicious honey lemon pepper glaze.

Ingredients

(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)

The seasoning and the sauce require simple ingredients:

• Fresh chicken wings
• Butter: For the honey lemon sauce
• Olive oil: For baking the wings
• Honey: For the sauce
• Fresh lemon juice and zest
• Corn flour: To bake crispy wings
• Spices: To season the wings and to spice up the hot honey sauce:
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Cayenne pepper: for the heat
  • Paprika: I use smoked paprika but regular or sweet paprika is also fine.
  • Black pepper and fine sea salt.

Chicken wing parts

In case you didn’t know, chicken wing has three sections:

• Wing tip: A pointy end with little meat
• Mid portion: A double-boned “wingette” also called the “flat”
• Drumette: The meatiest part of the wing

Separate the sections. You can use the wingette and drumette for this recipe.

Quick tip for wing tips

Season with salt and pepper and bake them in the oven with the rest, but in a separate tray. Remove them 10 minutes earlier.

Store/freeze and use them when you make chicken stock. They also taste amazing in 5-ingredient chicken curry. You can also use them in the recipe for lemon coriander chicken soup to make chicken broth.

How to make honey lemon pepper wings

Prepare the wings

Make small cuts on the wings with a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen scissors. Pat them dry.

Make the seasoning

Take corn flour in a bowl. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and sea salt. 

Mix everything together to make a dry rub.

Season and bake chicken wings

Preheat the oven to 230°/446°F.

Add the seasoning to the chicken wings and toss. Drizzle olive oil and toss again until all the chicken wings are coated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the seasoned chicken wings in a single layer.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping once at the 15-minute mark.

Make honey lemon pepper sauce

I’ve adapted the sauce from the popular honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs recipe.

With variations to suit the crispy chicken wings, of course 🙂

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Stir for a couple of minutes on low flame.

Drop in lemon zest, lemon juice and honey.

Stir and simmer on low heat for a couple of minutes.

Remove from heat when the sauce turns thick and glossy.

Toss

Transfer the crispy wings to a large bowl. Drizzle half of the honey lemon pepper sauce on the wings and toss.

Add the remaining sauce and toss again until all the chicken wings are coated with the delicious sauce.

Serve the coated chicken wings with fresh lemon slices and optionally, chopped fresh herbs.

Recipe tips

Hot honey sauce: If the sauce cools down before the wings are ready, warm it up. This helps the sauce stick to the crispy wings. It also makes the wings glossy 🙂

Butter: Use roasted garlic compound butter instead of regular butter for more flavor.

Preparing the wings is important:

• Making small cuts in the wings helps them better absorb the seasoning. 
• Ensure there’s no excess moisture in the chicken wings before seasoning: DRY WINGS=MORE BROWNING.

Storage and making ahead tips

Storing: Lemon pepper honey wings can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps for about 4 to 5 days.

Making ahead (freezing): These wings can also be frozen for a month. It will have the same awesome taste, but there will be a slight change in the texture.

Reheating: They can be reheated in a loosely covered container in the microwave or on a baking tray in the oven.

Leftover wings

Leftover chicken wings can be used in the same way as the wing tips (mentioned above). Boil them with onions, garlic and veggies to make chicken stock.

You can also store them and add when you make varutha chicken curry with coconut or easy pepper chicken masala.

Why you’ll love these lemon pepper honey wings

Crispy wings are a perfect appetizer for game day or any day. There are so many reasons you’ll fall head over heels for these hot honey lemon pepper wings:

1. Flavor Explosion: The easy homemade lemon pepper seasoning and the sticky sauce bring a zesty punch that’ll have your taste buds dancing.
2. Crispy Goodness: Who says healthy can’t be crispy? Forget deep frying. These wings are oven-baked to golden perfection— with crispy skin and juicy on the inside.
3. Guilt-Free Indulgence: Love to snack guilt-free? Unlike most of the saucy chicken wing recipes, these delicious wings are low-calorie and packed with flavor, so you can munch away happily.
4. Hassle-Free Recipe: It’s easy-peasy like most of my chicken recipes. Throw together the seasoning, coat those wings, pop ’em in the oven—voila! You’re on your way to wing heaven.
5. Party Perfection: Hosting a gathering? These crispy lemon pepper wings are the star of any party—impress your guests without breaking a sweat.
6. Versatile Delight: Make double the quantity of the hot honey sauce and use it as a dipping sauce for the crispy chicken wings.
7. Easy Breezy Oven Magic: Ditch the deep-frying drama and let your oven do the work. This recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for those weeknight cravings when you need a flavor explosion, not a kitchen meltdown.
8. Bonus Round: Impress your friends with your homemade seasoning skills and watch them fight over the last wing (don’t worry, there’s always a winner… you!).