If you think that you need to deep-fry your chicken wings to get them crispy, well let me tell you that you're totally wrong. And that's good because there's an even easier way to enjoy crispy wings, which is by baking them!
Yep, you heard me right. These crispy baked lemon pepper wings are as crispy as fried ones. No kidding! Not only that, they are even healthier since no deep-frying is involved.
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavour - Crispy baked in the oven chicken wings with amazing buttery lemon and pepper flavour.
Size - Enough to snack on for 2-3 people.
Level - Super easy, time saving because you don't need to baby-sit them while frying.
Occasion - Perfect appetiser (make sure to double or triple the recipe) for family gatherings or just chilling in the weekend with your other half.
Lets Talk Ingredients
Chicken wings - Wings or wingettes, they work amazing.
Baking powder - It's the secret ingredient to make the wings super crispy. Just please make sure it's baking powder, not baking soda, alright?
Seasoning - I use garlic powder and turmeric (to emphasise the golden-brown fried colour) but you can use your own seasoning combo. No problem at all.
Why This Recipe?
Because why baby-sit the wings and fry them when you can just let the oven do its thing? Right?
This recipe is way easier, saves you time and prevents that frying smell from lingering in your kitchen. You don't need to waste abundance of oil for deep-frying.
And the best thing is, the wings come out super crispy as if they're fried! Trust me, just make this recipe and you'll never go back to frying the wings.
Tips To Get Best Crispy Wings Every Time
Follow these tips and you'll get them crispy every single time. I promise.
Room temperature - If using frozen wings, make sure they're fully thawed. Also important to make sure the wings are at room temperature, not chilled from the fridge.
Dry - Pat the wings dry. If you think you've patted them enough, give them another round of patting. We want them super dry.
High temperature - Make sure your oven is with the correct temperature. In this case it'll be 440ºF (225ºC) with convection setting. We don't want soggy or burnt wings. I use portable oven thermometer all the time to make sure my oven's with the correct temperature.
Use a rack - Bake the wings on a rack because they will release fat and we don't want them to be swimming in it, thus making them soggy.
Flip - Don't forget to flip them so that they get crispy on both sides. In fact, we will be flipping them 2 times.
Cook them long enough - They won't dry out as easy due to their fat content, so cook them long enough until they get crispy.
More Recipes
- Honey sriracha chicken (crispy baked!)
- Quick 30-minute massaman chicken curry
- Chicken satay with peanut sauce
- Slow cooker Chicken rendang curry
- Healthier orange chicken
Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Wings
Ingredients
The Seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder , NOT baking soda
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
Main
- 1 lb chicken wings (450 g)
- 2 tablespoon butter (30 g), melted
- zest from 1 lemon
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Equipment
- 2 small bowls
- 1 huge bowl
- Grater
- Baking tray
- Baking rack
- Aluminium foil
Instructions
The Seasoning
- Add all ingredients into a small bowl, mix well and set aside.
Prepping The Chicken Wings
- Prepare a rack on a baking tray that has been lined with aluminium foil. Spray the rack with some oil. Set aside.
- Wash the chicken wing, drain and place them in a huge bowl. Pat them really dry with some kitchen paper.
- Then sprinkle the seasoning on top. Using your hand, coat the wingettes well with the seasoning. Place them on the prepared rack with some space in between.
Baking Them Crispy
- Bake in a preheated oven with convection setting at 440ºF (225ºC) for 20 minutes, use the middle rack.
- Remove from the oven and flip the wings. Continue baking for another 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and flip them for one last time. Continue baking for 10 minutes more or until crispy.
- Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add lemon zest, butter, black pepper and salt in to another small bowl and mix well. Add in the chicken and coat them well. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use portable oven thermometer to get the accurate temperature for your oven (I use it all the time).
- Make sure to pat the wings dry, bake them on the correct temperature and don't forget to flip them.
- Make your own by using the seasonings that you love.
Originally published on Jun 6, 2019. Updated with improved text, recipe and pictures on Jul 22, 2021.
Peter says
Hi, this is a great recipe! However, please note in the instructions above (and in the pictures) you say to use Baking Soda, NOT Baking Powder. Then in the ingredients list towards the bottom, you say to use Baking Powder, NOT Baking Soda. Which is it exactly? Thanks! I am hoping its Baking Powder, because that is what I have been using.
Bea says
Hi Peter! So sorry, it's baking powder like you said. I've corrected everything, including the picture. Many many thanks for the heads up. Have fun making them and hopefully you'll like them as much as we do!
Humaira says
Hi,
Maybe an odd question but can I do this with drumsticks or chicken breast? Some in my family don’t eat wings, that’s why.
Thanks in advance.
HK
Bea says
Hi! You can but you'd need to adjust the cooking time as it would totally be different though. Don't overcook the chicken breast else it'll get dry. Hope it helps!
Rohine says
Hi made this and it came out delicious. Definitely making again a hit with the kids
Bea says
Awesome Rohine!
Dylon says
Whatever you do, double the recipe.
They were gone in minutes. Thanks!
Bea says
Haha! Happy that you like them. Thank you Dylon!
Mike not Mikey says
I have made this recipe several times and it never failed me.
I added sriracha together with butter and it was amazing.
Many thanks for this recipe!!
Bea says
Hi Mike! I've got to try it with sriracha then, I love everything spicy 😁. Thank you for your feedback!
Regina says
If you haven't been making wings using this method then you've been doing it all wrong. These were the best wings. So crispy just like fried. Thank you so much for this.
Bea says
Right? Glad that you liked them, Regina. Thank you for your feedback!
Ngozi says
OH MY GOODNESS!!
It's so good. I did 2lbs so I cooked them for an extra 20 minutes, and doubled the baking powder. They turned out amazing.
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! Glad that you liked them Ngozi! Thank you so much!
Jacqueline says
No more Wingstop for my family. These are delicious. Thank you so much. My purse thanks you too😊
Bea says
That's great! I'm so happy to know. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
Abs says
I made these wings and they are DELICIOUS! Such a simple recipe but full of fantastic flavor and easy to execute. Plus, there's no deep frying involved! Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Bea says
Right? No oil mess, no extra cleaning. I'm happy that you liked them, thank you!
Damary Mendez says
Love this recipe this is my second time doing it my family loved it very much thank you❤️
Bea says
Awesome, thank you Damary!
Blanche Dubois says
Absolutely delicious, so far I have made the recipe twice. First time, I followed all the steps and the result was just perfect, the family enjoyed it very much. Second time, I did a little twist by adding some lemon juice and the melted butter to marinate the chicken wings along with the dry ingredients. The result was extra and no need to add some extra sauce, as the chicken was already very moist. Thanks! <3
Bea says
Yeay awesome! I'm happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your twist to it and of course, your feedback! XOXO