Artificial Flavors Free Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
Crispy, golden wings with a bright, buttery lemon pepper coating — this air fryer recipe delivers everything you want from a classic game-day favorite without a single synthetic shortcut. Store-bought lemon pepper seasoning blends are notorious for hiding artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, which makes this from-scratch approach such a win. The sauce comes together with just fresh lemon juice, real lemon zest, coarsely ground black pepper, and unsalted butter — nothing mysterious, nothing manufactured. A light coating of baking powder before air frying is the secret to that shatteringly crisp skin, no deep fryer or sketchy seasoning packets required. The high heat of the air fryer does the heavy lifting, getting the skin deep golden and perfectly rendered while the inside stays juicy and fully cooked through. Tossed in that glossy, tangy butter sauce right out of the basket, these wings are the kind of thing people ask you to make again before they've even finished their first plate.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 lbs chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
For the lemon pepper sauce
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings with the baking powder, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
- 2
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (205°C) for 3 minutes. Arrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each piece — work in two batches if needed to avoid crowding.
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