Paraben Free Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
Crispy, golden wings tossed in a bright, buttery lemon pepper sauce — this air fryer recipe delivers serious crowd-pleasing flavor with a surprisingly short ingredient list. The secret to that shatteringly crisp skin is baking powder in the dry coating, which draws out moisture and helps the skin render beautifully without a drop of oil. A quick homemade sauce of melted butter, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and coarsely ground black pepper keeps everything clean and straightforward — no bottled condiments, no mystery additives, just real ingredients you can actually read. For anyone navigating paraben sensitivities, that matters more than most people realize, since preservatives can sneak into pre-made sauces and seasoning blends in ways that are hard to track. Making the sauce from scratch here takes only a few minutes on the stovetop while the wings finish in the air fryer, so there's no extra effort involved. A scatter of fresh parsley and a few lemon wedges on the platter make these look like something from a restaurant menu. Serve them straight out of the basket while the skin is still crackling — they won't last long.
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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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