Sesame Free Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
Crispy, golden wings with a bright, buttery lemon pepper sauce — this air fryer recipe delivers serious restaurant-level results without a drop of oil for frying. The secret to that shatteringly crisp skin is baking powder in the dry coating, which draws out moisture and creates a crunch that rivals anything you'd get from a deep fryer. A quick homemade sauce of melted butter, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and coarsely ground black pepper gets tossed over the hot wings right before serving, so every bite is glossy, tangy, and deeply savory. For anyone navigating sesame allergies, wings can actually be a minefield — bottled lemon pepper sauces and seasoning blends often sneak in unexpected ingredients, and restaurant versions are hard to verify. Making the sauce yourself from scratch means you know exactly what's in it, with zero guesswork. A finishing scatter of fresh parsley and a few lemon wedges on the side makes the whole platter look as good as it tastes. These are the kind of wings that disappear fast, so consider doubling the batch.
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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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