Turkey Free Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
Crispy, golden chicken wings tossed in a bright, buttery lemon pepper sauce — this air fryer recipe delivers serious game-day energy without any of the fuss. The secret to that shatteringly crisp skin is a light coating of baking powder before cooking, which draws out moisture and helps the skin blister beautifully at high heat. No deep fryer, no turkey, no problem — just pure chicken wing perfection made entirely from straightforward, easy-to-find ingredients. The homemade lemon pepper sauce comes together in minutes with fresh lemon juice, zest, coarsely ground black pepper, and melted butter, giving you way more brightness and depth than anything from a bottle. Tossing the hot wings directly in that glossy sauce means every bite is coated and punchy. A scatter of fresh parsley and a few lemon wedges on the side make the whole platter look like something you'd order at a restaurant — except you made it at home in under half an hour.
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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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