BHA & BHT Free Lemon Pepper Wings

Total time1 hr 5 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time50 min

4.7

(10)

Crispy baked wings tossed in a bright, buttery lemon pepper sauce are the kind of crowd-pleaser that disappears fast — and this version is made entirely from scratch with clean, simple ingredients. That matters more than you might think, because a lot of store-bought wing seasonings and bottled sauces quietly contain BHA or BHT as preservatives, making it genuinely tricky to enjoy this classic without reading every label twice. Here, the lemon pepper flavor comes from real lemon juice, fresh zest, and coarsely ground black pepper, so you know exactly what's going into every bite. The baking powder trick is the secret weapon — it draws moisture out of the skin and helps it blister and crackle in the oven without a drop of oil. A wire rack set over the baking sheet keeps air circulating underneath, so you get that deep golden crunch all the way around. The finishing sauce takes about a minute to pull together on the stovetop and coats every wing in tangy, peppery, buttery goodness. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a little parsley, and you've got a plate that looks and tastes like it came from a serious wing spot — no preservatives required.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the wings

2 ½ lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp garlic powder

For the lemon pepper sauce

4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
1 ½ 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
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set a wire rack inside a large baking sheet and lightly coat the rack with nonstick spray.
2
Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels — the drier the surface, the crisper the skin. In a large mixing bowl, toss the wings with the baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and garlic powder until evenly coated.

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