Lemon Pepper Wings
On February 20, 2023 (Updated August 13, 2024)
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For a tangy and tasty chicken wing, you must try these grilled lemon pepper wings. They’ve got a little bit of everything for a game-day appetizer that beats all others.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
These grilled lemon pepper chicken wings are bright and zesty. They’re not your typical sticky wings, rather they’re a fresh take on chicken wings that taste fresh and exciting.
While chicken wings are often enjoyed as a party food or as an appetizer when watching sports, these wings are one of my favorite dinner options. The whole family loves them, and they’re beautifully balanced between fresh lemon and cracked black pepper. All you need to do is add a few sides and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.
Ingredients for Lemon Pepper Wings
The key to making these chicken wings unlike all the others is the combo of a homemade lemon pepper seasoning and a simple lemon butter sauce. Here’s what you’ll need to make these lemon pepper chicken wings.
- 4 pounds chicken wings
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
For the seasoning, you’ll need the following. For a full recipe write-up of this seasoning (it’s so good we decided it needed its own post), check out my post for Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning. These recipes do differ slightly in that this one uses freshly minced garlic and the other post uses garlic powder to allow for longer storage. If you plan to use this seasoning immediately, then go with fresh garlic.
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Last up, you’ll need the following to make the lemon butter sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
How to Make Wings on the Grill
Now that you have all the ingredients ready to go, let’s get these wings cooking. Here’s how to make lemon pepper wings:
- Preheat. Head on out to your patio and fire up your favorite grill. You can use anything you have on your porch, but I really like the flavor of charcoal with my wings. Preheat the grill to 425 degrees F while you prepare your chicken.
- Make the seasoning. Follow the instructions in the recipe card below to make the seasoning.
- Season. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with olive oil and then season liberally with lemon pepper seasoning on all sides.
- Grill. Place the seasoned wings directly on the preheated grill grates. Close the lid, and cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 3-5 minutes. Remove when the wings reach 170 degrees F.
- Get saucy. Dunk the grilled wings in the lemon butter sauce and toss to make sure they are all evenly coated.
- Dig in. Place the sauced wings on a serving platter and get at it. These are definitely going to need a few napkins or paper towels.
How Long to Grill Lemon Pepper Wings
It takes approximately 15-20 minutes to grill these wings. Once they’re seasoned and on the grill, be sure to flip them every 3-5 minutes to ensure the meat cooks evenly.
More important than watching the clock while grilling these, is to remove the chicken wings when the final temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Be sure to use a reliable internal meat thermometer to gauge the temperature of these wings while they cook.
Tips for Making Lemon Pepper Wings
Here are some tips for making these lemon pepper wings. They’re fairly easy to make, but I’ve found these tips will help you achieve the perfect wings every time.
- Take a few minutes to make your own lemon pepper seasoning. It is totally worth it and has no added junk that some store-bought brands have. If you want to make a big batch, I’ve got a whole post about drying the lemon zest so it is shelf stable for longer. However, if you don’t have the time to make your own, store-bought is totally fine.
- Don’t be scared of the heat. These wings are grilled hot and fast for extra crunch on the skin. It needs that crispy exterior to stand up to the lemon pepper sauce at the end without getting soggy.
- Track your temperatures. Wings are the best texture when cooked to about 175 degrees F. As previously mentioned, use an internal thermometer to check for doneness.
More Chicken Wings Recipes
Looking for more tasty chicken wings to try out the next time you have friends or family over? These top chicken wings recipes from Hey Grill Hey should hit the spot.
Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe
Follow the recipe, and let’s make some really good food. My goal at Hey Grill Hey is to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero. Head on over to Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more behind-the-scenes action.
Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings
Video
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
Homemade Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Lemon Butter Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your grill to 425 degrees F.
- Make the seasoning. Combine the lemon zest, fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and onion powder in a small bowl. Mix well.1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper, 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Season. Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels and spray or drizzle the chicken wings with avocado oil. Season on all sides with the lemon pepper seasoning.4 pounds chicken wings, 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- Grill the wings. Place the chicken wings directly on the grill grates. Close the lid, and grill for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 3-5 minutes to prevent burning and to crisp the skin. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F (this is a high temp for chicken, but it helps give you a clean, pull-off-the-bone bite).
- Coat in lemon butter sauce. Move the chicken wings from the grill right into a large bowl and top with the melted butter and fresh lemon juice. Toss thoroughly to coat.4 Tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Enjoy. Transfer the lemon pepper wings to your serving platter, top with some more fresh cracked black pepper, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**I originally published this post in February 2023, but recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. However, the recipe remains the same.
Just tried this recipe on some chicken wings smoked on my GMG. The first batch I used McCormick’s Lemon Pepper seasoning and the second batch I followed the recipe above. My wife and kids were the judges, and it was no contest, the recipe above was by far the best. More flavor, juicy, tasty and certainly a make again. Only drawback is that I got stick with the McCormick wings.