Best Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Crispy air fryer wings with bold cracked-pepper and lemon butter glaze — restaurant quality, zero mess.
Ingredients
- Wings & Dry Rub:
- 2 lbs 900 g chicken wings, split (flats + drumettes), tips removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper coarse is best
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp baking powder secret crisp weapon – aluminum-free
- Lemon Pepper Butter:
- 4 tbsp 57 g unsalted butter, melted
- Zest + juice of 1 large lemon ≈2 tbsp juice
- 1 –2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Optional: ½ tsp honey for subtle sweetness
Instructions
- Pat wings dry → toss with oil + seasoning + baking powder.
- Air fry 400 °F 20–25 min → shake/flip twice → 425 °F last 5 min.
- Toss immediately in lemon-pepper butter.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Dry wings + baking powder = shatteringly crisp
- Fresh cracked pepper = non-negotiable
- Reheats better than fried
- Freeze raw seasoned → cook from frozen +8 min
- Day 2 cold = elite snack