Name: Lemon Pepper Wings
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (3 lemons); 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon granulated garlic; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; ½ teaspoon sugar; ½ teaspoon citric acid (optional); ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¾ cup cornstarch; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 3 pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 1 1/2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce; 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 tablespoon mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon honey

Lemon Pepper Wings

By Matthew Fairman

Published on February 21, 2022

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

3 tablespoons grated lemon zest (3 lemons)1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper1 teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon granulated garlic1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon ground coriander½ teaspoon sugar½ teaspoon citric acid (optional)½ teaspoon ground turmeric¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wings

¾ cup cornstarch¼ cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons baking powder3 pounds chicken wings, cut at joints, wingtips discarded3 tablespoons lemon juice1 tablespoon kosher salt1 teaspoon pepper2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted1 ½ tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice1 tablespoon mayonnaise1 tablespoon honey

Before You Begin

Citric acid gives our homemade lemon pepper seasoning the signature punchy tartness present in most commercial lemon pepper blends. We developed this recipe using Ball brand citric acid. Look for it in the canning and jarring section of your supermarket or online. When possible, buy whole wings and butcher them yourself because they tend to be larger than wings that come split. If you can find only split wings, look for larger ones. Twelve whole wings should ideally equal 3 pounds and will yield 24 pieces (12 drumettes and 12 flats, with the tips discarded). To dry the lemon zest in an oven, spread it on a parchment‑lined rimmed baking sheet and bake it at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve the wings with blue cheese dressing.

Instructions

for the lemon pepper seasoning

Spread lemon zest evenly on plate and microwave until dry and lemon zest separates easily when crumbled between your fingers, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.

Combine pepper; salt; granulated garlic; onion powder; coriander; sugar; citric acid, if using; turmeric; cayenne; and lemon zest in bowl. Set aside. (Seasoning can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.)

for the wings

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Whisk cornstarch, flour, and baking powder together in bowl. Toss wings with lemon juice, salt, and pepper in large bowl until wings are evenly coated. Add cornstarch mixture and use your hands to toss and thoroughly coat wings in cornstarch mixture, pressing and rubbing cornstarch mixture into wings to adhere; set aside while heating oil.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Using tongs, add half of wings to oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer fried wings to prepared sheet. Transfer sheet to oven to keep warm. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat with remaining wings.

for the sauce

Meanwhile, whisk all ingredients in second large bowl until uniform.

Add wings and 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning to bowl with sauce and toss until wings are uniformly coated. Serve, sprinkled with extra lemon pepper seasoning as desired.