This Italian inspired recipe for Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Parmesan and Garlic has become an essential game day appetizer in our house.
Being from Buffalo, I would not dare take chances with a chicken wing recipe, so you know this is a winner! I promise that the tangy crispy wings slathered in a delicious garlic and parmesan sauce will have you licking your fingers! They are the perfect appetizer to add to your Super Bowl menu along with traditional Buffalo chicken wings and Oven Barbecue Chicken Wings.
Yesterday was game day here and what a day it was! I made these lemon pepper coated chicken wings for my husband, and based on his reaction, I am not sure if he was more excited about the wings, or the Buffalo Bills win! I am going with the wings. They were crispy, on the outside, tender on the inside and the sauce is garlicky and had just the right hint of lemon.
Homemade lemon pepper wings are the perfect party wings for anyone that doesn’t want a hot sauce. This is a great way to give your guests a tasty alternative to the traditional chicken wing appetizer. You could even turn your game day menu Italian by serving these wings along with some crispy Arancini, Stromboli and Italian Nachos.
Table of contents
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for very simple ingredients. Besides the chicken wings all you need is:
- Lemon pepper seasoning: Use your own lemon pepper seasoning or store bought,
- Italian seasoning,
- Butter:
- Garlic minced
- Parmesan cheese: Grated
- Italian parsley: Chopped
How to make Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
This recipe could not be any easier or tastier.
- Dust the wings with a generous amount of lemon pepper seasoning.
- Lay them in a single layer on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, then baked at 450° for 20 minutes on each side.
- For easy clean up, cover your baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat your baking rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the Parmesan and Garlic sauce
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Mix the Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning into the melted butter.
- Place the cooked wings in a large bowl and toss them in the garlic parmesan sauce.
Can you make Lemon Pepper Chicken wings in an air fryer?
To make this recipe using and air fryer follow these simple steps:
- Prepare the chicken wings following the oven baked recipe.
- Pre-heat the air fryer and spray the basket with cooking spray or line it with perforated parchment paper.
- Working in batches, place the wings in the air fryer basket leaving room between each chicken wing so they are not over crowded. Cook the wings for about 12-15 minutes per side.
- When the wings are done, toss them in the parmesan garlic sauce.
Serving suggestions
I don’t want to get into the national debate between Blue Cheese or Ranch, but I will say that a true Buffalo dip would be Blue Cheese dressing. Both are delicious and depending on where you are from there is definitely a favorite, so serve what you like best. The great thing about this recipe is that the lemon pepper, garlic, and parmesan create so much flavor that you don’t need any dipping sauce at all.
For those that want extras lemon flavor, place lemon wedges on the serving platter with the wings so that your guests can add a extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can also sprinkle some fresh lemon zest on the wings before serving.
These chicken wings are an easy appetizer but they work well as a main course too! They make for an easy dinner when paired with tasty steak fries, oven roasted sweet potatoes, your favorite vegetable or a salad.
FAQ’s and Cooking Tips
Yes, the wings can be prepared the same way and grilled over medium heat for about 8 minutes per side or until cooked through. Then tossed in the sauce.
• Starting with dry wings will result in crispy skin. Dry the chicken skin with paper towels. Then let the wings sit uncovered in the refrigerator for about an hour and up to 24 hours, before placing them in the oven.
• Place a wire baking rack on a rimmed cookie sheet and lay the wings on the rack. This will allow the juices to drip off the wings while cooking and crisp up. If you don’t use a rack the wings will cook in the juices resulting in a wetter chicken wing. For best results make sure to bake the wings using high heat so that they cook to golden brown perfection.
• Place the wings under the broiler for a minute or two at the end of the cooking time. Be careful though because they can easily burn if left unattended.
• Add a tablespoon of baking powder to the lemon pepper seasoning and toss the wings in the mixture to coat them evenly. You won’t taste the baking powder at all but the wings will crisp up.
Chicken wings can be reheated in the microwave by placing them on a microwave safe dish and lightly covering them with wax paper, so they don’t splatter. A couple minutes on high should be enough depending on how many you have.
They can also be reheated in an oven set at 350° for about 10 minutes.
These chicken wings will stay fresh if stored in an airtight container or food storage bag for 3-4 days.
Other game day recipes you will love!
- The Best Beef on Weck
- Italian Nachos with Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Oven Barbecue Chicken Wings
- Easy Mexican Style Chili with Turkey
- Mediterranean Layered Dip
- Smoked Turkey Legs
- Easy Guacamole
- Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip
I love to get your feedback so if you tried these Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Parmesan or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
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Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Chicken wings drumsticks and flats
- 6 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 7 tbsp Butter melted
- 3 cloves Garlic large, minced
- 1 tsp Italian Seasonings dried
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- Parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°. Place wire rack or roasting rack in a rimmed cookie sheet.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the lemon pepper on the wings,coating both sides. Arrange the wings on the wire rack and place in the oven.
- Cook for 40 minutes, turning the wings after 20 minutes. The wings should be golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the wings to a large bowl, pour the sauce over the wings and toss to coat evenly. Remove the wings from the bowl place them on a platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk briskly.
Looks So delicious and easy to prepare. Will definitely try this for game day or any fun get together!!!
Awesome Mary!
Sounds scrumptious, I added black pepper !
Yes extra pepper would be great!
Crispy, moist , cheezy, delicious.