Ingredients
Method
- Pat chicken wings completely dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry at 380°F for 12 minutes, then flip and cook for another 12 minutes at 400°F until crispy.
- While wings cook, melt butter and mix with lemon pepper seasoning, lemon juice, garlic powder, and honey.
- Toss the cooked wings in the lemon pepper sauce until fully coated.
- Serve immediately with fresh lemon zest on top.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Buy whole black peppercorns and crack them yourself – pre-ground pepper loses its piperine (the compound that gives pepper its bite) within weeks, and wet wings need that sharp contrast to cut through the buttery glaze. After hundreds of batches, I've learned to pat wings completely dry, then let them sit uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes before seasoning – this creates the perfect surface texture for maximum seasoning adhesion in the air fryer. Source Meyer lemons when possible – their sweeter, more complex flavor profile creates a better wet sauce base than regular lemons, giving you that perfect sweet-tart balance without needing extra sugar. Toss your cooked wings in the wet sauce while they're still piping hot from the air fryer – the residual heat helps the butter emulsify properly and creates that glossy, clingy coating that defines true wet wings.
Buy whole black peppercorns and crack them yourself – pre-ground pepper loses its piperine (the compound that gives pepper its bite) within weeks, and wet wings need that sharp contrast to cut through the buttery glaze. After hundreds of batches, I've learned to pat wings completely dry, then let them sit uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes before seasoning – this creates the perfect surface texture for maximum seasoning adhesion in the air fryer. Source Meyer lemons when possible – their sweeter, more complex flavor profile creates a better wet sauce base than regular lemons, giving you that perfect sweet-tart balance without needing extra sugar. Toss your cooked wings in the wet sauce while they're still piping hot from the air fryer – the residual heat helps the butter emulsify properly and creates that glossy, clingy coating that defines true wet wings.