Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Zutaten

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

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

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wings

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

Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1½ tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

1½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey

Anweisungen

1. 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.

2. 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.)

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. For the Sauce Meanwhile, whisk all ingredients in second large bowl until uniform.

6. 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.

Notizen

Citric acid gives our homemade lemon pepper seasoning the signature punchy tartness present in most commercial lemon pepper blends. 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). Serve the wings with blue cheese dressing.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Lemon pepper chicken wings are an Atlanta favorite, garnering praise from rappers, writers, and the mayor alike. Our version is based on the popular “lemon pepper wet” style, which douses the wings in a special sauce after frying. For our homemade lemon pepper seasoning, we dehydrated lemon zest in the microwave and stirred in plenty of coarsely ground black pepper. We tossed the uncooked wings in lemon juice to reinforce the lemon flavor and dredged them in cornstarch and flour for a crispy coating. A mixture of melted butter and hot sauce made a rich, bright sauce to finish the wings.