Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

Name: Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs. raw chicken wings (party wings); 3 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning; 1-2 tsp. salt; ranch, for serving; 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce (or favorite hot sauce); 1/4 cup light pancake syrup (62ml); 1 Tbsp. Mikes Hot Honey; 1 tsp. lemon juice; 2 Tbsp. salted butter

Here at Oh Snap we aim to please and these Hot Honey Chicken Wings are serious crowd favorite. Crispy, juicy wings tossed in a hot honey butter sauce, made quickly in the air fryer, it just doesn't get much better than this.

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A large oval platter with Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, celery sticks, carrot sticks, lemon slices, and bowls of ranch and honey dipping sauces sits on a pink table with two drinks, a bottle, and a striped napkin nearby.

These crispy hot honey chicken wings are the perfect appetizer. They’re easy to make, shareable and everyone loves them. Using the air fryer makes gives you the crispest chicken wings in a fraction of the time as any other cooking method and the simple homemade hot honey sauce comes together in minutes. The sauce is made with hot sauce, hot honey, lemon juice and pancake syrup and tossed over your cooked wings.

Serve your homemade chicken wings with a side of blue cheese dressing, homemade ranch dressing, celery sticks and carrot sticks for a classic party wings spread. Throw in some sweet potato fries or air fryer smashed potatoes for good measure and you’re all set.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

96 calories per wing.
Perfect blend of sweet, spicy and savory.
Simple ingredients.

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings.

A tray of raw chicken wings, prepped for Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, is surrounded by labeled ingredients—hot honey, salt, syrup, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, lemon juice, butter, and lemon pepper seasoning—on a pink marble surface.

Chicken Wings: I like to buy party wings that are already broken down into drumettes and wingettes.
Lemon Pepper: the lemon pepper gives the wings the perfect tang. Mrs. Dash is my go-to gal.
Hot Sauce: Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, always, for recipes like this. It’s delicious, has a great consistency and easy to find. Use your favorite hot wing sauce.
Mike’s Hot Honey: if you’ve never tried Mike’s Hot Honey, now’s the time! We love this stuff. If you can’t find Mike’s Hot Honey look for any spicy hot honey sauce in your local grocery store. To lower the heat use 1/2 Tbsp. vs 1 full Tbsp. and up the syrup.
Light Pancake Syrup: honey or pure maple syrup. To lower the heat, up the syrup and only use 1/2 Tbsp. of hot honey, this will make your wings sweeter with a hint of spice.
Butter: unsalted butter or salted works but I don’t suggest omitting. The butter helps get the perfect crispy skin.
Fresh Lemon: fresh squeezed is always best and I highly suggest lemon zest on the wings at the end!

Variations

Add sesame seeds prior to serving.
For extra spicy sauce, add cayenne pepper to the sauce ingredients.

Dietary Modifications

This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free as written.

How to make these wings (a step-by-step visual guide):

Step 1: preheat and prep your chicken

Preheat your air fryer. Pat the wings completely dry with a paper towel. This will help them get crispy while cooking. If using full wings be sure to cut the drum and wing from each other. Season the wings generously with salt and 3 Tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning. Be sure to coat all sides of the wings (image 1). The wings are cooked dry, without sauce.

A large beige bowl filled with raw, seasoned chicken pieces coated in herbs and spices for Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, set on a light pink surface. A small circle with the number 1 is in the top left corner of the image.

Step 2: air fry the wings

Spray the air fryer pan with cooking spray and add the wings in an even layer, not overlapping (image 2). You may need to do the wings in multiple batches. Air fry the wings at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 mins. Flip and cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until extra crispy and golden brown (image 3). Repeat the steps for the second batch.

Side-by-side images of Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings in an air fryer basket: on the left, raw and seasoned wings before cooking; on the right, the same wings cooked to a golden brown. Both baskets are black with ridged bottoms.

Step 3: make the homemade hot honey sauce

After you flip the wings start making your sauce. In a small sauce pan add all the ingredients and bring to a boil (image 4). Be sure to stir often so the sides of the sauce do not burn. Once the sauce is boiling bring to simmer and let simmer on low heat until ready to toss the wings (image 5).

Side-by-side images of a white saucepan: the left shows a red sauce with two butter slices, and the right shows the melted, glossy sauce—perfect for coating Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings. Each image is labeled with numbers 4 and 5.

Step 4: sauce your hot chicken wings

Remove the wings from the air fryer basket and place in a large bowl (image 6). Pour the sauce on top and remove the wings to serve (image 7). Pour extra sauce over top of the wings. Optional but a suggested delicious addition, add lemon zest and finely chopped parsley to the wings. Serve with ranch on the side of drizzled on top and enjoy your wings.

Two bowls of Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings side by side; the left shows wings with sauce being poured on, while the right displays fully coated wings in a red and speckled seasoning. Steps 6 and 7 are labeled in the corners.

Expert Tip!

The best way to get extra crispy wings is to pat your chicken wings with a paper towel before adding your lemon pepper rub. This helps remove any excess moisture and makes the most crunchy delicious wings.

A hand reaches for a Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wing on a platter served with celery sticks, carrot sticks, lemon wedges, and ramekins of honey and dipping sauce.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with these wings

Serve with sliced veggies like celery and carrots for an appetizer or with fries as a meal. Definitely add a side of dairy-free ranch dressing for dipping.

How to make these wings in the oven?

Line a baking sheet with foil and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for up to one hour until crispy. Flip every 20 minutes to be sure all sides get evenly crispy. Bake un-sauced and sauce per instructions.

How hot are these wings?

On a scale of mild to hot, I’d put these hot honey lemon pepper wings at medium. Do keep in mind my medium may be different than yours. If you want to lower the heat use 1/2 Tbsp. of hot honey and up the syrup by 1 Tbsp.

Check out some of our other easy air fryer recipes!

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!