Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings

These grilled lemon pepper wings are perfect for a weeknight family meal or to serve a crowd on game day or at a fun summer barbecue. The wings are layered with a simple lemon pepper marinade sauce and a lemon pepper dry rub. Serve it with the best homemade lemon aioli sauce and your taste buds will truly thank you!

Looking for more tasty chicken wing recipes? Try my Baked Jerk Wings, Hot Honey Lemon Wings, or Buffalo Wings.

Why these wings are just so good....

• Extra lemon flavor- If you love lemon, this recipe is for you. With a simple lemon herb marinade and a lemon zest dry rub, these wings are crispy and zesty on their own. Then dip them in a lemon aioli sauce and you will have all the lemon flavor you could want.
• Simple Ingredients– You can make these wings super easy if you use grocery store seasoning. Or make your own lemon pepper seasoning using lemon zest and a few other ingredients.
• Easy clean up- Who doesn't love the quick clean up when grilling an easy dinner? No pots, frying pan, or baking sheet.

Ingredients

These are the ingredients to make this zesty lemon pepper chicken wing recipe:

(not shown granular sugar or sugar substitute)

Ingredient Notes

You can buy whole wings or cut up into pieces. If you buy them whole, the wing has a flat, a drum and a tip. I prefer the drums since they have more meat on them.

When I have bought them whole, I took a short cut and did not cut and separate them. But you can if you choose. Just  cut between the drum and the wing part.  Try to cut the sections apart at the joints, where the cartilage is softer. The wing tips are pretty small and not worth grilling. But you can freeze them for soup stock.

How to make homemade lemon pepper seasoning

For this recipe, I am using bottled lemon pepper seasoning.

My homemade version is also simple: 1 tablespoon lemon zest (lemon peel), 2 teaspoons black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar. (if not using the all-purpose seasoning in this recipe, add ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder. This is enough for 1 chicken wing recipe.

How to make Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings

Below are some basic instructions for this recipe. You will find complete step by step directions in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Stir together the marinade ingredients in a large glass or plastic bowl.

Step 2: Put the large bowl, covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator and marinate  for at least 20 minutes.

Step 3: Preheat grill to medium high heat, about 425°f. Lightly pat the wings dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the dry rub mixture over wings.

Place wings on the lower grill grates.   Cook the wings, turning every 5 minutes. Lower the heat and move wings to the upper grill.

Step 4: The chicken wings are done when a meat thermometer register an internal temperature of at least 170°F. 

How to make lemon aioli

Step 1: Stir together the ingredients for aioli. Whisk well until smooth.

Step 2: For the smoothest sauce, use a mini food processor.

Recipe Tips

• *There are so many all purpose seasonings available in the spice aisle at the grocery store. No need for a fancy, expensive one.  Just pick one that basically has garlic, onion, celery salt, black pepper, paprika or something close to that.

• As per Eatright.org, Marinate the wings in a plastic, ceramic or glass bowl. Or use a large food-safe plastic bag. Don't use a metal bowl since the acid in the marinade (lemon juice) will interact with the metal.

Use a paper towel with some canola or vegetable oil on it to lightly rub the grill grates to prevent sticking.

• All the wings may not be done at the same time due to the heat of the grill and size of the wings. Check for browning and also the internal temperature. You can move the wings that are too browned to the upper grill. They will continue to cook but won't get too charred.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to marinate or use a dry rub on chicken wings?

Both methods will add flavor to the wings. I like to do both. When you marinate chicken, the acid (lemon juice) slightly breaks down the fiber in the meat and will help tenderize it. As long as you lightly dry off the chicken before grilling, you should still get a nice crispy chicken wing.

Why are my wings sticking to the grates and burning?

Make sure your gas grill grates are lightly oiled Use a paper towel with some oil and rub over grates. Don't turn the wings for at least 5 minutes. To avoid flareups and burning the wings, trim off any hanging chicken skin before cooking. Watch the wings carefully after 10 minutes or so. If they are beginning to brown or get charred, lower the temperature of the grill and move the wings to the upper grates.

What can I serve with my lemon pepper chicken wings?

I think a side dish that can cook on it's own while the chicken is grilling would be a great idea. My Marinated Asparagus can be cooked in the oven or on the grill. Roasted green beans and carrots or Asparagus and carrots would be delicious!

If you tried these delicious lemon pepper wings and enjoyed them, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you.

Here are MORE of some of our favorite grilled recipes:

Grilled Haddock

Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters

Grilled Turkey Breast

Grilled Brats