Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

These hot honey lemon pepper wings are crispy and layered with so much flavor. Coated with a seasoned dry rub and then covered in a sweet and spicy honey lemon sauce. Healthier than take-out, they are baked, not fried and this recipe offers a sugar free sauce option.

Why this recipe is just so good....

• These crispy lemon pepper wings can be served as an appetizer or main course.
• You can adjust the flavor very easily. Add more honey for additional sweetness or more hot sauce for extra spicy heat level. Or add more lemon juice or lemon pepper for extra tang.
• This is a healthier version of hot honey wings. They are baked in the oven, but still has crispy skin. And you can substitute the honey for a honey alternative if you'd like.
• If you love spicy chicken recipes, be sure to try my Buffalo Chicken thighs and Spicy chicken marinade, Jerk Wings and Buffalo Wings.

Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make these fantastic Hot Lemon Pepper Wings:

• Whole chicken wings
• lemon juice
• honey
• sweet chili sauce
• hot sauce
• butter
• lemon pepper seasoning
• garlic powder

Ingredient Notes

• You can also buy wing drummets if you prefer. The cooking time will be decreased because they are smaller. Or you can cut the whole wings in half at the joint as well. If I were serving these wings as an appetizer, I would either buy the drummets or cut the whole ones.

Make it Low Carb

Although it is a naturally occurring sweetener, honey does have carbohydrates and can affect blood glucose, according to Food Insight. In general, I like to make substitutes for sugars in a recipe when I can.

This is what I used the second time I made this recipe. In my opinion, it is sweet enough but doesn't taste exactly like honey. However, it was close enough for me to use it. It has the sticky consistency which is what honey has so it suited my needs as a substitution.

Honey has 17 grams of sugar per tablespoon and this honey alternative has 0 grams of sugar.

Also, the sweet chili sauce is a sugar free brand. You can use a regular sweet chili sauce instead. And try a sugar free barbecue sauce like G Hughes brand.

How to make Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine the dry rub ingredients in a large bowl.
Pat the chicken wings with paper towels until dry.  Place them in the bowl and mix until fully coated.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 
Put seasoned wings on the sheet in a single layer and bake in oven for 20 minutes.  Turn wings over and continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and an internal meat thermometer registers 165°F.

Make the hot honey lemon pepper sauce:  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, honey, hot sauce, lemon juice and chili sauce.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Pour sauce into a large, heatproof bowl, put chicken wings in the bowl and stir to cover with the sauce.

Remove wings to a platter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the reserved lemon pepper seasoning over the wings before serving.

Recipe Tips

• If you want the wings to be crispier, place the coated wings back onto the baking sheet, turn oven to broil and broil them just for a minute or two. 
• Watch them carefully so they don't burn.  The sugar in the honey increases the potential for burning.  But 1-2 minutes under the broiler is more than enough to make the wings extra crispy.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover wings in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them in a skillet on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Or reheat on a baking tray in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes until hot.

Freeze in airtight container for 3 months and defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

FAQ

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