Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

These Honey Lemon Pepper Wings are a fast and simple way to enjoy chicken with an amazing flavor. Made with just three simple ingredients, everyone will love having these for a quick meal, a weekend snack, or for a game day appetizer. Fast, simple, and delicious. 

When I think about smoked or grilled chicken wings, I love making this simple dish. Not only does it come together quickly, but there is literally no stress at all when it comes to adding the seasoning and putting them on the wings. Drumettes and chicken wings are easy to make following the steps of this chicken. 

I love using lemon pepper seasoning on this because it's a simple dry rub that is added after the fact that the wings are cooked. This seasoning also doesn't have a ton of salt or sodium, so the flavor of lemon really shines. (Be sure to check the ingredients to be sure or look for one that is salt free or low in sodium)  

Speaking of perfectly cooked chicken wings, check out these Sweet BBQ Sauce Recipe! They're sticky and full of flavor. 

Ingredients

All you need to make this lemon pepper wing recipe is listed below. It couldn't be easier, right? 

Chicken wings - Make sure that they're thawed and ready to put on the grill. 

Honey or hot honey - Either will work fine, but one will turn these sweet wings into sweet hot wings quickly. Hot honey lemon pepper wings for the win. 

Lemon pepper seasoning - Added on top of the honey so that it sticks perfectly and adds a great balance of flavor. 

How to Make Hot Honey Lemon Pepper Wings

When it comes to chicken wing recipes, this is one of the best. You'll love this perfect appetizer that can be made quickly. 

Step One: Preheat the smoker. 

Step Two: Add the chicken wings to the hot smoker. 

Step Three: Cook thoroughly, turning the wings every few moments to cook them evenly. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the wings. For them to be considered fully cooked, they should be at 165 degrees. 

Expert Tip: We like to cook them at very high heat for a few minutes so the skin gets crispy. If you won't want to do that on the grill or smoker you can broil them.

Step Four: Have the honey and lemon pepper seasoning ready to add to the cooked wings. 

Step Five: Brush on the honey (or just drizzle it on the wings in a large bowl) and then sprinkle on the lemon pepper seasoning. This is basically a super simple method to make a honey lemon pepper glaze.

You can add more seasoning as needed. Some people like it more, and some like it less. It's totally up to you. The same way you can make either hot honey lemon pepper chicken wings or just sweet lemon pepper wings with this one recipe.

Variations 

Add seasonings - If you want to change up the flavor, change up the seasonings. Add paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, or anything else that you like the flavor of. 

Add more citrus - Squeezing a little bit of fresh lemon juice on top of these wings once they're cooked is delicious. You can also add some lemon zest as well. Fresh lemon juice really adds a zing to these drummies and wingettes. 

Add sauce - If you're more of a fan of a BBQ sauce than a dry rub or a honey sauce, then use whatever you like. The cooking of the wings doesn't change, so that part is simple. The only variable is going to be what you want to coat the wings with. 

Common Questions 

How can I cook wings without using the smoker?

If you want wings but need an alternative option, you can use the oven to bake them or the air fryer basket and air fryer for frying the wings.

To get crispy skin, air frying is going to be the best option. But baked wings can be great as long as you cook them at a high enough heat.

How many wings can I put on the grill? 

You don't want to overcrowd the wings, so be sure that you add them to the hot grill in a single layer. (the same applies when putting them on a baking sheet for baking, or putting them in a basket for air frying) 

The reason that you don't want to overcrowd is that it gives the air the chance to circulate and it also gives you the space needed to be able to flip them as they cook. 

How do I store leftover wings? 

You can store these hot honey wings in an airtight container in the fridge. Just let them cool down all the way, and then store them for up to 2 days in the fridge.

To reheat, you can warm them back up low and slow in the oven or even pop them in the microwave for a few seconds of time. 

If you want to freeze these cooked wings, add them to a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.