This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Chicken. We eat a lot of it. The girls love chicken so I know that it’s usually a safe choice for dinner. I however crave more variety. When I was at the grocery store I spotted some nice looking chicken wings. On a whim, I decided to forgo our usual breast/thigh combo and buy wings instead, hoping that the girls would approve. Not only did they approve of my crispy lemon chicken wings, they loved them! This recipe is now part of our regular dinner rotation and the girls happily eat it every time.
These crispy lemon chicken wings are baked not fried, but you’d never know it because they come out of the oven super crispy. I use a simple lemon, honey and rosemary brine to flavor the chicken and it’s the ingredients in this brine that make the wings deep golden brown, almost caramelized.
So here’s the deal: make the brine, drop the chicken wings in, come back a few hours later then roast at high heat and serve. I recommend my ranch dip on the side but you can certainly eat them plain too. I buy the party wings where they’re cut into two pieces, my girls eat all of the drumettes and leave the other pieces behind for me and my husband.
If you’ve never tried brining chicken before, now is definitely the time to start. It adds so much flavor and moisture to the meat. That being said, it is possible to over brine your meat, so it’s important to stick to the time guidelines in the recipe. These crispy lemon chicken wings are a great choice for dinner and they also make a fun party appetizer. Who needs a deep fryer when you can bake your wings and get the same result?!
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
Crispy Lemon Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds party style chicken wings or whole chicken wings that have been halved crosswise
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 lemon juiced plus the squeezed lemon pieces
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 8 cups water
- cooking spray
- 4-6 lemon wedges for serving
- Ranch dip for serving optional
Instructions
- Bring one cup of water to a boil (I use the microwave) and pour the water into a very large bowl. Add the salt and honey to the water and stir until the salt has dissolved. Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and peppercorns to the bowl. Add the lemon juice and the squeezed lemon pieces. Pour 7 cups of very cold water over everything and stir until combined. Place the chicken wings in the brine, cover the bowl and put it into the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Remove the chicken wings from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until wings are a deep golden brown. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and ranch dip if desired.
I love how crispy the skin is. I can’t believe they are baked! Yummmm.
Filling these under things I have to try ASAP. Your pictures make my mouth water they look so good – pinning for later 🙂
Those look like they are cooked to perfection! I will have to try the brine next time I bake my wings.
I love your blog and all your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
I adore chicken wings! These look absolutely delicious, I love the styling too!
Thanks for the compliments Lauren!
We eat wings often, but I’ve never seen, let alone even tried, a lemon version! They look wonderful.
The lemon adds a nice flavor boost! Try it, you’ll like it 😉
I love lemon chicken. What a great idea to use it for wings! I’m going to make this soon. Thanks!
Thanks Ali, hope you like them!
These look delicious! I’ll have to try these because I LOVE chicken. Thanks for sharing!
Chicken is definitely the #1 protein around here too!
What beautiful photos. These chicken wings look heavenly! Pinning for sure!
Thanks for pinning Sara!
I’ve never brined chicken wings before, and these look so delicious! I can’t believe they’re baked as well — they look so crispy, which is how I love my wings.
I love brining, it adds so much flavor and helps to keep the meat from drying out in the oven!
I need this. Like right now. In my mouth.
I love anything lemon, and crispy lemon chicken just seems like the best of all worlds. Pinned it!
Thanks for pinning, they are super delicious!
Dang, these look amazing! And they sound super easy to make which any and every mom can appreciate (fist bump!). And your food photography is on point! Bravo to you! I’m definitely pinning this and coming back later to make these. -Misty
Thanks for pinning, they really are easy to make!
This is the kind of party appetizer that would be gone so quick! Looks so delicious!
They definitely go quickly, we never have leftovers when it’s wing night!
I’m adoring these photos today, girlfriend! Love the newspaper! Pinned!
Thanks for the compliment and for pinning!
These look so delicious! Will be pinning so I can make them later!
Thank you for pinning Rebecka 🙂
oh these look yummy! i love your food photos- great eye!
Thanks for the compliment! 🙂
Your pictures are magnificent and your recipes looks very good. I bet lemon makes all the difference
Thanks Rini, the lemon adds some nice acidity to balance out the wings!
These look amazing! Love the ingredients too, with the fresh lemon and herbs.
Wings have never looked better!! Beautiful post!
I can’t believe these are baked – they look so crispy!! These are the prettiest chicken wings I have ever seen – your styling looks amazing! And the chicken wings sound delicious – I can see why your girls love them!
Yum! These wings look so delicious!! AND crispy!
These look SO SO good! There is a good chance I’m going to try this out tonight…
Love wings, especially when they are crispy! Looking forward to trying this one!
WOW, Sara. These are really gorgeous! I have never made chicken wings, and I’m sure mine wouldn’t be this pretty if I tried. Great job!!
Wow Sara I just finished eating some leftover drumsticks I made, but now I want a do-over so I can have these! I’m intrigued by the brine plus crispy oven goodness. Looking forward to trying this!
These are the most beautiful chicken wings I have ever seen, LOL! Love that these are flavored with lemon and crispy wings are my fave! Gotta try these soon for my lemon-obsessed family!
My hubby lovesssss wings while I prefer boneless…something about having to rip the meat off the bone and get my face dirty. Such a girly girl I am 😉 But I am loving the flavor of these! May just have to try them out for a fun Friday night dinner!