You don’t need to fuss with a deep fryer to make perfect wings, thanks to this recipe for legitimately crispy oven-baked lemon pepper wings. The key to achieving their extra-crispy texture is to ensure a dry skin by patting them with kitchen paper, then seasoning the wings in a dry brine of zesty lemon pepper seasoning, cornstarch, and baking powder before hitting the oven. Your favorite store-bought lemon pepper seasoning does the heavy lifting here (my favorite is Simply Organic brand because of its intense lemon flavor that comes straight from the peels of the fruit). The salt content can vary dramatically among brands, so taste it before using and add a little extra salt if needed. Along with this hardworking blend is a dose of English mustard powder, adding a layer of depth to the wings while paying homage to the mustard marinade that many lemon pepper wings get bathed in. After baking, the wings get tossed in a punchy citrus-forward sauce consisting of melted butter, hot sauce, even more lemon, and a generous amount of black pepper. This cayenne pepper-based hot sauce is quintessential to many lemon pepper sauces in Atlanta, where the dish originated.
