Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings
on Jan 23, 2020, Updated Aug 11, 2025
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Savor Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings—juicy, zesty, and perfectly seasoned for a healthier, flavorful snack!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Craving incredibly crispy chicken wings without the mess of deep-frying? Look no further! These baked lemon garlic chicken wings are so crispy, you’ll swear they were fried. The secret? A simple, powerful ingredient that you probably already have in your pantry: baking powder.
This recipe delivers perfectly golden, crunchy wings bursting with a bright, zesty lemon and savory garlic flavor. They’re easy to make and are perfect for a game day snack, a party appetizer, or a simple weeknight dinner.
Ingredient List
- Chicken Wings– whole or drumettes and flats
- Baking Powder– the key to achieving that irresistible crunch
- Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Lemon Zest
- Lemon Juice– you can use fresh or from a squeeze bottle
- Ghee– has a high smoke point and a rich, buttery flavor that complements the lemon and garlic perfectly.
Step By Step
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Pat your chicken wings dry (the dryer they are, the crispy they will get!). Then place them in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 Tbsp lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Pour the spice mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings, spread out evenly, on the cooling rack and bake for 30 minutes, flip them all, then bake for another 20-30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 tsp garlic powder, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup melted ghee and stir to combine.
- Place cooked wings in a large bowl and add ghee mixture on top. Toss to coat the wings.
- Serve with veggies!
Pro Tip
- Use a wire rack: Elevating the wings allows for better air circulation and prevents them from getting soggy.
Frequently Asked Question
Do I need to use the baking soda?
- Baking powder is the key to achieving that irresistible crunch. When mixed with salt and tossed with the wings, it raises the skin’s pH, which helps it brown and get extra crispy as it bakes. It also creates tiny air bubbles, which results in a lighter, crispier texture. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it—it simply works its magic to transform the texture.
You Will Need More Grub for the Season
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Crispy Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 2 tsp baking powder**
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Sauce:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup ghee, melted
- Serve with: Celery, carrots, bell peppers & ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire cooling rack on top.
- Pat your chicken wings dry (the dryer they are, the crispy they will get!). Then place them in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl combine baking powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 Tbsp lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Pour the spice mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings, spread out evenly, on the cooling rack and bake for 30 minutes, flip them all, then bake for another 20-30 minutes or until browned and crispy.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 tsp garlic powder, lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ cup melted ghee and stir to combine.
- Place cooked wings in a large bowl and add ghee mixture on top. Toss to coat the wings.
- Serve with veggies!
Notes
- **To make these paleo, make your own baking powder by combining 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon baking soda, and 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- You can use butter instead of ghee.
I make these at least once a week! So easy and delicious.
Wonderful!
This is the best and easiest method for crispy chicken wings! Making them for dinner tonight
Amazing!!
Seriously the best chicken wings I have ever made! Went over so well at ladies night before quarantine. Can’t wait to make them again!
So glad you enjoyed!!
BEST. WINGS. EVER!!! Converted a wing hater! The sauce is AMAZING and supposedly it was great sopped up with bread! THANK YOU!
Yes!!! Thanks!
Best wings we have ever had! These will definitely be going into our rotation! Can’t believe we’ve waited so long to make them!
These are amazing and our family’s favorite Friday night splurge. I use Arrowroot instead of baking powder and still delicious! Thank you for making up this great recipe!
Perfect substitute!!
These are so good!! I had a smaller number of wings and the recipe was super easy to scale down. I also tried a couple of other wing recipes I found online the same day and these were by far the best. Lemon and chicken were just born to be together. Thanks, Kelsey!!
Wonderful!
I’ve always been afraid of making chicken wings but knew I could trust Kelsey’s recipe. As always easy to follow and turned out BOMB!
Yesssss!! So glad you tried it out!!
A staple in our house now! These always come out crispy and so delicious! Such little prep work too… love them so much!
I was skeptical about using baking powder, and second guessing the consistency..but I followed the recipe and made these today and they are OMG delicious, crispy as if they were deep fried and did I say delicious?!..Absolutely saving this recipe for future use. Thank you for sharing!!