Lemon pepper wings
Photo: punctuated · CC BY 2.0

History

Lemon pepper wings emerged from Atlanta's Black-owned wing joints in the 1990s and went mainstream after a 2016 Donald Glover Atlanta TV episode in which a character orders 'lemon pepper wet'. The wet refers to butter-tossed wings finished with a hot sauce coat over the lemon pepper. American Deli, J.R. Crickets, and Atlanta hot wing standards built the format. Today the dish is a marker of Atlanta hip hop culture and on menus from corner takeout to Magic City strip club's famed chicken wings.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg whole chicken wings, split at the joint
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Neutral oil for deep frying
  • 60g unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce (optional, for wet style)

Method

  1. Pat wings dry on paper towels. Toss with salt and baking powder.
  2. Heat oil to 180C (350F) in a heavy deep pot.
  3. Fry wings in batches for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and 75C (165F) internal.
  4. Drain on a wire rack for 30 seconds.
  5. Melt butter in a bowl. Whisk in lemon pepper seasoning and zest. For wet style, add hot sauce.
  6. Toss hot wings in the butter mix until evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. Use cheap supermarket lemon pepper, not gourmet. The Atlanta version uses the heavy-MSG dust; the high-end stuff misses the flavour entirely.

Where to eat lemon pepper wings

Lemon pepper wings in Atlanta

Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Atlanta. See where to eat Lemon pepper wings in Atlanta or the Atlanta signature dishes guide.

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