Go Back
Wingstop Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe card

Wingstop Lemon Pepper Wings Recipe

Make extra crispy copycat Wingstop lemon pepper wings at home with potato starch double frying and a tangy, buttery lemon pepper wet glaze.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 533
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken & Brine
  • 2 lbs fresh chicken wings 900 g, split into drums and flats
  • 2 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt 20 g, for brine
  • 2 quarts cold water 1.9 L, for brine
Crispy Starch Coating
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill potato starch 120 g
  • 1.5 tbsp Argo cornstarch 12 g
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt 1.5 g
  • 4 cups Crisco canola oil 950 ml, for deep frying
Lemon Pepper Wet Sauce
  • 4 tbsp Kerrygold unsalted butter 56 g, melted
  • 1 large fresh lemon juiced and zested
  • 2 tbsp Nature Nate’s pure honey 42 g
  • 0.5 tsp Ajinomoto MSG 2.5 g
  • 0.5 tbsp McCormick coarse black pepper 3.5 g

Equipment

  • Heavy Dutch oven Holds frying oil safely
  • Deep-fry clip thermometer Monitors exact oil heat
  • Wire cooling rack Drains excess oil from wings
  • Stainless steel spider strainer Lifts hot wings out of oil
  • Large metal mixing bowl Tosses wings with butter sauce

Method
 

  1. Dissolve kosher salt in cold water, submerge the chicken wings, and refrigerate overnight or for at least one hour. Drain and pat completely dry.
  2. Whisk potato starch, cornstarch, and fine salt in a bowl. Toss the dry wings until evenly coated, then rest on a tray in the fridge for ten minutes.
  3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Celsius). Fry wings in batches for six minutes to cook through, then rest on a wire rack.
  4. Increase oil heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). Fry the wings a second time for two to three minutes until golden and crunchy.
  5. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat with lemon juice, zest, honey, MSG, and black pepper. Pour over hot wings and toss to coat.

Notes

Always pat the wings completely dry before tossing in potato starch. Resting the starched wings in the refrigerator for ten minutes forms a tacky seal that stays crispy under warm butter sauce.