Lemon pepper wings
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 A basket of lemon pepper wings | |
| Course | Appetizer or main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Associated cuisine | Cuisine of the Southern United States |
| Main ingredients | Chicken, lemon pepper |
Lemon pepper wings are unbreaded chicken wings coated in lemon pepper seasoning. The dish was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, and is considered to be emblematic of the cuisine of Atlanta.
Lemon pepper wings were invented in Atlanta, Georgia, where people began adding lemon pepper to buffalo wings to reduce their spiciness.[1][2][3] The popularity of lemon pepper wings in the mid-2000s has been attributed to their being less likely to dirty clothes than buffalo wings, making them preferred by rappers who commonly wore white t-shirts at the time.[4]
Lemon pepper wings are frequently served in Atlanta's strip clubs.[5][6][7] Chris Kirschner of The Athletic observed that high-quality food was often a hallmark of Atlanta strip clubs, particularly wings, and their food was known to draw celebrity guests.[8]
The dish is strongly associated with Atlanta cuisine.[9][10] Future Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms commented that "Lemon pepper wings are Atlanta" in 2017.[5] In 2022, Eric Kim of The New York Times wrote that "in Atlanta, lemon pepper is queen" and described the wings as "central to [the city's] social fabric."[6]
The dish is served throughout the United States by chain restaurants.[11][12] The wings have also inspired various items such as lemon pepper tacos,[13] loaded fries, pierogies,[14] pizza,[15] beer,[16] and soda.[17]
Description
The dish is prepared by roasting unbreaded chicken wings. After cooking, they are tossed in lemon pepper, a seasoning made with lemon zest and black pepper as well as other ingredients such as sugar.[18][6] Many recipes use premade lemon pepper.[19]
Lemon pepper wet
"Lemon pepper wet" is a variation in which the wings are coated in a sauce. They may be tossed in a lemon sauce instead of a dry rub. This version of the dish was invented at the American Deli in Atlanta.[19][20] Other versions of this dish involve coating the wings with butter or buffalo sauce and tossing them in dry lemon pepper seasoning.[21][22]