Generously coated in dry spices rather than dripping with sauce, lemon pepper chicken wings pack a gentle black pepper punch with a subtle citrusy sweetness. We’ve transformed the beloved bar food into a satisfying salad that comes together in just 20 minutes. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs coated in your favorite lemon pepper spice blend take the place of wings and cook in a flash under the broiler. During the brief down time, prep Little Gem lettuce (or romaine in a pinch), celery (a nonnegotiable wing pairing), and a creamy dressing for drizzling and spreading on the bottom of the platter. It delivers all the joy of wing night with none of the deep-frying.
Every lemon pepper blend is a little bit different. Some strictly include the marquee flavors, while others are bulked up with garlic powder, onion powder, and/or dried herbs. Any variety will work in this recipe, just be sure to give your mix a taste first; salt levels will vary, so you’ll need to adjust the salt accordingly when seasoning your chicken.
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What you’ll need
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Tongs
$20 At Amazon
Microplane
$17 At Amazon
Platter
$40 $30 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat a broiler. Place 1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 6 medium), patted dry, on a rimmed baking sheet. Season lightly on both sides with kosher salt (use more or less depending on how salty your lemon pepper is), then sprinkle all over with 1 Tbsp. lemon pepper. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and turn to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer and broil, turning halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through, 12–14 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board. Let sit 5 minutes. Cut each thigh in half crosswise.
Step 2
Meanwhile, mix together 1 large garlic clove, finely grated, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl; set dressing aside.
Step 3
Toss 2 heads of Little Gem or romaine lettuce, leaves separated, 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced, and ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, in a large bowl to combine. Drizzle with oil and remaining 1½ Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat.
Step 4
Spoon some of the reserved dressing onto a platter and smooth into an even layer. Top with salad, then chicken thighs. Drizzle remaining dressing over and sprinkle with a little more lemon pepper.
Leave a Review
Reviews (5)
Back to TopMade with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and grilled the chicken and still fantastic!
Rachael B
Noriwch, CT
6/24/2024
Easy and good! When I tasted the dressing prior to serving, I didn’t care for it. However, once I put it all together- YUM! I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Will def make again. A
A cook from the ‘Brook
Old Saybrook, CT
6/23/2024
Wow. Super easy and delicious. When I went to get the lemon pepper we were out so I had to use a spice house green chili citrus rub. Added evoo and lemon juice to make a slurry slapped it on the chicken breast (I don’t like thighs) and grilled it. Everything else I followed :). Excellent. The entire family loved it.
Kristin
Arlington Va
2/19/2024
Really enjoyed this! Added more lemon juice and seasoning to the dressing to help thin it a little and give it more flavor. Also ended up using romaine and chopping it a little bit for my second batch as the larger leafs made eating a little messy.
Anonymous
Saint petersburg Fl
1/25/2024
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