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Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce

By Bryan Roof

Published on January 19, 2026

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes ¾ cup (enough to sauce 3½ pounds of wings)

Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 teaspoons pepper, plus cracked pepper for serving1 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 tablespoon white miso 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 lemons)

Before You Begin

This sauce also goes great on steaks, grilled pork or chicken, fish, and roasted vegetables.

Instructions

  1. Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Off heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon white miso until incorporated. Whisk in 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and ¼ cup lemon juice until fully combined. Toss wings with sauce in large bowl. Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Serve.
Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Christine Tobin.

Lemon Pepper Wing Sauce

Headshot of Bryan Roof
By Bryan Roof

Published on January 19, 2026

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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes ¾ cup (enough to sauce 3½ pounds of wings)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pepper, plus cracked pepper for serving
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 lemons)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pepper, plus cracked pepper for serving
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 lemons)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons pepper, plus cracked pepper for serving
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest plus ¼ cup juice (2 lemons)

Why This Recipe Works

An increasingly popular style of lemon pepper wings in Atlanta is called “lemon pepper wet,” where crispy wings get tossed with a bright, tart, peppery dry seasoning blend suspended in melted butter. For our version, we used a combination of lemon zest, black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, coriander, cayenne, and turmeric. A touch of mayonnaise and white miso paste—decidedly untraditional ingredients—added savoriness and created an emulsified sauce that clung to the wings. 

Before You Begin

This sauce also goes great on steaks, grilled pork or chicken, fish, and roasted vegetables.

Instructions

  1. Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Off heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon white miso until incorporated. Whisk in 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest and ¼ cup lemon juice until fully combined. Toss wings with sauce in large bowl. Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Serve.

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