This Easy Cajun Chicken Wings recipe is made with a homemade New Orleans-Style dry rub and with plenty of spice. If you love the wings at Wingstop you will love these! We love to drizzle them in additional hot sauce.
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Table of Contents
What Type of Wings to Use
I love to use party wings that are already split as opposed to whole chicken wings. Party wings will cook at a more even and consistent temperature. Feel free to use whole chicken wings if you like.
What is Cajun Seasoning
Many of the flavors found within Cajun cuisine come from a mix of other cuisines. Cajun cooking can be found within the bayous of Louisiana and definitely within New Orleans. You will typically find a mix of Native American, West African, and Caribbean influences that have merged with a French cooking style.
If you’re looking for spicy, opt for Cajun. That is what differentiates it from Creole seasoning, which focuses more on flavor. Cajun Seasoning is often spicy (to some) with an emphasis on peppers, white pepper, black peppers, cayenne pepper, and often bell peppers within a cooked dish. It also has hints of paprika and garlic.
It’s often used in Jambalaya, gumbo, and Étouffée.
Homemade Cajun Rub Ingredients
You can use a store-bought rub or use the spices included in the recipe card below at the bottom of the post. The advantage to making your own seasoning is you can control how spicy the blend is and how salty it is.
A lot of store-bought versions sometimes have excess sodium and can be salty which means I often cut back on how much I use and which will also reduce the overall Cajun flavor. Here are the ingredients I use in my Homemade Cajun Rub and Seasoning:
- Paprika (I prefer Smoked Paprika for smoky flavor)
- Cayenne Pepper
- Black Pepper
- White Pepper
- Oregano
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
White Pepper
Both white and black pepper comes from the berries of the pepper plant. White pepper comes from the berries that are picked at full ripeness. The berries are then soaked in water to ferment and the outer layer is removed leaving only the inner seed. Removing the skin removes some of the flavor making it milder than black pepper.
White pepper is commonly used in French cooking. As noted above, Cajun cooking has a huge French influence. If you want to get the flavor without the “peppery heat” or color of black pepper, you’ll want to use white pepper. White pepper tastes somewhat earthy. It's a classic ingredient, but you can omit it if you wish.
You can read more about White Pepper vs Black Pepper here.
How to Make Cajun Chicken Wings
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pat the chicken dry and place it on a large bowl or plastic bag.
- Add the Cajun rub to the chicken. Ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- Bake or air fry.
Are the Wings Spicy?
Cajun Seasoning is known for being a spice with bold flavor. The great thing about making your own seasoning or rub is you control how spicy it is. The spice with the most heat in this recipe is cayenne. Add more or less of it to suit your taste. I have often found some Cajun seasoning and dishes to be spicy hot, while others are mild.
Store-bought seasonings usually include salt and can be overly salty. The key to making this work for you is balance and to use your judgment based on what you like.
Bake or Air Fry the Wings
The instructions below in the recipe card include full details for both cooking methods.
How to Make Breaded Wings
You can use 1-2 tablespoons of baking powder or ⅓ cup to ½ cup of all-purpose flour (enough to fully coat the chicken).
How to Reheat the Wings
The best way to reheat wings is on the grill or in the air fryer or oven. I wouldn’t microwave them. You can use the same cook temperature and reheat the wings until warm.
Freezer Tips
Leftover wings can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and follow the instructions above to reheat.
Can You Use Other Types of Chicken?
Absolutely! Chicken tenders, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs will work. Click the links to check out my other recipes for cook time.
Pair With These Recipes
Air Fryer Fries
Air Fryer Green Beans
Roasted Ranch Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Grilled Asparagus in Foil
More Dry Rub Wings Recipes
How to Grill Chicken Wings
Naked Chicken Wings
Crispy Ranch Chicken Wing
Air Fryer Turkey Wings
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Slow Cooker Crockpot Chicken Wings
More Flavored Chicken Wings Recipes
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Hot Lemon Pepper Wings
Mango Habanero Wings
Honey Hot Wings
Honey Garlic Wings
Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Honey BBQ Wings
Keto Low Carb Chicken Wings (Maple BBQ)
Traeger Smoked Chicken Wings
More Cajun Recipes
New Orleans Cajun Shrimp and Grits
Cajun Dirty Rice
Cajun Roasted Turkey
Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Seafood Boil
Cajun Chicken and Sausage Skillet
Seafood Jambalaya with Shrimp
Southern Red Beans and Rice
Easy Cajun Chicken Wings
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings I used split/party wings
Homemade Cajun Rub
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika Regular paprika will also work.
- 1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper Add more for additional heat if very spicy is preferred.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
- salt to taste
Instructions
Baked Wings
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a large bowl or plastic bag. Bake or air fry. Season the chicken wings with the Cajun rub seasoning. Ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and add the wings to the pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then flip the wings.
- Bake for an additional 15-25 minutes. Ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.
Air Fryer Wings
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a large bowl or plastic bag. Bake or air fry. Season the chicken wings with the Cajun rub seasoning. Ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- If necessary, spray your air fryer basket with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Add the chicken to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Open the air fryer and flip the chicken. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Use a meat thermometer.
Notes
- As a rule of thumb, when applying a rub you should apply enough to fully coat the chicken or meat. You don’t want to see any empty spots. Add more spices if necessary.
- You can substitute regular paprika if you wish, but the smoked paprika definitely takes these to the next level.
- You can use actual wings (instead of drums and flats) if you wish, you may need to adjust the number of ingredients needed to fully coat your wings.
- You can make breaded wings using 1-2 tablespoons of baking powder or ⅓ cup to ½ cup of all-purpose flour (enough to fully coat the chicken).
- Salt is key for adding additional flavor to the wings. I typically use ¼ – ½ teaspoon for this recipe. I generally allow readers to salt to taste and their preference, considering what their diet allows. Keep in mind, that the spices alone will provide flavor, but it needs to be amplified with salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also get our free digital cookbook with 30-Minute One-Pot Recipes and weekly recipes and tips.
DeErica says
I just made these tonight and the flavor was spot on, just the right amount of spice. Glad I went out to buy the white pepper, first time buying/trying it.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad you tried it.
Jackie says
The wings I used were on the small side so they cooked a lot quicker than the time here but this seasoning mix is on point! So good! This will definitely be a staple for me
staysnatched says
Glad to hear that.
Ashley says
Amazing wings recipe! The homemade Cajun rub is the perfect blend. Wings came out super crispy and tender. Easy to make and still packed with flavor, definitely a crowd pleaser!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Typhanie says
Used the rub on drumsticks! Delish! Cooked in the air fryer!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!