These delicious Cajun Chicken Wings are seasoned with a spicy and flavorful Cajun Dry Rub, wrapped in foil and grilled to perfection. They’re so crispy and delicious, that you won’t be able to stop eating them.
Making moist and perfectly cooked chicken wings isn’t difficult if you know this chef’s secret. Using foil when grilling the wings because it locks in moisture and flavor, and it makes clean-up even easier! And best of all no more burnt wings!
Everyone knows that Chef Dennis loves his chicken wings and I love coming up with new ways to enjoy those delectable wings. My Cajun seasoning gives these wings an earthy and spicy flavor coating that takes them to a whole new level of deliciousness. Trust me, this is one delicious Cajun Chicken Wing Recipe!
*Not a fan of heat, leave out the cayenne and if you do like hot wings, add a little bit more cayenne to the seasonings.
If you love grilled wings, my Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings are another delicious option. Into smoked chicken? Try out my delicious smoked chicken wings recipe.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cajun Chicken Wings. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*When cutting your wings save and freeze the wing tip for soups. I only serve the drumette and wingette portion of the chicken wing.
How do you make Cajun Chicken Wings?
Start by patting the chicken wings with paper towels. You want the wings dry before adding the seasonings.
- Add the seasonings to a small bowl.
- Mix the seasonings together.
- Place the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the wings.
- Toss the wings to coat them with the seasoning.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Leave space between each wing. Refrigerate the wings uncovered for 6-8 hours or overnight if possible.
- Let the wings come to room temperature, then place half the wings on a 12×13-inch sheet of Foil and fold over the foil to seal the wings in a pouch.
- Going in the opposite direction wrap the foil package in another sheet of foil. Seal the package so the juices won’t escape. The layer of foil also protects the wings from burning.
How to cook chicken wings?
There are so many ways to cook chicken wings and most recipes can be adapted to cook them with your favorite method. Whether it’s in the oven, air-fryer, deep fryer or my favorite way, on the grill my Cajun Chicken Wings will come out delicious every time.
And while I do love that grilled flavor, I tend to get the wings a little too crispy….. and if you ask my wife she might even say I burn them. Sooooooo, I wrap the wings in foil to keep the sugar from over-caramelizing. It also keeps the wings super moist, not letting them dry out from the direct heat of the grill. That’s a win-win in my book!
- Place the foil packets of wings on a preheated 350-degree grill and close the lid.
- Let the wings cook for 10 minutes then flip the packets over to the other side and cook the wings for an additional 10 minutes.
- Carefully cut open the top of the packet and let the wings cook for an additional 6-8 minutes to let the heat dry the wings up just a bit.
- Carefully remove the foil packets from the grill and place them on a serving platter.
- Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing, celery sticks, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish the dish with chopped Italian parsley or chopped green onions.
To tell the truth my Cajun Chicken Wing Recipe was so good, I didn’t even need a dip!
Recipe FAQs
Cajun Seasoning finds its origin in Louisiana. It’s made of spices that are common in Cajun cuisine. There are many brands available online and at your grocer’s, but it’s easy to make your own and tailor to your specific tastes.
Making a Cajun Dry Rub is really easy and adaptable to the seasonings you enjoy. But let’s start with the basics.
Paprika (smoked or sweet), garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, sea salt, brown sugar and a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat.
Using a paper towel to dry off the wings is the secret to getting the rub to adhere to the wings. Make sure they are patted dry before adding the spice rub to ensure the rub adheres to the wings.
More Wing Recipes You’ll Love!
Grilled Cajun Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings tip removed
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light brown
- 1 tablespoon paprika sweet or smoked
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder granulated works best
- 1 teaspoon onion powder granulated works best
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less depending upon the level of heat you like.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the seasonings.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- Place the wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the wings. Toss the wings to coat them.
- Place baking sheet with wings in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours (overnight works too).
- Using two 16 inch sheets of foil, make a cross with the foil. Place the wings on the foil and wrap them with the first piece of foil, leaving room for air to circulate in the packet. Close the packet. Using the other piece of foil finish wrapping the wings to make a good seal on the packet.
- Place the foil packets of wings on a preheated 350-degree grill and close the lid.
- Let the wings cook for 10 minutes then flip the packets over to the other side and cook the wings for an additional 10 minutes.
- Carefully cut open the top of the packet and let the wings cook for an additional 6-8 minutes to let the heat dry the wings up just a bit.
- Carefully remove the foil packets from the grill and place on a serving platter.
- Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing, along with lemon wedges. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and chopped green onions.
Hayley Dhanecha says
WE had great weather over the weekend and made these cajun chicken for my friends, they asked for the recipe. I’ve shared this link with them 🙂
Cathleen says
I typically don’t like chicken wings, but I couldn’t resist making this when I saw it. It didn’t disappoint! Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Tristin says
The aluminum foil helped keep these wings super juicy and kept them from burning. And cleanup was so easy!
Veronika says
It’s all of sudden really hot out so we finally took our grill out this week. These wings were perfect from the grill! Super flavorful and juicy, cajun is one of my favorite spice mixes. We’ll definitely make these again!
Natalie says
My kids loved your chicken wings. So soft, tasty, and easy to make, thanks!
Pamela says
Did you make the recipe as posted? Your children didn’t find it too spicy?
Bernice says
This wing recipe worked like a charm. The wings stayed moist inside and dry on the outside. The cajun seasoning is super delicious too!
Savita says
These chicken wings were so flavourful, it was a perfect recipe¡
Gloria says
I have not met a chicken wing recipe I did not devour. This was perfect. I’ll be making them all summer long
Peter says
I have never made chicken wings with foil before, and they turned out fantastic. This is how you stop the sweet sauces from over caramelizing! Thanks for the tip!
Lisa says
I made these for dinner last night and my family loved them!!