Serve these Sweet and Spicy Cajun Wings for parties, tailgating, snacking and entertaining any time of year. The sweet and spicy flavor combination is a winner no matter when it's served.
Sweet and Spicy Cajun Wings Recipe
We often enjoy these wings for our Superbowl eats, alongside our beloved classic buffalo wings just for a change of pace. When I plan our menu, I always know that chicken wings will be at the top of the list. Hoping to avoid deep frying and the clean-up involved, I decided to oven fry the wings. In the past, I've had pretty mediocre results oven frying chicken wings. The flavor was certainly there, but, the wings lacked the crispy skin they would normally have if they had been deep fried.
How to Cook Wings without Oil
I remembered an article I read a while ago, that went into great scientific detail about how to achieve crispy oven fried chicken wings on Serious Eats. I thought it was interesting, and I was intrigued that the wings would be crispy without an ounce of extra oil. The article was pretty long, so, I'll paraphrase.
- Step one was leaving the wings uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the skin to lose some moisture before baking.
- Step two, was adding baking powder to the spice rub to change the ph balance, thus rendering fat and creating a crispy skin. The end result would be crispy oven fried wings. It actually worked quite well.
- Add a batch of homemade blue cheese dip to the menu for dipping.
So, we enjoyed crispy oven fried wings basted in a sweet and spicy sauce without having to pull out the deep fryer. It was glorious and I was able to prepare the wings and sauce, and enjoy the game with my family.
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Sweet and Spicy Cajun Wings
Servings: 4 lbs
Calories: 922kcal
Ingredients
- 4 lbs wing portions
- 2-3 tablespoon Cajun seasoning adjust amount to your taste
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- For the sauce:
- 1 ½ cups hot sauce
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ¾ cup honey
- ½ cup Annie Chuns Korean Sweet & Spicy Sauce or similar Asian barbecue sauce [see Cook's note]
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Instructions
- To prep the wings: Mix together Cajun seasoning and baking powder. Rub onto all sides of the wings.
- Lay the wings in a single layer on a pan and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight for at least 8 hours.
- Mix together hot sauce, butter, honey, Korean bbq sauce and Cajun seasoning in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Simmer over low heat while wings bake until reduced by approximately ⅓.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil. sprayed with cooking spray.
- Arrange wings in a single layer on baking sheet. Spray top side with cooking spray, then lightly sprinkle with additional Cajun seasoning.
- Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the juices run clear.
- After the wings are cooked through, increase the oven temperature to broil. Brush wings with the sauce. Broil on each side for 2-3 minutes until charred.
- Remove to a platter, brush with additional sauce and serve. Use leftover sauce on the side.
Notes
Annie Chuns Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce is located in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you're unable to find it, substitute with another Asian barbecue sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1lb | Calories: 922kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 219mg | Sodium: 3032mg | Potassium: 1020mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 2783IU | Vitamin C: 70mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
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linda
What kind of hot sauce did you use ?
Melissa
I usually use Frank's.
linda
I'm a little confused about the 1/2 - 1 tsp Cajun seasoning for the sauce , Do I use 1tsp but 1/2 from that 1 tsp or 1/2tsp and 1tsp ? And if you don't mind what sauce did you use ?
Melissa
I give a range as the amount could vary depending on your particular taste. Start with 1/2 tsp and add to your taste, there's no wrong amount if it suits you.
linda
Thank you I will be making some tomorrow !! 🙂
Melissa
My pleasure
Melissa
Great technique!
Dorothy
When I make my wings, I put flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder and lots of paprika in a plastic bag and coat the wings with this mixture. Shake on some Frank's hot sauce and bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or so. I'm not a really hot-hot person so this is fine for me. But, I may get bold enough to try this. Sounds very similar to mine.
Melissa
That really depends on what Cajun spice you choose to use. The Mr. Pete's that I used has a nice level of heat that suits our taste. So, it's really up to you.
Anonymous
Are these wings very spicy?
Melissa
It's amazing, isn't it? I will always use this technique from now on. Yes, you must find the Korean Sweet & Spicy sauce you'll love it! Hugs, Melissa
Linda
Melissa I have actually done the baking powder thing with the wings and it really does work. Thanks for the reminder. And I'll be looking for the sauce in my Asian aisle. I haven't seen it yet!