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These homemade extra crispy blackened chicken wings are oven baked, juicy, and full of flavorful Cajun seasoning. These are great for an appetizer, snack, or main course. Pair them with your favorite dipping sauce, like cajun ranch or garlic aioli to maximize the cajun flavor!
Making crispy chicken wings at home is easier than you think! With the right preparation and an oven, you can skip the deep fryer and easily make these crunchy spicy wings in your own kitchen.
Why you'll love this recipe
- These are the best wings with the perfect spice level.
- Baking chicken wings rather than deep frying them is a little bit healthier.
- My secret ingredient helps these to be extra crispy wings.
- Using a dry rub on these Cajun wings helps keep their crispness since they aren't covered in sauce.
- The crispy blackened skin on these wings is the best part!
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Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
You only need a few simple ingredients for these blackened cajun chicken wings.
Chicken wings - You can buy chicken wings that are already broken down, or buy whole wings and break them down into wingettes and drumettes yourself. Discard the wing tips, or save to make chicken stock with!
Neutral oil - I prefer to use a neutral oil for baking chicken wings, like vegetable or grapeseed oil. These oils also have a higher smoking point which is better since these wings will be baked at a higher oven temperature. I don’t recommend olive oil for oven baked wings since it can get smoky.
Blackening seasoning - Blackening seasoning is a type of Cajun spice mix, especially used for “blackening” foods. I have a whole post dedicated to everything about blackening seasoning here. I also included the full recipe in this recipe card down below. You will need paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, ground type, cayenne pepper, black pepper, dried basil, and sugar to make your own blackening seasoning.
This blackening seasoning is also delicious on chicken breasts!
Baking powder - The secret ingredient to make extra crispy chicken wings in the oven! Be sure to buy the aluminum free kind of baking powder.
You’re going to need a dipping sauce for these wings! Try Homemade Cajun Ranch or Spicy Cajun Garlic Aioli.
How to make these crispy wings
First prepare your chicken wings and mix the seasonings.
PRO TIP: Pat down the chicken wings with paper towels to dry them. This helps the oil and seasonings to stick better, and helps to get them extra crispy.
Coat wings in oil, then toss in the dry rub mix.
Don’t forget to give your wire baking rack a generous coating of cooking spray so the wings are easier to flip.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, turn up the heat to 450°F and flip the wings over. Cook for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and cooked throughout.
PRO TIP: If wings aren’t quite crispy enough, broil wings for 1-2 minutes until desired crispiness. Be sure to keep a close eye on any food under the broiler, as it can burn easily.
Serve these crispy wings hot with your favorite dipping sauces. I highly recommend Spicy Cajun Garlic Aioli and Homemade Cajun Ranch! You can also toss in hot sauce or buffalo sauce for extra spicy wings.
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Troubleshooting
Oven gets smokey - Use an oil with a higher smoking point like grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Smoking can also come from the burnt drippings at the bottom of the baking sheet. Use 2 layers of foil so you can remove the top layer when drippings get too smokey.
Wings aren’t crispy enough - Baking wings tossed in baking powder helps them to get crispy. You can also put them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to get them extra crispy. Make sure to dry wings with paper towels before adding seasonings.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
How to freeze
I don’t recommend freezing these wings once they have been cooked.
How to reheat
The best way to reheat chicken wings is back in the oven or toaster oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and bake wings until heated throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend using olive oil for baking chicken wings. Olive oil has a lower smoking point compared to vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed oil. This means when cooking at high temperatures, olive oil can get smokey. To prevent your oven from smoking, use an oil with a higher smoking point.
Yes! To make boneless blackened chicken wings. Use chicken breasts instead of chicken wings. Cut the chicken breast into 1x2 inch pieces. Prepare in the same way you would chicken wings (pat dry, coat in oil, then toss in seasonings). Bake at 400°F for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°. Put the wings under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to make the outside more crispy.
One pound of chicken wings is 1 full dinner serving or 2 smaller appetizer servings.
To cook these chicken wings in the air fryer, bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping once in the middle of cooking.
Related Recipes
More delicious chicken wing recipes:
More Cajun recipes:
- Cajun Salmon Alfredo Pasta
- Sous Vide Cajun Turkey Breast
- Cajun Crab Stuffed Salmon
- Creamy Cajun Andouille Sausage Pasta
- Easy Cajun Blackened Shrimp
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Blackened Chicken Wings
Equipment
- bakings sheet with wire rack
- aluminum foil or parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- silicone tongs
- gloves optional
- cooking spray
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings broken down into wingettes and drumettes
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil like vegetable or grapeseed
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoon Blackening seasoning (recipe follows)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Blackening Seasoning
Blackening Seasoning
- (makes 6 tablespoons of seasoning, enough for 6 pounds of chicken)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 400°F and position oven rack to the middle position. Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment, then with a fitted wire baking rack. Spray generously with cooking spray. Combine the seasonings for the blackening seasoning together. Then, mix 2 tablespoons of the blackening seasoning with 1 tablespoon of baking powder to make the dry rub in a small bowl. Break down chicken wings into drumettes, wingettes, and tips. Discard the tips or save for making chicken stock. Pat the wings down dry with paper towels. Add the wings to a large bowl, and massage the oil into the wings. Sprinkle the dry rub seasonings over the wings and toss to coat evenly. Place the wings on the baking rack in a single layer, giving them enough space around each other.
- BAKE: Bake wings for 20 minutes. Increase heat to 450°F and flip wings over. Continue baking for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown, crispy, and cooked throughout.
- SERVE: Serve hot. Option to add your favorite dipping sauce. Option to top with fresh herbs.
Notes
- The recipe for blackening seasoning makes enough for 6 tablespoons of seasoning, or enough for 6 pounds of chicken. Please note for 2 pounds of chicken wings, you will only need 2 of the 6 tablespoons!
- One pound of wings is 1 full dinner serving or 2 smaller appetizer servings.
Nutrition
About me
Hey good lookin', what ya got cookin'? I'm Lauren and I love to teach you how to make the good stuff, from scratch! I use fresh quality ingredients to create impressive but approachable restaurant worthy recipes.
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