This recipe for Cajun style grilled chicken wings turns out crispy wings that are full of flavor, but only as spicy as you like. Delicious straight off the grill, they get even better after being bathed in a Cajun butter sauce.
Cajun does not always mean spicy
We love Cajun food, and the closely related Creole cuisine, but it is often misunderstood. While it’s true that many of the foods from that region are downright hot, they are not always. Flavorful? Yes. But not always spicy.
In fact, our all time favorite spice blend is Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning. The list of recipes we use it in is long and distinguished, with the reader favorites being Shrimp & Grits, Cajun Crab Dip and Fried Green Tomatoes. But “Tony C” as we call it, is not really hot at all on its own.
Many times we kick our recipes up with some cayenne pepper or a good potent hot sauce, but you can always leave that part out. Buffalo Style Rotisserie Chicken Salad is yet another recipe where you can tone the spicy kick up or down.
If you love all things Cajun like we do you’ll want to check out our recipe for Easy Shrimp Etouffee.
The wings as you see them here are straight off the grill in all their crispy, delicious glory with no sauce added. We like to leave a few just like this for anyone who loves just the flavor without the kick.
For a good look at southern cuisines you’ll want to check this out: Southern Food Then & Now debunks a few other myths.
Grilled Cajun Wings are the ultimate tailgate food
If you’re a big fan of football tailgate parties in the fall (who isn’t?) then you’ll want this Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe in your arsenal. Why?
- They are the most flavorful and crispy if allowed to sit in the fridge overnight in the seasoning before grilling. This makes these wings perfect for tossing on the grill after you get to a tailgate party.
- The Cajun Butter Sauce can also be made the night before. Then put it in a heatproof dish on the corner of your grill to melt while the wings cook.
- They can cook more slowly if you’re grilling something else low and slow, or quickly if you have less time or a hot grill.
- This one recipe, as mentioned above, produces two different type wings – a dryer, less spicy version and the wet, spicy, ultimate Cajun wings with the butter sauce.
- They go great with beer.
- Everyone is going to love them!
- You can make a batch of classic Hurricane cocktails and get that true New Orleans experience.
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Pro tips for getting crispy grilled chicken wings:
- Wash and thoroughly dry the wings before you season them.
- The secret ingredient is the baking powder. If you want crispy wings without frying don’t leave out the baking powder – it’s essential.
- Spending overnight in the fridge after seasoning really helps, but if you don’t have time for that your wings are still going to be awesome.
This recipe made the suggested list for the Backyard BBQ Menu Ideas. You’ll want to visit for lots of other recipes as well as tips, tricks and planning help for your cookout.
THIS RECIPE MADE OUR “BEST OF THE YEAR” LIST. THE OTHERS CAN BE FOUND HERE.
Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe: Cajun Style
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings approximately 18-20 wings
- 4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning like Tony Chachere original Creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Cajun Butter Sauce
- 4-5 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon Louisiana style hot sauce like Crystal
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- juice of 1/2 small lemon
Instructions
For the Wings
- Wash and thoroughly dry the wings.
- Blend the Cajun seasoning, herbs and baking powder together and sprinkle evenly over wings.
- Lay in single layer on pan and loosely cover, then refrigerator overnight if possible.
- Cook on grill until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Rotate and turn wings as they cook to evenly brown all wings on all sides.
- Toss in melted Cajun Butter Sauce if desired before serving.
For the Cajun Butter Sauce
- Blend all ingredients together.
- Refrigerate overnight or keep warm on grill or stove top until wings are done.
Notes
If you make this or any of our recipes we’d love for you to leave us a comment and star rating. If you’re into sharing your creations, snap a photo and tag us when you post it to Facebook or Instagram.
More favorites for grilling:
Grilled Fish Tacos 
Grilled Shrimp Skewers 
Oyster Roast Hosting Made Easy 
Marinated & Grilled Pork Tenderloin 
Peach Glazed Wings 
Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps
That cajun butter sauce is amazing!! Makes these wings so addictive! Though I’m going to try it on shrimp and salmon too!
Thanks, Pam! Those ideas sound great too!
These cajun wings look incredible! I love all the flavors in the cajun butter sauce!
Thanks so much, Katherine!
I made these over the weekend and they were a hit! Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear that. Thanks, Tawnie!
OMG! These Grilled Wings are PERFECT! They will go perfectly with so many sides! YUM!
Thanks, Shanika! We love them too.
I love a homemade wing recipe! The flavors in this were superb, saving to make again soon.
Thanks, Noelle!
They look wonderful – but I don’t have a bar-b-que so can I bake them in the oven? For how long and at what temperature? Thanks
Hi Kathi! This recipe is specifically for grilling wings but you could certainly try in the oven. If you have a rack to put them on that would help keep them crisp. I would start at 375 and turn them after 12-15 minutes, then cook until the juices run clear when you pierce with a fork. Maybe another 10-12 minutes? Let us know how they turn out for you.
I really want to make these. They look so wonderful! My grill preheats to 700 degrees which I’m assuming is way too hot. What grill temperature would you use? I’ll be using a gas grill. Thank you Pam!
Oh, wow that is really hot! Can you adjust your grill temperature? I prefer to cook them at about 400 degrees, but they are really pretty flexible. I’ve cooked them slowly at 300 if I have something else on the grill that needs to be cooked slowly. I wouldn’t go above about 475 though. Sorry I didn’t see your question sooner.