These Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings are super crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. Rubbed with Cajun seasonings and tossed in a sweet n’ spicy glaze, these wings are packed with flavor! With half the fat, yet ALL the crispy, delicious flavor, these wings NEED to be part of your football line up!
Hi there, friends! How was your weekend? Was it everything a weekend should be? You know, straight up glorious, and filled with laughter, relaxation and epic eats?
Our weekend was… a much needed break from “real” life. If you visited this blog last Thursday, you know I have been having a very rough few days. I’d love to report that all that repugnant nonsense 😤 was a thing of the past, but unfortunately our problem isn’t one you can just sweep under the rug.
Although I can’t discuss the details, and I wouldn’t want to bore you with them anyways, I DO want to say THANK YOU!
To the friends closest to me, and all you lovely readers who left kind comments, thank you SO very much! You guys lift my spirits more than you could possibly ever know.
OUR LATEST VIDEOSSo thank you, thank you, THANK YOU.
You all ROCK! 😘
Anyways, I’ll stop with the all the mushy feels and jump right into today’s recipe – WINGS! YAHHHHS!!!
With the Super Bowl this weekend, I just HAD to make you guys some wings. I mean, it just seemed like the American thing to do.
These wings are actually from way back when on the blog. But, the pictures were gawd awful and I’m pretty sure the only person who ever saw the post was my mother. 😉
Since these wings have remained a favorite of Boy and I’s over the years, I decided that they absolutely NEEDED to be plucked from the archives and given a brand, spankin’ new makeover.
#RecipeRevamp
Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings with Honey-Chipotle-Pineapple Glaze
These wings are crispy on the outside and succulent n’ tender on the inside. Rubbed with a mix of savory-piquant Cajun seasonings and coated in a spicy, sweet and smoky glaze, these chicken wings are straight up GLORIOUS.
Like, these bad boys WILL knock your socks off, so do yourself a solid and eat these in your bare feet… you wouldn’t want your stinky socks to land in someone’s lap.
Bonus, since these wings are BAKED and not fried, you can devour at LEAST twice the amount.
No judgement. No guilt. Just crispy deliciousness minus all the calories. 👌
How to Make Baked Crispy Chicken Wings?
Adjust your oven racks to the bottom and top third position and pre-heat that sucker to 250 degrees.
Use paper towels to THOROUGHLY pat the chicken wings dry and add place them in a large Ziploc bag for easy clean up. Toss in the cajun seasoning and the baking powder. Shake, shake, shake to evenly coat the wings.
Transfer the wings to a wire rack inserted into a large baking sheet. Bake the wings on the LOWER rack for 30 minutes, then transfer those half-baked bad boys to the TOP rack, and bump up the heat to 425. Continue to bake until the wings are crispy and cooked through. Mine took about 40 additional minutes, but the amount of time will depend on the strength of your oven. (Check out note number 3 below, and try not to open the oven door a ton of times)
While the wings are baking, whip up the glaze. There are a few ways to do this, which I highlighted in the notes below (#5). But basically, just roughly chop some pineapple, a few chipotles and an onion. Add them to a small saucepan along with the other glaze ingredients, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for a beat, until all the glaze is slightly reduced and thickened. Puree and set aside.
When the wings are golden brown, crispy and delicious, toss the Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings with the glaze and garnish with desired toppings.
Bust out the wet naps and get yo’ grub on.
Notes, Tips & Tricks for the best Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings:
- You can purchase your wings already cut into drumettes and flats, or you can cut them yourself. It’s really easy! Check out the picture at the beginning of this post to see exactly where to cut (you will discard the wing tip). OR you can make these leaving the wings completely intact – drumette, flat and wing tip all connected.
- To ensure CRISPY wings, there are THREE steps you should NOT skip – drying the wings THOROUGHLY, coating them EVENLY in the seasoning/baking powder mixture, and baking them on a RACK insert. Do those three things and you are golden.
- When baking the wings, do not be alarmed if there is a bit of smoke in the oven. Wings have a good amount of fat, and as these bake, the fat will be rendered out and create smoke. Don’t freak out.
- You can either purchase Cajun seasoning or make your own. I highly recommend making your own spice mix. Not only is it really easy, you also probably already have all the spices in your cabinet. AND since you are controlling the amount of salt, you can skip adding salt to the wings in the first step. I have included the recipe to make your own Cajun seasoning in the notes section of the recipe below. IF you choose to buy your Cajun seasoning, TASTE IT. Use your discretion as to how much salt to add to the wings.
- There are a few ways you can make the glaze. If you don’t have an immersion blender, but do have a food processor, I recommend you puree all the ingredients together in the processor first, and then cook the glaze. This way you can avoid transferring the glaze to a stand blender after it is cooked. If you do have an immersion blender, just follow the recipe as instructed. The same goes if you don’t have an immersion blender or a food processor, as you will just puree the glaze using a stand blender.
- The glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance. Be sure to let it sit at room temperature to remove the chill while the wings are baking. You can substitute dried seasonings for some of the fresh ingredients in the glaze, so be sure to check out the notes section of the recipe!
Whether you watch the BIG game, or just partake for the food, add these Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings to your Super Bowl line up!
Until Thursday friends, cheers – to glorious game day grub.
XOXO
Cheyanne
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How to make Easy Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings at home👇
These Baked Crispy Cajun Chicken Wings are super crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside. Rubbed with Cajun seasonings and tossed in a sweet n' spicy glaze, these wings are packed with flavor! With half the fat, yet ALL the crispy, delicious flavor, these wings NEED to be part of your football line up!
- 4 Pounds Chicken Wings – cut into drumettes and flats*
- 4 TBS Cajun Seasoning *
- 2 TB Baking Powder
- ¼ - ½ tsp Kosher Salt *
- GLAZE:
- 1/3 Heaping Cup Honey
- ½ Cup Pineapple (and its juices) – coarsely chopped*
- 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – coarsely chopped
- ½ small Onion – coarsely chopped*
- 2 TBS Ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
- 4 small cloves Garlic *
- 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
- Optional Garnishes: Cilantro, Lime Wedges, Finely Diced Pineapple
- For the chicken wings: Use paper towels to pat chicken wings thoroughly dry. Place dried chicken wings in a large bowl or in a Ziploc bag. Add the cajun seasoning, baking powder and salt*. Toss or shake to evenly coat the wings.
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up and insert a wire rack on top. Lightly spray rack with non-stick cooking spray. Lay wings, skin side up, on the rack in a single layer (It’s okay if they fit snugly).
- Transfer wings to the oven on the lower-middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the wings to the upper-middle rack and increase the temperature to 425 degrees F. Continue to bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a medium sized sauce pan. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Use and immersion blender, or carefully transfer to a stand blender, and puree sauce. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Set aside until wings are done baking.
- To Serve: When wings are done baking, remove baking sheet from oven and let wings stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to a large mixing bowl and toss with desired amount sauce. Serve wings with topped with optional garnishes and remaining sauce on side. Enjoy!
1. You can purchase your wings already cut into drumettes and flats, or you can cut them yourself. It’s really easy! Check out the picture at the beginning of this post to see exactly where to cut (you will discard the wing tip). OR you can make these leaving the wings completely intact – drumette, flat and wing tip all connected.
2. To ensure CRISPY wings, there are THREE steps you should NOT skip – drying the wings THOROUGHLY, coating them EVENLY in the seasoning/baking powder mixture, and baking them on a RACK insert. Do those three things and you are golden.
3. When baking the wings, do not be alarmed if there is a bit of smoke in the oven. Wings have a good amount of fat, and as these bake, the fat will be rendered out and create smoke. Don’t freak out.
4. You can either purchase Cajun seasoning or make your own. I highly recommend making your own spice mix. Not only is it really easy, you also probably already have all the spices in your cabinet. AND since you are controlling the amount of salt, you can skip adding salt to the wings in the first step. I have included the recipe to make your own Cajun seasoning below. IF you choose to buy your Cajun seasoning, TASTE IT. Use your discretion as to how much salt to add to the wings.
5. There are a few ways you can make the glaze. If you don’t have an immersion blender, but do have a food processor, I recommend you puree all the ingredients together in the processor first, and then cook the glaze. This way you can avoid transferring the glaze to a stand blender after it is cooked. If you do have an immersion blender, just follow the recipe as instructed. The same goes if you don’t have an immersion blender or a food processor, as you will just puree the glaze using a stand blender.
6. The glaze can be made up to 3 days in advance. Be sure to let it sit at room temperature to remove the chill while the wings are baking. You can substitute the below dried seasonings for some of the fresh ingredients:
*You can substitute ½ cup of pineapple juice if desired for the pineapple.
*You can substitute 1 ½ tsp Onion Powder for chopped onion.
*You can substitute ½ tsp Garlic Powder for cloves of garlic.
*Cajun Seasoning:
1 TBS Paprika
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ -2 tsp Cayenne (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp each: Onion Powder, Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, Ground Black Pepper
Mix all spices together.
I hope things will get better for you very soon, Cheyanne. On the brighter side – these chicken wings look perfect, something I would definitely like to try. I have never had much luck with making my own chicken wings, they are never crispy enough, maybe I will have more luck with this recipe, yours look just the way they should be.
Crisp, tender and packed full of Cajun flavour…Gosh, these wings sound and look even more tempting than those fried ones! I love that glaze, Cheyanne.
I’m sorry the nonsense continues… Wish I could just wipe that away for you! But I’m glad you decided to revamp this recipe cause it’s exactly what is needed for game day! I’m all about the Cajun flavors and you know I love that these are baked — I’ll absolutely be eating twice as much of them now 😉 Hope things turn around soon and you have a great week my friend. XO
Hiya Chey!! 🙂 The weekend was a total whirlwind for me… but you know why! 😉 You know that I’m thinking all of the good thoughts for you and sending you all of the good vibes. <3 You ROCK even more! But I think you already knew that. 😉 Meanwhile, you are totally rockin' it with these photos! You know, I can never quite get the shot in the pot/mixing bowl pics quite right–but you seem to make it look so easy! This is yet another recipe that my momma would be LOVE to the moon and back. SO let's add this to the list of foods for our eventual get together! 🙂 🙂 Sending you lots of love and BIG hugs! <3 <3 <3
Glad to hear your feeling better and hope you had a relaxing weekend! And YAY for wings! Those always make me feel a lot better. I’m loving that honey chipotle pineapple glaze! How fun is that?! I think my husband would love me even more if I made these for superbowl Sunday haha! Such perfect game day food, or anytime food! Pinned, of course! Hope you have a good Monday!
Glad you are feeling better! I love how you open yourself up to readers, you are so relatable! I love following your blog and seeing all the progress and delicious recipes you make along the way 🙂
Glad that you are feeling better!! These wings look delicious, Cheyanne and that glaze? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, sweet/savoury combos are my jam so this is right up my alley and I would eat so many of these wings it wouldn’t even be funny. Loves me some spice too! Your pics are spot on and, of course, pinning this deliciousness and making soon. Hubby and I eat wings regularly so these need to go in the rotation asap! Cheers to a great week! xo
Cheers to glorious game day grub (I’ll take a dozen, please!) and hopes for the repugnant nonsense to immediately become a thing of the past! Hang in there, buttercup! xo
With football season around the corner, I’m constantly looking for fun and tasty things to do with wings. I’ll make sure all my guest take off their shoes before shoveling these bad boys into their greedy little mouths lol. I love that they are baked, these seriously just made the Super Bowl Party Menu 🙂 I hope all your problems and solved this week Cheyanne, you are way too awesome to be stressed 😉
It just wouldn’t be right if there were no wings on Super Bowl Sunday Chey! And these look perfect! That glaze sounds delicious. My son Casey is still home before he goes for his study abroad, so I’ll have to be whipping some of these up for him. (perhaps with his help, so he’ll be able to make them on his own one day!) Thanks for sharing and hope you have a great week! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your issues get resolved in a good way! XO
Glad you could get a break this weekend, and I’m so sorry it’s been a rough time for you! This month has been super rough for Alex and I, so I feel ya. Sending hugs and prayers your way. P.S. I think I could eat these wings every. single. dang. day. I mean, c’mon, that sauce!!! AMAZING. XOXO
I’m not sure if my weekend was glorious or not, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t enough (Please, show me that person who would say it was indeed). And I certainly know these delicious wings didn’t happen this weekend either which is definitely a sad part. I do love the glaze (especially pineapples), and I do need this in my life shortly. And I hope this week will be treating you much better, Chey!
OMG!!! You win at everything forever with this post!!! No frikkin joke!!! These look mouth watering! <3 – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
This recipe looks so amazing Cheyanne! I loooove cajun flavours, and the chipotle glaze sounds incredible! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe! <3
I’m so glad you guys had a good weekend!! Yay for breaks from the sucky stuff 🙂 Andddd you have such perfect timing because the husband was literally just saying yesterday that he wants me to make wings. haha And for whatever reason I hate making them! Care to bring some over???
I’ve been thinking about you and I hope all of the real life stuff calms down for you soon! I never make wings and I know the men in my house would devour these. I need to start with this recipe — I love these sweet & spicy flavors!
Stellar, grubalicious photos Chey! Who could resist these wings and baked not fried is way better. Love that pineapple glaze action, too. So good! I Pinned this one to three boards already. Whoot-woot! 🙂
My boyfriend always orders wings when we go to a restaurant that serves them, but I always find them too spicy and don’t get me started on the blue cheese dressing – YACK! But these Cajun Chicken Wings are right up my alley.
Oh yes Wings are my favourite part of the chicken and this glaze and salsa are just too delicious. We don’t have the big game here in Australia but I am still going to make them for dinner this week. I am sorry to hear you have had a rough couple of weeks – I hope things are easier now for you x
I’m sorry things are rough on the homefront. They’ll get better. Meanwhile …. damn! These wings are right up my alley! And, how dare you tease me with salt & vinegar wings during my leisurely scroll down your page. Can you say “two bookmarks?” Outstanding!
I’m so glad you are feeling better about things and I am 100% confident that you will be good to go ASAP! 🙂 I’m all for a recipe and photo makeover because I have had some UGLY pics of some delicious food on my website. Your photos are always beautiful, my friend, but thanks for bringing this flavor bomb out of the archives. I may have to add these to my game day menu! XOXO
Well I hope in time everything is how you like it to be and you get to get all that nonsense out! My weekend was not glorious but ok! getting much better after reading this recipe! Thanks for sharing Chey! cheers
Here’s to better days ahead, fo sho! And here’s to eating lots of crispy chicken wings on this coming gameday Super Bowl Sunday and watching the Pats! Woohooo! I think I remember this recipe from back then and it’s funny hearing you say you didn’t like the photos. I cringe whenever I see old photos (and current photos) of mine 😉 Your photos are so gorgeous now but they were never terrible to begin with because you know how to take a good pic 🙂
OMG, sorry to hear you are having issues Cheyanne! My last few weeks have been terrible! Got sick, no sleep because of my crying baby and no time for anything! But I must find some time to make these wings, because they look so good! Pinned and shared!
These are just in time for Superbowl. Thanks for sharing. I am hopeful that soon your days and weeks will be exactly as you want them to be! I have been so whiny about the election, its results, and other things that are bothering me. You have such a great attitude about life, I am going to take your recipe for life and adapt it to mine. Cheers!
I just read your Thursday’s post (am a bit behind catching up as school has me going cray cray) So sorry to hear that something is robbing you of your smile – I pray peace for you soon, sweet friend, and the kind of happiness you give me and others by posting these droolicious wings! Wow – that honey-pineapple glaze needs to be bottled up and sold!
Absolutely off-the-charts delicious looking wings! Loving all the great flavours. And a sending a big virtual hug your way 🙂
OMGGGG. These are what dreams are made of! Especially during Super Bowl week! Totally obsessing over that glaze!
Whoa – these look great, Cheyanne – perfect for the big game. I love that you’ve made a healthy version of these – no on will know though since they covered in that delicious sauce!
Im so sorry things are rough for you right now girl, im thinking of you! On another note, these cajun chicken wings look amazing!
I’m so sorry you’re having some rough days, Cheyanne. But, know that I’m thinking of you and hoping for brighter days ahead! I may have squealed a bit when I saw these wings on Instagram… seriously dying! I’m not a big buffalo wing fan.. although I love all things buffalo sauce. I do however, love other fun ways of eating wings and this one is going to the top of my to-try list! I’m laughing that you said your old photos were “gawd awful”! I have an old wing recipe that I told myself I need to update because the photos give me chest pains! 😉 Pinned!
I have been craving a massive amount of chicken wings lately! It’s weird. But I NEED THEM – and I think to cure this, I will be using THIS recipe!
Sorry about your rough days. I wish you get the shiny bright days back to make you happy again. Cheers to happy days ahead. <3 These chicken wings look amazing, Cheyanne! Cajun, honey, chipotle and pineapple, there is so much to love. Have a lovely week.
Happy to hear you got a little break, hang in there friend! Things will get better..my whole of last year has been terrible ..but I try to remain positive, that’s in our hands at least..hugs! these wings would definitely be a hit on game day!
Oh boy..these wings are calling my name. I’m not sure if its because its super bowl season or I just have a craving but wings have been on my mind!! I love that these are baked and cajun!! All my warm wishes are being sent telepathically that you find strength, wisdom and peace in this challenging time. I will also wish you sleep well, its so hard to relax our brains when challenges arise.
Hi Cheyanne – these are gorgeous, crispy wings. So my brother calls me last night at 10 p.m. (What could he possibly need at 10 p.m.?) To ask me if I’ll bring wings to the Superbowl party Sunday. I say sure, but no recipe in mind, and then BOOM!!! You post these delicious wings. Gonna have lots of happy nieces and nephews and kids, S-I-L, hubby and BROTHER!!!! Thanks to you Chey. Have a great week – I hope everything improves, sorry to hear the stress is not over. Got a little stress here too. (Misery loves company.)Wishing you blue skies, puffy white clouds, gentle breezes and PEACE. XOXO
These wings look absolutely fabulous and are, of course, party fare perfection!!
I hope things are going better…sending love and good thoughts your way. xoxo