Firm on the outside, juicy in the middle and packed with plenty of heat, these Air Fried Cajun Chicken Wings will disappear quickly from your appetizer table and have your guests begging for more!
There is so much to love about these flavor filled wings it’s hard to know where to start. First off, they’re easy, we’re talking a dry rub on some wings and 15-20 minutes in the air fryer. Second, we love chicken wings but not all of the oil that is in the traditional fried wings. Using the air frier for the wings gives that nice firm texture, juicy center, and cuts out all of that oil, making this a much healthier option. Finally, these are just so versatile and tasty! You can crank up the cajun spice as much or as little as you want to create the flavor profile just for you. They are also a great option for a traditional party table, after school snack, or even to serve up as your main protein for dinner. So let’s get going!
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What Ingredients Will I Need For My Cajun Chicken Wings
Your shopping trip is going to be short on this one.
Start at the meat counter and get a pack of chicken wings. We love the combo pack with the wings and the drumettes. The drumette is the meatier section of the wing and looks like a miniature drum stick. The wing itself is leaner, with a lot of the meat nestled in between the bones that make up the wing.
You can buy full wings, with the drumette and the wing still connected. If you do this you’ll simply want to separate the wing and the drumette.
Now for the Cajun Spice. You’ve got some options here. Dre makes his own Cajun Spice because he loves creating the flavor blend. If you’re not feeling that ambitious, pick up a jar of Cajun Spice from the spice aisle.
If you do want to make your own blend, you will need to spend a little more time in the spice aisle. Dre’s home blend includes salt, ground cayenne pepper, ground white pepper, ground black pepper, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme.
Air Frying Your Cajun Spice Wings
All right, now let’s put this together.
If you bought the full wings, the first thing you’ll want to do is separate the drumette from the wingette. This article will give you some quick pointers to get the best cut for your wings.
Once you have your wings unpacked and cut, place them in a glass or metal bowl.
Sprinkle the cajun spice on the wings and toss them in the bowl to evenly distribute the spice. You can also mix them with your hands or tongs to ensure that the spice has been distributed across all parts of the wings.
Warm your air fryer up to Three Hundred and Ninety Degrees. The Ninja Foodie 5 in 1 is our go to for all things air frying. We’ve had this for maybe two years and use it almost weekly. We love it for our Cajun Chicken Wings! Don’t worry, if you don’t have an air fryer we’ll give you directions for baking the wings as well.
Place the wings in the air fryer. Cook for 7-10 minutes then flip with tongs. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Overall you’re looking at about 15-20 minutes of cooking time. It will depend on the size and meatiness of the wings that you have.
When your cajun chicken wings are finished they should be a nice golden brown on the outside with some darker spots of crispiness and not have any pink inside. They should temp at no less than 165 degrees. We use the ThermoPro TP03 Meat Thermometer on a regular basis. This is a great tool that works quickly and easily helps us know if our meat is done or needs a few more minutes.
If you do need to bake them, warm the oven up to 425 degrees. Bake on one side for 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake on the other side for about 10 minutes. You are looking for the same color and temperature on your baked wings.
Once your wings are have hit that finished mark, it’s time to serve them up! Plate up with ranch, blue cheese, barbecue, or any of your favorite sauces and you are ready for a flavor extravaganza!
Why we Love Air Frying For MS
Here’s the thing – having MS doesn’t mean you stop loving your favorite foods. Wings are a fun treat for football Sunday, parties, Friday night movie watching, all sorts of things! But the fat and calories that come with deep frying wings simply isn’t good for an MS diet. Fried foods are a cause of inflammation, and that’s simply not good for multiple sclerosis. Using the Air Fryer takes the deep frying process out of the picture while maintaining the same context and flavor of the wings. It’s been a great addition to our kitchen!
Please drop any comments on our recipe below, we’d love to hear your feedback!
Please visit our Resources page if you are interested in finding some of the tools and gadgets Dre uses to make cooking accessible while combatting MS.
Air Fried Cajun Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Wings
Cajun Spice - Quantity for Full Cup of Cajun Spice - More Than is Needed for Wing Recipe
Instructions
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Place your drumettes and wingettes in a glass or metal bowl. Season with the cajun spice, evenly distributing spice across wings.
If you have bought full wings, use a knife to separate the drumettes from the wings. -
Warm the air fryer to 390 degrees. Place the flavored wings in the air fryer.
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After 7-10 minutes, flip the wings. Cook for another 7-10 minutes, until the wings are temping at 190 degrees. Wings will be golden brown with some darker brown spots and will also not have any pink in the middle.
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Plate with your favorite sauce and serve!
Equipment
