I’ve been wanting to make these charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings for a while. It’s not that I don’t make wings over charcoal often. I do. But I use a thing called a Vortex BBQ. It helps me get amazingly crispy skin using very high temperatures. That’s not what I’m doing here, though. I wanted to prove that I can make fantastically crunchy skin wings without my Vortex. And boy did I. These great wings take just little effort, just a little time, and come out fantastic. And the sauce is nothing to sneeze at either! These are great tasting wings too!
It’s Super Easy
There are just two simple steps to making charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings. First, you need to air dry the wings coated in seasoned baking powder (not baking soda) overnight in a fridge on a wire rack. This helps dry out the skin, making it easier to get it crispy later. And second, when it comes time to cook the wings, make sure you have a pile of super-hot coals on just one side of your grill. That leaves you a less hot zone, called indirect grilling, to cook your wings without worrying about burning them. The high heat circulates around the wings helps crisp up the skin. And of course charcoal adds such a great flavor that you just can’t get in an air fryer, deep fryer or oven!
Don’t Forget The Sauce
Sure, you can use any sauce you want on these wings. But you’ll want to keep that Cajun theme going and make a batch of the sauce below. It has a nice spicy kick to it with a great flavor that compliments the seasoned wings perfectly.
I do still highly recommend a Vortex BBQ. It’s not only great for wings but also ‘fried’ chicken, ribs and oh so much more!
Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or more, to taste
For the sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Louisiana hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
For the wings
- Place the wings in a large bowl or resealable container.
- Combine the baking powder and Cajun seasoning.
- Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the wings. Using your hands, toss the wings to coat.
- Add the remaining seasoning and repeat.
- Transfer the wings to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place in the fridge 12 hours or overnight to dry out the skin.
- Load up the charcoal chimney about 3/4ths of the way with charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is all lit and lightly covered in ash, dump the coals into the grill along one side. This will create two zones: a hot direct heat zone over the coals and a cooler indirect heat zone for the wings.
- Add the charcoal grate and close the grill. Oven the top and bottoms vents all the way. Let the grill preheat for 5.
- Place the wings on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and turn so that the vent is above the wings.
- Cook until the wings are lightly browned and crispy, usually 45 minutes. While the wings are cooking make the wing sauce.
- Transfer the wings to a large bowl. Pour as much sauce as desired over the wings and toss to coat. Serve hot. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.
For the sauce
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the hot sauce and Worcestershire.
- Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to use.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.
