Cajun Dry Rub Chicken Wings (2024)

These Cajun dry rub chicken wings have the perfect amount of heat! A blend of spices makes these wings taste out of this world! The best part about these wings is they are baked and not fried!

There was a time when I was all about spicy food. I could eat Vindaloo and Pad Thai at a number 8 or 9 without breaking a sweat! I remember ordering spicy food so hot, waiters would watch because they had never seen a girl eat such spicy food.

When it came to chicken wings, I always ordered them “blazing” or coated in an “atomic” sauce. Nothing was ever too hot for my taste buds. In fact, I prided myself on being able to handle any level of heat. Eating spicy food became a sport, it was all about how spicy would my food have to be before I broke down.

Turns out it isn’t a spice level that caught up to me, but an age. Yep, now that I am in my 40’s the old heartburn kicks in whenever I eat really spicy food. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking I am having a heart attack, but after a few Tums, everything returns to normal. I am both embarrassed and saddened by this development.

Since I will never give up my beloved chicken wings, I have to find flavors that give me a little heat but without making me feel like I am going to die.

These baked Cajun Dry Rub Chicken Wings have everything I love! They have the perfect amount of flavor and they are baked not fried!

The dry rub for these wings is the same rub I used for my Cajun Turkey. The rub is pretty versatile, you can easily use it on chicken breasts, tilapia, make Cajun shrimp, Cajun burgers, and even make Cajun pork tenderloin.

What Are Dry Rub Chicken Wings?

Dry rub chicken wings are coated in a spice mixture instead of a sauce mixture like these Memphis BBQ Wings and these Sticky Stout Baked Chicken Wings.

Both styles of wings are baked and both are finger licking good. Dry rub wings have a caramelized, spiced exterior that is a nice change from saucy wings.

How To Make Dry Rub Chicken Wings

For this recipe, I use bagged, frozen (and thawed) wing and drummette pieces that have been rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel. I drizzle the naked wings with a little vegetable oil before I smother them with my seasoning blend.

For the rub, I combine a heap of spices like paprika, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

You have to have brown sugar! For one thing, it will balance out the heat from the spices, but also the sugar will caramelize the rub to give you the perfect wing coating!

Place all your ingredients in a large bowl and toss until the wings are completely coated!

Dry Rub Chicken Wings In The Oven

Place the wing on a foil-lined baking sheet and place a baking rack over top of the foil. Spray your baking rack an arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. The baking rack will allow the chicken to cook all over and the foil will catch any spills or drips. The wings will take about 45 minutes total to bake.

You could still serve these with your favorite wing sauce on the side but it is NOT necessary!

Dry Rub Wing Tips and Tricks

Make sure your wings have thawed completely and that you pat them dry. This will prevent a wet wing, the seasoning will stick to the skin much better if the wings are dry, to begin with.

Feel free to substitute or add more or different seasoning. Cayenne pepper or white pepper would add more spice and would blend nicely. Oregano and basil can be added as well.

Make sure you do not crowd the baking pan. An even layer of wings will ensure that they all cook evenly. The wings will need to be turned only once during baking.

Dry Rub Chicken Wings In A Crockpot

If you are looking for more of a fix it and forget it dry rub wing, then you can certainly use the crockpot for this recipe! I would take the time to brown the chicken wings in a skillet after rubbing them with the seasoning. This will ensure the wings have a nice exterior and flavor!

This recipe will also work with an air-fryer or as deep fried wings!

What To Serve With Dry Rub Chicken Wings?

These chicken wings pair beautifully with dips like this Aioli Recipe, Parmesan Ranch Dip and this Blue Cheese Dip. Both are creamy and cool; they are the perfect backdrop to the seasoning in these wings. I topped my wings with crumbled blue cheese just to give them a little creaminess, but this is purely optional!

These bacon wrapped roasted potatoes and the spiced aioli served on the side would be a perfect partner to these wings!

How To Reheat Dry Rub Chicken Wings

While you can certainly microwave these dry rub wings (or any wing really), I find the best method is to reheat the wings in the oven. Arrange your leftover wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and reheat at 350 for about 15 minutes.

If you are looking a different dry rub combination, you could try a Chipotle Rub, a Smokehouse rub, your favorite BBQ rub, a peppery rub, a coffee-based rub, a poultry rub, a Moroccan style rub or even a Greek-style rub.

Use the same method with any of these rubs!

• Paper towels
• Large bowl
• Baking rack
• Large baking or sheet pan
• Tongs

Just a reminder to be sure to wash your hands when touching raw poultry.

Make your game day (or any occasion) great with these easy wings! You and your guests are going to love the flavor of these wings! They really do fit the expression, “finger licking good”. I hope you enjoy!