Air Fryer Cajun Wings

These Air Fryer Cajun Wings are the most addictive, perfectly spiced chicken wings. With perfectly crisp skin you’ll be wanting to serve them for every dinner, party or gathering.

Why cook chicken wings in the air fryer?

Chicken wings are something that need to be crispy in my opinion. Cooking them on the BBQ is a great way to get them deliciously crisp, but this isn’t an option to everyone year round.

Cooking chicken wings in the oven does result in tasty wings, but they tend to take a while and always seem to lack something. Deep frying wings will provide the crisp skin, but isn’t most people’s go-to cooking preference.

That’s where air fryer chicken wings come in! They’re quick to cook and have the most perfectly crisp skin which is everything you need from a wing.

Once you have made these air fryer Cajun wings, I highly doubt you will cook them another way!

what is cajun seasoning?

Cajun seasoning, also sometimes referred to as Cajun spice, is a blend of herbs and spices originating from Louisiana in America where Cajun cuisine was born. The seasoning uses a blend of herbs and spices typically found in Cajun cooking.

As with most seasoning blends, the ingredients can vary slightly. However you will find cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, black pepper and oregano in the majority of Cajun seasoning blends.

This seasoning is the perfect combination of bold, punchy flavour from the cayenne pepper and paprika which pairs wonderfully with the herbs.

It is the perfect seasoning to sprinkle over chicken wings before they are cooked for instant flavour.

which cajun seasoning to use

Obviously I would recommend that you use my homemade Cajun seasoning because I think it is delicious and will give your wings the most delicious flavour.

You can buy Cajun seasoning a lot more readily here in the UK than you used to be able to. If you did want to buy it instead of making your own you should be able to in larger supermarkets.

However I definitely would recommend making your own. It is very easy to do, delicious and you probably have the ingredients in your cupboard already.

How much cajun seasoning to use

How much seasoning you use on your wings really depends on how strong you want the flavour to be and also which Cajun seasoning you’re using.

If you are using my homemade Cajun seasoning then I recommend using two teaspoons of seasoning. Once you have tried that, you can add more next time if you want an even punchier flavour.

Alternatively if you are making these wings for children or people with really mild pallets, then you can reduce the seasoning.

how long do chicken wings take to air fry?

Chicken wings can vary in size which also means the cooking time can vary. Unless your chicken wings are huge, they will be cooked in 10 – 11 minutes.

The additional cooking time is to get the wings to your chosen level of crispness.

It is also important to note that if you load up your air fryer basket with a lot of chicken wings, they will take longer to cook because the air won’t be able to circulate as well.

I prefer to cook batches of fewer chicken wings at a time so they crisp up nicely. Once they are all cooked, I will then add them all to the basket for them to reheat through for a few minutes.

do you need to preheat an air fryer?

That depends on your air fryer, some require preheating whilst others don’t. I have a Ninja Foodi 7-in-1 multicooker and a Ninja Foodi Flexdrawer and I have never preheated either.

If your air fryer does require preheating, check the chicken wings a few minutes sooner than the recipe states. If your air fryer is warm, food is likely to cook a few minutes faster.

Also if you are cooking wings in batches, the wings will cook quicker when the air fryer is already warm. So check any additional batches a few minutes earlier as they are likely to cook slightly quicker.

can you use an air fryer liner?

Air fryer liners are a great time saving addition because they are usually easier to wash than the basket of your air fryer.

Most reusable air fryer liners are silicone and although they are handy to have, I wouldn’t recommend using them for all recipes.

I wouldn’t recommend using an air fryer liner when cooking chicken wings. You want them to be as crisp as possible and a liner would just get in the way of this.

They would take longer to get to the level of crispness wanted and you could risk the chicken becoming a little dry. But if you want to use one, don’t let me stop you.

I’ve written a whole post on whether you should use an air fryer liner, check it out for more information.

How to serve air fryer cajun wings

My favourite way to serve these Cajun wings is with Cajun corn and Cajun fries – yes we like all the Cajun flavour! Of course it is essential to have some of my ranch for dipping. It adds a creamy coolness to the subtle spice of the seasoning.

If you didn’t want to go all in on the Cajun seasoning, you could serve the wings with any of my air fryer potato recipes. My coleslaw would also work really well with the wings if you’re looking for a creamy element that isn’t ranch.

If you’re serving these wings as part of a buffet, why not make some of my lemon pepper wings to create your own Wingstop spread at home.

Other recipes you might like

• Salt & Pepper Wings
• Air Fryer Korean Wings
• Homemade Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
• Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
• Simple Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken

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