Why settle for plain chicken wings when you can have bold, spicy and New Orleans sass?! Tossed in Creole seasoning and garlic butter then baked until golden, the smell alone will make you drool. Easy enough for dinner, excellent for parties. Get in my belly!
New Orleans Chicken Wings
Today’s recipe is inspired by New Orleans Chicken Ribs I had at the Adelaide Central Markets a couple of weeks ago when I visited during my book tour. Creole seasoned chicken ribs, chargrilled and sold in paper cones, ideal for eating with your hands while walking around looking at yet more food.
Here I am with JB and Stephen (RTM boss chef) at the Adelaide Central Markets, and there I am looking pretty darn pleased with myself, clutching the chicken ribs!
Those chicken ribs were finger lickin’ good, thus it should be of no surprise to anyone that I immediately set about to copy it when I got back from the book tour. Here’s a little home video I shared when I was creating the recipe!
In case you missed it, yes, I said ribs not wings. Chicken ribs are the chicken equivalent of pork ribs and beef ribs. I call them “the better wings” because you get all the tasty slippery/juicy meat qualities of wings with a higher meat-to-bone ratio. Plus, they’re more economical.
However, irritatingly, chicken ribs aren’t available at regular grocery stores and everyday butchers, they are typically only sold at chicken shops and some Asian butchers. So while I enjoyed my first iterations using ribs, I continued making them using regular chicken wings.
They’re just as good, I promise. And it means you can make them tonight, without hunting down chicken ribs!
Ingredients in New Orleans wings
These wings probably aren’t an authentic New Orleans recipe. But it certainly captures the spirit of Louisiana with the generous amount of homemade Creole seasoning used to season the wings!
homemade Creole seasoning
Here’s what you need for the Creole seasoning. I’m willing to wager you’ve got all those herbs & spices…
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Herbs and spices – Similar to Cajun seasoning though Creole has dried herbs (oregano and thyme are common which is what I use) whereas Cajun seasoning does not. Use regular paprika (or sweet paprika), though smoked paprika would be lovely too. If you only have hot paprika, skip the cayenne pepper.
Substitutes – Onion and garlic powder can be substituted with each other. But if you don’t have either, it will alter the flavour too much. Oregano and thyme can also be substituted with more of the other.
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Cayenne pepper – This is what adds a bit of spiciness to the wings. It’s a background hum of warmth rather than “spicy”, but feel free to leave it out.
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Brown sugar – This helps caramelise the wings as well as adding a touch of sweetness to the seasoning. I tried it with and without – and it’s definitely better with. So it’s in! Also, it increases the volume of the seasoning substantially which means it’s easier to evenly coat all the wings.
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Butter – We need it else the surface of the wings will be dry, plus it makes the skin brown and makes a tasty sauce that we baste the wings with as it bakes.
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Garlic – Because garlic + butter with anything = winning!
The chicken wings
Whole chicken wings are shaped like a “Z”. I prefer to use wings cut up into drumettes (mini drumsticks) and wingettes (also called the flat) as it’s easier to eat. These days it’s easy to find them already cut up, sometimes sold as chicken wing nibbles. Else, buy them whole and cut them up yourself – it’s easy (and they’re cheaper).
How to make New Orleans Chicken Wings
Toss > bake. See, I told you it’s Tuesday night do-able! 🙂
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Garlic butter – Mix the melted butter and minced garlic together. I use a garlic crusher – easy and makes the garlic “pasty” which is ideal for blending into butter. If you don’t have a garlic press, finely mince with a knife, or if you want to really impress me, smear it into a paste with the side of your knife!
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Creole seasoning – Mix all the spices, salt, pepper and sugar in a bowl. It looks like a lot, thanks to the sugar. We want a lot – so we can thoroughly coat all the wings!
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Toss – Here’s the order in which I toss the wings for the most even coating: half the seasoning, toss, remaining seasoning, toss, garlic butter, toss. The seasoning is everything. Nobody wants to land the wing that’s not properly coated with the spice mix!
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Bake – Spread the wings out on a lined tray large enough so they are in a single layer with a bit of space between them (as pictured). If they are more crowded, then the tray juices may stay watery rather than reducing. (See FAQ below for what to do if this happens).
Bake for 45 minutes (small wings) to 50 minutes (regular /large wings, pictured) until golden, basting at the 30 minute and 40 minute mark. The wings are baked at 200°C/375°F (180°C fan-forced). A little higher than usual, to get good colour on them. Colour = flavour!
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Basting – To baste, squidge a brush into the tray juices and generously brush / dab onto the surface of the wings. This is key for getting really good flavour on the wings, so baste generously!
Basting brush – I use a natural bristle brush which I find holds much more juices than silicone ones, so you can baste more effectively. Also, I find the silicone ones absorb smell. Suffice to say I’m not a fan! 🙂
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Serve – Once the wings are done (45 – 50 minutes), give them one last baste (this is the most important one because the tray juices should be caramelised by now). Pile into a bowl or on a plate, then pour all the tray juices over. Sprinkle with something green if you’re feeling fancy (coriander/cilantro, parsley or green onion) then dig in!
Chicken wings with big, bold Louisiana flavours. You know it’s going to be a winner!
Make these for dinner tonight, then for your friends this weekend. Napkins required, and ice cold beer highly recommended.
Well, I’m not a beer drinker. So I’ll sip my chardy instead. Combining finger lickin’ goodness with a little class. Yep, that’s me all the way! 😂 – Nagi x
New Orleans Chicken Wings FAQ
This one was just about getting the spice mix balance right. I used a classic homemade Creole seasoning mix and in the first version I made, I thought the seasoning flavour and quantity was good but I didn’t have enough salt and I didn’t use sugar. I also started out using olive oil as the fat. It was fine, but I knew it could be better.
For the next iteration, I dialled up the salt a bit, added sugar, used butter instead of oil, and added fresh garlic (because butter and garlic are very good friends) and boom! One bite and I had one of those happy-dance moments. The colour on the wings was great. The sugar really helped caramelise the seasoning which totally transforms the flavour. And the savoury/sweet/buttery/garlicky combination was perfect!
From there, I did a batch dialling up the sugar a bit (I wondered if it would help caramelise better – it did, but it was too sweet, I thought) then another batch using thawed frozen wings because I suspected there might be watery tray juice problems with this recipe (yes, I did have that problem, see below for FAQ).
Other than that, I just fanned out batches of this recipe to various people to taste it. Happy to report it got a big thumbs up from all!
LUCKY YOU!! Just follow the directions in Note 1. You’ll need a little less (because they have a higher meat to bone ratio = more surface area coverage for the spice mix) and shorten the bake time a little (because they cook through faster than wings).
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Watery tray juices – See below
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Tray juices cook out – Unlikely, because fat (from wings and butter) doesn’t evaporate like water. So there should always be some fat left on the tray to use for basting.
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The wings don’t caramelise! See below.
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Overcooking the wings – reduced the cook time for small wings. Also, wings are a much juicier cut of chicken than lean chicken breast so there’s much more room for error!
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Coating the wings evenly in seasoning – toss with seasoning in 2 batches, then and butter last. Found this to be the most effective method.
By the 45/50 minute mark, the tray juices should be reduced and darker in colour (which means tasty flavour basted onto the wings!), not thin and watery like it was at the 30 minute mark. If it’s not, it could be because the tray was too crowded, thawed wings can be more watery, your oven runs weak or the chicken was brined (some bought frozen chicken is brined which leeches water when cooked).
What to do – Remove the wings from the tray and pop the tray back into the oven for a few minutes to let the juices reduce. Keep an eye on it as it will reduce quickly – 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, put the wings back on, toss, then pop it back in the oven for a few minutes to let the juices adhere and caramelise. Baste again, then you’re done!
Is it because the tray juices are still watery? If so, follow the steps above.
Else, give the wings a brief broil / oven grill at the end (on high). But don’t walk away, it can be as quick as 1 minute, and also be careful to ensure the paper lining on the tray doesn’t catch fire!
I haven’t tried but I want to! IMAGINE THE SMELL *knees. weak*. I would toss the wings in a little oil instead of butter, cook on medium on the grill side (not flat iron) until the wings are done. Then towards the end, start brushing with garlic butter. I bet they would be amazing!!
I hear you. So did I! Salad tomorrow.
They will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge, but they are at their best freshly made. To store, cool completely then pack in an airtight container. I microwave to reheat – I find this works best for juiciest flesh. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Watch how to make it
New Orleans Chicken Wings
Key tip: Don’t crowd the pan. Basting the wings with the caramelised Creole-garlic-butter tray juices is what makes these so good! (See Note 3)
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb chicken wings cut up (wingettes & drumettes, Note 1)
- 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed using garlic press (or very finely mince using knife)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander/cilantro or parsley , or sliced green onion (for sprinkling, optional)
Homemade Creole Seasoning (Note 2 for subs):
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (tightly pack the tablespoons else you’ll be short)
- 2 1/2 tsp paprika (regular/sweet)
- 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
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Toss wings in spice mix in 2 batches, then garlic butter. Bake at 200°C/390°F (180°C fan) for 45-50 min, basting at 30 min, 40 min and the end.
FULL RECIPE:
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Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a large tray with foil then baking paper (you’ll thank me later!).
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Seasoning – Mix the butter and garlic in a small bowl. Mix the Creole seasoning in a separate small bowl.
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Toss – Put the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle over half the seasoning, toss (hands is best), sprinkle with remaining seasoning then toss again until all the wings are evenly coated. Pour over the garlic butter and toss.
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Spread the wings out on the tray, skin-side up. They should be in a single layer with a bit of space in between (Note 3 about crowding the tray).
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Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, basting the wings with the tray juices at the 30 minute and 40 minute mark, until the wings are golden. (Note 3 if tray juices remain watery)
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Remove tray from the oven. Baste generously again, transfer the wings onto a serving plate, pour over every drop of the tray juices.
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Enjoy! Sprinkle with greenery of choice, grab and sink your teeth in. Weep with joy!
Notes
1. Chicken wings – If using whole wings (“Z” shape), use just shy of 1.5 kg / 3 lb. Use whole OR cut them through the joint into 3 pieces (see here for how). Use the drumettes and wingettes, save the wing tips for homemade chicken stock or, in my case, they go straight into the mouth of this.
Chicken ribs – Use 1 kg / 2 lb, reduce bake time to 40 minutes, basting at 25 min and 35 min.
2. Substitutes for herbs and spices:
- Cooking/kosher salt – sub 1 tsp table salt or 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- Paprika – Smoked paprika is lovely, hot paprika will make it spicy, consider omitting the cayenne.
- Garlic and onion powder – sub with extra of whichever you are missing
- Thyme and oregano – sub with extra of whichever you are missing
- Cayenne pepper – Sub with pure chilli powder or chipotle powder. Wings are not spicy, only a faint background warmth. Feel free to increase, or omit.
3. If the tray is too crowded, tray juices won’t reduce and caramelise = stays watery = less flavour basted on to the wings. See FAQ for how to fix this (remove wings, return tray with watery liquid back into oven to reduce).
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freezer for 3 months though wings is one of those things you can’t beat freshly made. Reheating in the microwave is best, I find (flesh is more moist).
Life of Dozer
It’s been 3 weeks since my last recipe post while I’ve been busy with the book tour and other book launch matters. So as you can imagine, the Cover Boy’s schedule has also been rather busy!
But there’s only one update that really matters:
I took Dozer into the Small Animal Specialist Hospital for a check up to see Dr James Crowley, one of the surgeons who operated on Dozer earlier this year and saved his life. I’m so happy to report that Dozer got a big thumbs up!!
And then I drove home and opened my computer to find that Google somehow knew I’d been to SASH and suggested I leave a review. So I wrote this:
As for book tour Dozer stories – I’m going to save the stories for the update post next week because I’m taking Dozer down to Canberra for a book signing this weekend and I’m sure more stories will be added to the files! 😂
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