With New Years Eve here already, my mind has shifted focus from turkey dinners to any and all things to do with scrumptious appetizers – more specifically – chicken wings.
Chicken wings make a great appetizer or dinner, are quite versatile, and can easily be whipped up in no time at all. You can serve them naked, dusted, or tossed in your favourite sauce. My favourite wings happen to be Baked Cajun Chicken Wings tossed in a Chili Heat Sauce and drizzled in a Creamy Gar Par Dressing.
Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Appetizers
The process of making these wings may seem daunting, but they really are quite easy to prepare when time may not necessarily be in your favour. Let's face it – being a Mom of three kids under five years-old – time is never in my favour!
BEST EVER BAKED CAJUN CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (see recipe below)
2.5 lb chicken wings
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F.
Remove defrosted chicken wings from packet, and pat dry.
In a large Ziploc freezer bag, add seasoned bread crumbs and Cajun seasoning. Place chicken wings in the bag. Seal and shake until wings are evenly coated.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place chicken wings on lined baking sheet. Bake the wings for 25-30 minutes. Flip the wings halfway to ensure that they are cooked evenly.
Plate and dust the wings with more Cajun seasoning, if desired.
Alternatively, I like to lightly toss my Baked Cajun Chicken Wings in a Chili Heat Wing Sauce.
CHILI HEAT WING SAUCE
Ingredients
½ cup chili sauce
2 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp Cajun seasoning (see recipe below)
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a light simmer for 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Cool.
(Adapted from Deep South Dish)
HOMEMADE CAJUN SEASONING
Ingredients
2 ½ tsp Hungarian paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 ¼ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an air tight container.
These wings wouldn’t be complete without a mouth-watering garlic parmesan dressing. What I love about Creamy Gar Par Dressing is that it pairs with just about anything. Veggies, onion rings, French fries… The options are endless. Personally, I prefer to drizzle a bit of Gar Par Dressing on my chicken wings to give them a little extra punch.
CREAMY GAR PAR DRESSING
Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground thyme
¼ tsp ground oregano
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 425F. Place garlic cloves in foil packet, drizzled in olive oil. Bake 25 minutes.
In a small bowl, mash garlic and add in other ingredients. Mix well.
Serve immediately or store in fridge in an air-tight container.
(Adapted from Modern Christian Homemaker)
Pair these wings with Dill Pickle Zucchini Chips or Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Chipotle Dip to create the perfect game day meal!
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