Smoky cajun wings with white BBQ sauce

When it comes to the tasty parts of the chicken, the wing is king. Take your first step on the road to Big Green Egg mastery with this delicious and easy winner. The Cajun rub adds a little kick, which complements the smoke, and the white BBQ sauce – inspired by American BBQ legend Big Bob Gibson – will send your taste buds soaring like a majestic cockerel at sunset. The smoky Cajun chicken wings, known in some parts as baby unicorn wings (because of the magical flavour of course) are easy and an absolute winner so let’s fire it up.

Give these a go even if you’re not cooking on the Egg. Simply get your fire going and when the coals are glowing and calling your name, barbeque these the way you would normally cook chicken wings on the open flame. You won’t get the smoky flavour though since you won’t be able to contain the smoke, if it’s a flavour that really works for you, you could bring it in with a delicious smoky marinade to add the flavour and keep those wings juicy during braaing.

Ingredients:

Cook time: 1 ½ hrs | Serves: 4–6

For the wings:
16 free-range chicken wings, tips trimmed off
Cajun rub (we used NoMU)

White BBQ sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3–4 tsp creamed horseradish
1 tsp (5ml) salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper

What you need for cooking these in the Big Green Egg:
Egg temp: 325 °F (163 °C)
Lump charcoal (no briquettes!)
Hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Tongs
Gloves

Method:

1. Lighting your Egg and getting it to the right temperature is critical so listen up! Place a layer of charcoal into the firebox then add a handful of smoking chips in the centre. Then add another layer of charcoal and then another handful of chips. Repeat until you have filled the firebox and finish with a layer of chips on the top. Place a small amount of firelighters in the centre of the coal and light. Once the firelighters have burnt out and some of the coal has caught, close the lid.

2. Slide the top and bottom vents all the way open. The temperature will start rising and when you get to within 20–30 degrees of your target temperature (325 °F ), slide the top ¾ of the way closed and set the bottom vent halfway closed. You may have to make adjustments as you creep towards your temperature. Getting the temperature right is crucial for Egg success but it can be tricky. Check out our top tips here for success.

3. Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to trim the tips the chicken wings off. Season generously with Cajun rub and set aside until the Big Green Egg is ready to cook on.

4. Whisk all the ingredients for the white BBQ sauce together and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

5. When your Egg is stable at 325 °F, it’s time to cook. Position the wings on the grill above the plate setter and close the dome. The temperature might drop due to the cold wings going in but you can make slight adjustments to get it back to 325 °F. The goal is to keep it stable.

6. Flip the wings at the 30 minute mark.

7. After 1 hour remove the wings from the Big Green Egg and close the all vents to extinguish. This saves the charcoal left over for your next cook.

Then all that’s left to do is get your hands all sticky enjoying those wings with your white BBQ sauce.

If you’re into pairing good craft with your barbeques or braais, then we’d suggest a lager like the Estrella Galicia 1906 Reserve.