These easy Jerk chicken wings have a spicy, flavorful jerk seasoning and they turn out perfectly crispy and juicy in just 30 minutes in the oven.
I’m a serious chicken wing fan, so I’m always creating new flavors and trying new ways to dress up chicken wings. I have to say that Jerk seasoning is one of the best ways to enjoy chicken wings.
The seasoning does all the work here. The outcome is amazing. If you’ve never had jerk seasoning – a robust seasoning that originates from Jamaica – you’re definitely missing out. It’s one of those iconic flavors you must try.
You can make your own jerk seasoning by following the spice blend in our original jerk chicken recipe. It’s a pretty complex mix with lots of individual seasonings. For this reason, I tend to buy it more often than make it. It comes in different spice levels, so be aware of that when you buy. The hot version is really hot.
» Looking for more great chicken wings? You will love these 5 Tasty Sauces for Chicken Wings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken Wings – plan for about 1/3 pounds of chicken wings per person.
- Jerk seasoning – Buy it here, find a brand you like at the store, or make it yourself (see below)
- Olive oil – This will help make the seasoning a wet rub so that it sticks to the chicken wings better and helps to crisp them up.
How to Make Your Own Jerk Seasoning
If you make it yourself, you’ll need:
- Ground thyme
- Brown sugar
- Ground allspice
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Dried ginger
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Soy sauce
- White vinegar
This makes a jerk seasoning/marinade that you can mix with olive oil and coat the wings with. If you want to make this seasoning dried so you can store it, you would just need to leave the soy sauce and vinegar out and add those when you are ready to use the marinade.
How to Cook Jerk Chicken Wings
Step 1: Jerk Seasoning
First thing is to mix up the jerk marinade. You can do this in a bowl or in a food processor for a finer seasoning. Then coat the wings in the jerk seasoning, making sure to coat each piece. Put them in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Marinating the chicken isn’t strictly necessary, they will still have tons of flavor, but it is part of the jerk cooking technique to marinate the chicken in the spices to impart even more flavor.
There are a lot of ways you can cook chicken wings. Two of our favorite ways to cook them are baking and air frying.
Step 2: Bake the Chicken Wings
Baking leads to a tender and crispy wing, with a lot less fat than deep frying, and it’s an easy way to make them without much mess.
Once the wings are coated, put them on a baking sheet to go in the oven for 30 minutes at 400° F. After 15 minutes, turn the chicken wings over and continue to bake.
They’ll become nice and crispy and browned. If they’re not quite to that stage after 30 minutes total, leave them in a bit longer. In my opinion, these are so much better when the skin of the chicken has crisped up nicely.
How to Air Fry Chicken Wings
Another great way to cook chicken wings is in the air fryer. If you have one, you’re going to love how quick these are to make. Just pop them in the air fryer for 20 minutes on 400° F. Give the basket a shake halfway through cooking. They’re perfectly juicy and crispy. You can even cook frozen chicken wings in the air fryer.
*OUR FAVORITE AIR FRYER*
Cosori Pro LE 5-Qt Air Fryer
There are a lot of features to love about this air fryer, but top of our list are the tempered glass display, super easy to clean basket, and ability to add shake reminders.
How to Grill Chicken Wings
If you have an outdoor grill, fire it up to 400° F. When hot, add the chicken wings and grill for about 10-15 minutes per side. Chicken wings should reach the internal temperature of 165° F to be safe, so be sure to check the temp on an instant read thermometer before removing them from the grill.
How to Reheat Chicken Wings
There are quite a few ways to go about reheating chicken wings if you happen to find yourself with some leftovers, but one method really stands out from the rest. We really believe that the best way to reheat chicken wings is with the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer to 365°F (185°C) for about 5 minutes.
- Brush or spray the air fryer basket with oil.
- Place the chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd them.
- Cook for about 8-10 minutes, flipping the wings halfway through.
To read through the rest of the reheating options check out the best ways to reheat chicken wings.
Questions About Jerk Chicken Wings
What is Jerk seasoning made of?
There are a lot of different spices that go into jerk seasoning. While it has a list of typical spices, everyone makes theirs slightly differently, so you’ll likely find a variation of this spice when looking at recipes.
The typical Jamaican jerk seasoning is made with ground thyme, brown sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar, ground all spice, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, dried ginger, and Scotch Bonnet peppers
Is Jerk seasoning spicy?
It can be. That’s because of the presence of the Scotch Bonnet peppers, which are always added to Jamaican jerk seasoning. However, you can make it less spicy by adding less peppers. You can also buy jerk seasoning in mild or hot.
What to Serve With Chicken Wings
For sides, serve these wings with a Bacon & Jalapeno Corn Salad, Chipotle Coleslaw or our favorite Classic Wedge Salad.
Since wings are total comfort food for me, I go right to Mac & Cheese as a side. They also go well with Baked Beans.
Salads
Crunchy Broccoli Salad
Corn & Black Bean Pasta Salad
Bacon, Jalapeno & Corn Salad
Classic Wedge Salad
Pear & Gorgonzola Salad
Veggies
Roasted Asparagus with Cranberries & Feta
Shaved Asparagus with Pesto
Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms
Crispy Roast Potatoes
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Jerk Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680.39 g) chicken wings
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (16 g) jerk seasoning https://amzn.to/3yx0KTa
To make your own jerk seasoning:
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon (2 g) ground thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon (6 g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) dried ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (18 g) soy sauce
- 1/4 tablespoon (4 g) white vinegar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the jerk seasoning and olive oil to a small bowl and stir to mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Place the chicken wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or tin foil that is lightly greased. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the wings over and continue cooking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the wings are crispy and browned.
Notes
- Marinating the wings is not strictly necessary, but they will develop more flavor if you marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Jerk seasoning can be bought in mild or hot. Choose which version suits you.
- You can cook these in the oven or in the air fryer.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes.
What a great wing recipe! The jerk seasoning added so much flavor. We just loved snacking on these.
These chicken wings are a whole lot of spicy goodness! Will be making this recipe over and over again.
These came out so flavorful! Thank you for the wonderful recipe. 🙂
Absolutely delicious wings; thank you for this fantastic recipe! I will make it again!!
Happy to hear that, Tavo. Thanks for the feedback.
SUCH a great way to mix up my wings recipe! (We LOVE wings at my house!). I left out the allspice and it was still super delish!! Even the kids loved the!