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Since moving to St. Pete last June, I’ve been on a mission to find the best local eats. I went to Mullet’s Fish Camp for the seafood, but I left obsessed with their wings. The secret? Their ‘Merman’ sauce. It’s a masterclass in balance: a shattering crunch followed by a wave of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors that honestly blew me away.
I knew immediately I had to bring this flavor profile to the Big Green Egg. While Mullet’s flash-fries theirs after smoking, I’ve adapted this version for a perfect indirect grill session that captures that same addictive ‘Merman’ magic right in your backyard.
Buddha’s Pro-Tip: To get that signature “Merman” crunch without a deep fryer, make sure your wings are tucked away in the fridge uncovered for a few hours before hitting the Egg. This dries out the skin and ensures that Cajun seasoning creates a perfect crust for the sauce to cling to.
Now, sit back, grab an ice-cold Jai Alai IPA, and let’s get these Merman wings on the grill.
Table of Contents
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Step 1: Prep the Chicken Wings
The secret to a great plate of wings is uniform cooking, which starts with proper butchery. Start by separating the drums from the flats, discarding the tips. Find the Joint: Feel for the “knuckle” where the drummette meets the wingette. Using a sharp chef’s knife or kitchen shears, slice right through the center of that joint. If you hit resistance, move the blade slightly—it should glide through the cartilage without needing to saw through bone.
The Dry Out: Once separated, pat them bone-dry with paper towels. The drier the skin is before it hits the Big Green Egg, the better that Cajun rub will adhere and the crispier your final result will be.
The “Tips” Secret: While we discard the tips for this cook to prevent them from burning, don’t just throw them in the trash! I keep a gallon-size freezer bag for wing tips and chicken carcasses. Once it’s full, it becomes the base for a killer homemade smoked chicken stock.
Step 2: Apply Binder and Seasoning
Once your wings are prepped and bone-dry, it’s time for the binder. Place the wings in a large bowl, then toss with a light coating of olive oil. While some pitmasters use mustard or hot sauce, I prefer a high-quality olive oil for these Merman wings for three reasons:
- Uniform Adhesion: It ensures every nook and cranny of the wing is coated, so you don’t end up with “bald spots” where the Cajun seasoning didn’t stick.
- Heat Transfer: Oil is an excellent conductor of heat. On the Big Green Egg, that thin layer of oil helps “fry” the skin from the outside in, giving you that sought-after crunch even at indirect temperatures.
- Flavor Neutrality: We want the Cajun spices and the Merman sauce to be the stars of the show. Olive oil provides a clean base without the tang of mustard or the vinegar of a hot sauce binder.
The Golden Rule: You only need about 1 tablespoon per 2 pounds of wings. The wings should look “glistening,” not “dripping.” If there is a pool of oil at the bottom of your bowl, you’ve gone too far!
The Seasoning: Layering the Cajun Soul
Now it’s time to build the flavor profile. For this recipe, I am using Dizzy Pig’s Bayouish for the Cajun seasoning. It’s my go-to because it has a complex, peppery kick without being salt-heavy, which is crucial when you’re planning to toss the wings in a savory sauce later.
Toss and cover the wings thoroughly in the seasoning. You want a nice, even “crust” of spices. If you don’t have Bayouish on the shelf, here are two other ways to get that Merman base right:
1. The Supermarket Favorite
If you’re looking for a solid “off-the-shelf” alternative, Meat Church’s Holy Voodoo is a fan favorite. It has a savory Cajun profile with a hint of jalapeño that plays beautifully with the sweetness of the Merman sauce. Note: Since many commercial Cajun rubs are salt-forward, go a little lighter if your rub lists salt as the first ingredient.
2. The DIY “Buddha’s Bayou” Blend
If you want to mix up your own batch right now, use this balanced DIY recipe:
- 2 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (adjust for your heat preference)
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano & Thyme
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
The Technique: Once the wings are seasoned, let them sit for about 10–15 minutes while the Egg comes to temperature. This allows the salt in the rub to draw out just enough moisture to create a “meat-paste” that binds the spices permanently to the skin.
Step 3: Setup the Big Green Egg
To get that perfect bite, you need a stable environment. Get your Big Green Egg up to 350°F setup for indirect cooking. I find that 350°F is the “Magic Number” for wings… it’s hot enough to render the chicken fat and crisp the skin, but low enough that the sugars in your Cajun rub won’t burn before the meat is cooked through.
The Setup
- The ConvEGGtor: Drop your ConvEGGtor (Plate Setter) in with the legs up, then place the stainless steel grate on top. This creates the heat shield you need to bake the wings with convection heat rather than searing them over an open flame.
- The “Clean” Smoke: Wait until your smoke transitions from thick white “billowy” smoke to that thin, blue, almost invisible stream. You want the flavor of the charcoal, not the “dirty” taste of a fresh fire.
The Cook
When the temp is stable, place the wings inside. I like to space them out evenly to ensure maximum airflow around each wing as crowding the grate is the enemy of the crunch!
Cook for 25 minutes, then flip the wings. Flipping ensures that the side facing the ConvEGGtor doesn’t get overly browned and allows the heat to hit the underside of the wing just as hard.
Buddha’s Pro-Tip: While you’re flipping the wings, this is the perfect time to check your “hot spots.” Every Egg has one (usually toward the back). Rotate the wings from the back to the front to ensure every piece finishes at the exact same time.
After another 25 minutes (50 minutes total), your wings should be dark, golden-brown, and incredibly crispy. At this stage, the fat under the skin has fully rendered out, and the Cajun rub has formed a beautiful, textured crust. You aren’t just looking for “cooked” chicken; you’re looking for that signature Big Green Egg mahogany color. If you tap the skin with your tongs, it should sound firm and “clink” slightly—that’s how you know you’ve achieved maximum crunch without a deep fryer.
Remove the wings from the Egg and place them in a large, heat-proof bowl.
The Rest Period: Let them sit in the bowl for just 60 seconds before you go in with the sauce. This short “breather” allows the internal juices to stabilize so the wings don’t immediately “steam” and soften that hard-earned crispy skin the moment the sauce hits them.
Once they’ve had a minute to settle, they are ready for their bath in that “out of this world” Merman sauce.
Step 4: Make the Sauce
The “Merman” magic starts with a technique called blooming. To make the sauce, add 2 Tbsp of the Dizzy Pig Bayouish seasoning to a small pan set over medium heat. Do not add oil or butter yet; we are “dry toasting” these spices. As the pan heats up, the essential oils in the paprika, garlic, and peppers will begin to release, filling your kitchen with an incredible aroma.
- Watch for the Change: Stir the spices constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. You are looking for the color to shift from a bright red to a deep, dark brick color.
- The “Blackened” Moment: When the seasoning starts to blacken and smell toasted (but not burnt!), it’s time to remove it immediately and place it in a bowl. This “blackened” stage provides the savory, charred backbone that defines a true Gulf Coast sauce.
Buddha’s Warning: There is a very fine line between “blackened” and “burnt.” Once the spices start to smoke slightly and darken, move fast! If they turn grey or smell bitter, toss them and start over as those 2 tablespoons are the foundation of your flavor.
Constructing the Merman Sauce
Once your spices are toasted and aromatic, it’s time to build the body of the sauce. Add the bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce to the blackened seasoning and mix well. The mustard base of the Carolina Gold combined with the toasted Bayouish seasoning creates a profile that is sweet, tangy, and deeply savory.
Reserve 1/4 of this mixture in a separate small ramekin. This is your “clean” sauce for dipping at the table. By setting it aside now, you ensure you have a pristine, un-contaminated sauce for the final presentation.
Not a fan of Mustard? Try this:
If Carolina Gold isn’t your speed, you can swap it for a 50/50 mix of your favorite Honey BBQ sauce and a standard Buffalo Hot Sauce. This will give you a “Honey-Buffalo” profile that still plays perfectly with the toasted Cajun spices. It’s a bit sweeter and more traditional, but it still packs that Merman punch.
The DIY “Buddha Gold” Sauce
If you want to make your own gold sauce from scratch, whisk these together in a bowl:
- 1 cup Yellow Mustard
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Hot Sauce (like Crystal or Louisiana)
The Buddha Way: Whether you use the bottle or the DIY version, whisk it vigorously with the warm, toasted spices. The residual heat from the pan-toasted seasoning will help the sugars in the mustard sauce “bloom,” making the final glaze much more vibrant.
Step 5: Sauce the Chicken Wings
With your wings crispy and your sauce perfectly bloomed, it’s time to marry the two. Pour 3/4 of the sauce over the wings and toss to coat evenly. Don’t be shy here… use a large metal bowl and give them a vigorous “chef’s toss” or use a rubber spatula to fold the wings through the sauce. You want that blackened Cajun seasoning to mix with the Carolina Gold until every wing is glistening and fully encapsulated in that sticky, sweet, and tangy glaze.
- The Look: The sauce should fill in the “craters” of the crispy skin, creating a beautiful contrast between the dark, toasted spices and the bright, golden mustard base.
- The Sizzle: If your wings are still hot from the Egg, you’ll hear a slight “hiss” as the sauce hits the skin as this is exactly what you want. It means the sauce is slightly reducing and tightening up on the wing immediately.
Why 3/4? We use the majority of the sauce for the initial coating while the wings are hot so it “sticks.” The remaining 1/4 we reserved earlier is for the table. There is nothing worse than a “dry” wing halfway through the basket, and that extra sauce is the perfect insurance policy for dipping.
Pro-Tip: The Optional “Flash Set”
If you have a few minutes of patience left, you can place these sauced wings back on the Big Green Egg for just 3 to 5 minutes. This “sets” the glaze, turning it into a tacky, finger-licking coating that won’t just slide off the wing. It’s the difference between a good wing and a legendary one.
Now, get that Buddha Bite and enjoy these Grilled Merman Wings!
Big Green Egg Cajun Style Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Dizzy Pig Bayouish Seasoning, or your favorite cajun seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Separate the drums from the flats discarding the tips
- Put wings in a bowl and toss with olive oil
- Use 2 Tbsp of the Bayouish rub on the wings to cover and season
- Preheat your Big Green Egg to 350°F setup for indirect grilling
- Once at temp place the wings in and cook for 25 minutes then flip
- While the wings are cooking take the 2 Tbsp remaining of the rub and cook it on the stove top at medium heat for a few minutes until it smokes and the seasoning is black
- Remove the seasoning and mix together with the bottle of Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce, set aside
- Cook the wings another 25 minutes and check to see if they are done
- The wings should look crispy and charred on the outside, if so remove and place in a bowl
- Pour 3/4 of the sauce the sauce over the wings, toss to coat evenly
- Serve with the reserved sauce
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
is there such a thing as SBR Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce?
https://www.target.com/p/sweet-baby-ray-39-s-sweet-golden-mustard-barbeque-sauce-18oz/-/A-50250258?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012510691&CPNG=PLA_Grocery%2BShopping%7CGrocery_Ecomm_Food_Bev&adgroup=SC_Grocery&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9052081&targetid=pla-381376015667&ds_rl=1246978&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfbMuZC7DQUSNmdBiTv1kGYL2&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxbefBhDfARIsAL4XLRoK7L5KgbeyxC8akJnrVtURGPPaExiqHM198s2NzWIRof2aa76p2lMaAvwAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
I love Mullet’s Merman wings! I’m going back home to NY for the weekend, and I’m going to make these. I think we are going to smoke and then fry them! I know you mentioned you were going to try that next! Did you?! Is anything different?
Thanks for the recipe!
I did and they came out amazing. Smoked them at 225° for 2 hours then fried them in the wok at 350°. So good!