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Grab some ranch dressing and prepare to get those fingers covered in delicious wing sauce because we are preparing some crazy good smoked chicken wings. Ditch the fatty frying oil and grab some wood, let's roll some smoke!
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Video - Step by step
Smoking chicken wings?
Yes Oh YES, this IS the way to make chicken wings. Cranking up the temp gives these a nice crispy crunch along with that nice smoke flavor that excites your taste buds. Either leave em' naked or brush with your favorite wing sauce, you won't be disappointed.
Choose the right chicken
There are going to be several options when buying chicken wings at the store. You will either have a package of:
- Wingettes (flat) only
- Drumettes only (small ones, not big drum sticks)
- Wingette & drumette (already separated)
- Wingette & drumette (together, not separated)
I bought the flat & drumette together which I like to cut apart before cooking. You can leave them together, but you don't get the traditional wing experience that way!
Separating wing from drumstick
Don't worry, separating these is extremely easy and all you need is a pair of scissors or poultry shears. First cut off the tip which has almost no meat and I don't bother smoking, then separating the flat from the drumette at the joint.
Once you separate these, rinse the chicken with cold fresh water and then pat dry with paper towels. Make sure to get the chicken as dry as possible, this will help the skin crisp up when smoked.
Choosing a smoker or grill
Let's start by choosing a smoker or barbecue grill for making these delicious chicken wings.
These smokers and grills will churn out nice crisp wingettes and drummets, you really can't go wrong with either method you choose to use.
Pellet Smokers
I'm smoking this chicken on my wood pellet grill, just like the Camp Chef 36 smoker or Traeger 780. Wood pellet smokers are an easy and great way to impart fantastic smoke flavor and are extremely easy to use.
They operate on wood pellets and hold a very steady temperature just like an oven. No worrying about temp spikes or dips with one of these bad boys.
Offset Smokers
A traditional offset smoker is another great smoker to use. These can get very hot (which is great for cooking chicken) and are normally less expensive than a pellet smoker.
A traditional offset smoker, like this Oklahoma Joe's Smoker is a great option to use. Though it takes a little more attention than a pellet smoker, this produces amazing flavored meat.
BBQ Grills
Using a charcoal grill or propane grill are also great ways to cook chicken. These are another great option when needing to achieve a very high heat and most people already own one in most cases.
I'm a Weber fan and love grilling over charcoal on the Weber Kettle grills. These are very inexpensive and are great for cooking all types of meats, especially chicken.
Best wood to use
My favorite type of wood to use when it comes to chicken is hickory, pecan, mesquite, and fruit woods such as apple & cherry. Using competition or trophy blend pellets are also a great choice when smoking chicken.
Chicken wings Recipe - Seasoning
Salt and pepper the chicken liberally on both sides. You can also do more of a dry rub by sprinkling on a little garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika giving it another depth of flavor.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Wing Sauce
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
Were going to make these smoked chicken wings just like we smoked our spatchcock chicken, low and then really HOT!
Smoker Temperature
Pre-heat the smoker to 200°F, place your chicken flats and drumettes directly on the smoker rack / grate and smoke for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the grill and place back on a tray while you increase the temperature to 425°F.
If using a barbecue grill, skip the 30 minutes at 200 degrees F and heat the grill to 425° - 475°F before putting on the chicken. You won't achieve that nice smoky flavor when using a grill, but the wings will still turn out tasting fantastic!
You can leave the chicken on the smoker while increasing the temperature, but the skin won't be as crisp as it would if you remove it while heating. Once it hits 425°F, throw that chicken back on the grill for another 10-15 minutes until an internal temperature of 170-180°F is reached.
Hint: Use a instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature. It is safe to eat at 165°F, but chicken wings can handle a little more heat and are great a little warmer than the safe temp.
Wing sauce / BBQ sauce
If you like your wings like I do, with wing sauce, the best time to add this is about 5 minutes before the chicken is finished cooking. Simply brush on some wing sauce or barbecue sauce about 5 minutes after placing the chicken back on the smoker and let it bake on.
Like more of a messy wing? You can always dip your chicken wings in warm wing sauce or toss to coat after you have finished cooking them. This will give it a more saucy and sticky feel. It's up to you!
Serving chicken wings
There are a couple must have sides when it comes to serving chicken wings. these include:
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Ranch dressing
- Blue Cheese dressing
- Extra wing sauce
- Ice cold beer!
FAQ
Chicken itself is low in fat, but most chicken wings have skin which is higher in fat. These are not a 'healthy' food, especially when dipped in dressing. They are very TASTY though!
Not that I have found. I have tried this and can not tell any difference in the skin when using corn starch vs. omitting it.
Yes you can, but the skin will be rubbery and NOT crispy. If you want more smoke flavor and don't care about the skin, simply smoke at 200-225°F until an internal temperature of 170°F is reached.
Old pro tips
- Buying chicken wings in one piece instead of already separated into drumettes and flats will be cheaper
- Watching calories? Remove the skin for a healthier chicken wing
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature
Try smoking these dishes too
Ingredients
- 5 lbs chicken wings (wings & drum sticks)
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ½ cup wing sauce (Optional)
Instructions
- Rinse chicken wings with cold water and dry thoroughly. If flats and drumettes are still one piece, cut with kitchen shears at the joints and discard the tip.
- Salt and pepper both sides of wings and pre-heat smoker to 200°F. Once pre-heated, place chicken directly on smoker rack and smoke for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove chicken from smoker and place on tray while increasing the smoker temperature to 425°F. Once heated, place chicken back on smoker and cook until an IT of 170-180°F. If applying wing sauce, brush sauce on the chicken 5 minutes after putting them back on the smoker. Then continue to cook until reaching an IT of 170-180°F.
- Remove and allow to cool. Serve with ranch dressing and celery sticks.
Pro Tips
- Buying chicken wings in one piece instead of already separated into drumettes and flats will be cheaper
- Watching calories? Remove the skin for a healthier chicken wing
- Use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature
KJ
Phenomenal recipe!
Kayla DiMaggio
These crispy smoked chicken wings hit the spot!
Jen
I also paired it with rice and never fails! Easy and great recipe.