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Grab some ranch dressing and prepare to get those fingers covered in delicious wing sauce because we are smoking up some crazy good 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 dry with paper towels. Make sure to get the chicken as dry as possible, this will help the skin crisp up when smoked.
Smoking chicken wings
Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides and pre-heat your smoker to 200°F. I used my pellet smoker with a competition blend pellet. A traditional offset smoker with a hickory or apple wood would work great as well.
Were going to make these smoked chicken wings just like we smoked our spatchcock chicken, low and then really HOT!
Smoker Temperature
Once the smoker has leveled off at 200°F, place your chicken flats and drumettes directly on the smoker rack 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.
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.
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
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 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 warm wing sauce 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
Nutrition
These crispy smoked chicken wings hit the spot!
I also paired it with rice and never fails! Easy and great recipe.