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    Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

    Published January 27, 2023. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Follow these easy procedures for the perfect crispy smoked chicken wings recipe that will quickly become a party favorite. You are going to be blown away by the flavors in these wings.

    I love the flavors of smoked BBQ food. It’s one of my favorite things to eat. If you’re similar and want to try out some amazing BBQ sauces on your next smoke, then try my South Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce or Vinegar Based Carolina Sauce.  

    smoked chicken wings with bbq sauce on a plate


     

    Smoked Chicken Wings

    Smoked chicken wings are smoked until cooked throughout while incorporating smoky flavors into the meat. There are many ways to smoke chicken wings, including over an open pit, in a pellet smoker, while using different woods, rubs, and sauces to enhance the flavor.

    For this recipe, I focused on how to pull as much flavor from as many different procedures as possible while ensuring they’re incredibly crispy. The procedures for this are very easy and can easily be customized to your ability and flavor profiles. Be sure to watch the video below.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    ingredients to make smoked chicken wings
    • Chicken Wings – You will need prepared drumette and wingette chicken wings. You can buy them whole and even smoke them whole, but for ease of eating, it’s best to cut them into individual parts.  
    • Rub – any rub will work for this, but I believe my BBQ Rub goes excellent on these.
    • Baking Powder – This will help dry out the skin to ensure it is crispy.

    How to Smoke Chicken Wings

    Prepare the chicken wings by cutting them into parts and placing them in a large bowl.

    trimming chicken wings

    Pat the wings down very well using paper towels until they dry.

    patting dry chicken wings

    Start by mixing your rub with the baking powder until incorporated.

    adding baking powder to a bbq rub

    Pour the rub into the bowl with the chicken wings and mix until coated.

    tossing chicken wings in a bbq rub

    Place the chicken wings about a ½” inch apart from one another on a rack on a sheet tray. Put the chicken wings uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 to 72 hours.

    adding wings to a rack on a sheet tray

    Preheat the smoker to 225°.

    setting a smoker to 225°

    Place the wings onto the grates of the smoker about a ½” inch apart from one another and smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 150°.

    smoking chicken wings

    Once they are done smoking, remove them from the smoker and briefly let them rest for 1 to 2 minutes.

    adding smoked wings to a sheet tray

    How Do You Get Crispy Skin on Smoked Wings?

    There are important procedures to follow to ensure the skin is crispy. Be sure to follow these steps, and then you will have the option to fry them or grill them after they’re done being smoked.

    1. Make sure the wings are very dry with paper towels.
    2. Dry brine them with the baking powder to help draw out moisture and flavor them.
    3. Place them on a rack and air-cool them in the refrigerator for 12 to 72 hours.
    4. Smoke the wings.

    Add the wings in batches to a deep fryer filled with neutral flavored oil at 350° and cook them for 2 minutes or until crispy and when they’ve reached 165° internally.

    deep frying smoked chicken wings

    Cook the wings in batches over a hot grill between 450° to 550° for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly charred and crispy.

    grilling smoked chicken wings

    Add the cooked wings from the fryer or the grill to a large bowl and coat in your favorite bbq sauce or buffalo sauce.

    adding bbq sauce to smoked chicken wings

    Serve them on a plate or platter.

    chicken wings with bbq sauce

    How Long Does It Take to Smoke Chicken Wings?

    The best temperature to smoke the chicken wings at 225°. This allows ample time to infuse those smoky flavors into the chicken. It will take 90 to 120 minutes for the chicken wings to smoke. You will know when they’re done when they reach 165° internally.

    Unfortunately, smoking at these temperatures will not allow the skin to crisp up. If you smoke at higher temperatures, there will be enough time to infuse smoked flavors into the wings. It is best to fry or grill the wings once they are done smoking.

    It is best to dry bring the chicken wings so that the skin is very dry before smoking. This will help ensure crispy skin is achieved. Due to chicken wings smoking so quickly, there is no reason to spritz them.

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep them warm, covered with foil on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in the oven at 200°.

    How to Store: Cover and place them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Add the desired number of wings to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes or until hot and crispy.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    Chef Notes + Tips

    • You can use your favorite rub for this smoked chicken recipe or add additional ingredients such as chili powder, oregano, or anything else you love and want to put. Get creative.
    • Substitute the baking powder for cornstarch.
    • Save the chicken wing tips for chicken stock by freezing them in a plastic bag.

    More Smoked Recipes

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

    5 from 4 votes
    Follow these easy procedures for the perfect crispy smoked chicken wings recipe that will quickly become a party favorite.
    Servings: 6
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Dry Brining Time: 1 day

    Ingredients 

    • 6 pounds chicken wings, cut into parts
    • 1/3 BBQ rub recipe
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder

    Instructions

    • Prepare the chicken wings by cutting them into parts and placing them in a large bowl.
    • Pat the wings down very well using paper towels until they are dry.
    • Start by mixing your rub with the baking powder until incorporated.
    • Pour the rub into the bowl with the chicken wings and mix until coated.
    • Place the chicken wings about a ½” inch apart from one another on a rack on a sheet tray.
    • Put the chicken wings uncovered in the refrigerator for 12 to 72 hours.
    • Preheat the smoker to 225°.
    • Place the wings onto the grates of the smoker about a ½” inch apart from one another and smoke until they reach an internal temperature of 150°.
    • Once they are done smoking, remove them from the smoker and briefly let them rest for 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Add the wings in batches to a deep fryer filled with neutral flavored oil at 350° and cook them for 2 minutes or until crispy and when they’ve reached 165° internally.
    • Or, you can cook the wings in batches over a hot grill between 450° to 550° for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly charred and crispy.
    • Add the cooked wings from the fryer or the grill to a large bowl and coat in your favorite bbq sauce or buffalo sauce.
    • Serve them on a plate or platter.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep them warm, covered with foil on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in the oven at 200°.
    How to Store: Cover and place them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can freeze these covered for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator for one day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Add the desired number of wings to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 6 to 8 minutes or until hot and crispy.
    You can use your favorite rub for this smoked chicken recipe or add additional ingredients such as chili powder, oregano, or anything else you love and want to put. Get creative.
    Substitute the baking powder for cornstarch.
    Save the chicken wing tips for chicken stock by freezing them in a plastic bag.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 555kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 45gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 189mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 604mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 437IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 145mgIron: 4mg
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American