Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
On January 27, 2020 (Updated September 27, 2024)
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If you’re in the mood for smoked chicken wings, why not make the best crispy smoked chicken wings ever? These wings combine the best of both worlds. You get all of that tasty smokehouse flavor but with extra delicious crispy skin!
Smoked Chicken Wings
I consider myself a connoisseur of smoked chicken wings, and the point of perfection has got to be how to achieve tender and juicy meat while getting that crispy crunchy skin on the outside. There are several methods I’ve tried and each produce the desired effect with a different cooking process.
I’ve cooked wings that require a drying time in the fridge and others that are smoked and then flash fried. Both give me crispy skin, but the first method takes a bit of planning ahead and deep frying can be quite messy. The smoked chicken wing recipe I’m showing you today is by far the easiest of the bunch in terms of prep time, and it requires the least steps. And the final result is awesome: you get the perfect doneness inside and mega crispy skin outside.
How to Smoke Chicken Wings
Scroll below for my full, printable recipe card on how to smoke chicken wings, then check out these tips below to help you make the best crispy smoked chicken wings ever:
- Start with super dry chicken wings. Pat down the chicken wings with paper towels to get all moisture off of the skin. You want these nice and dry.
- Toss the wings in baking power and salt. Please note, you need to use baking powder, NOT baking soda. The baking powder helps remove all the moisture from the skin of the wings so they can crisp.
- Smoke your wings at a lower temperature to start. You can really use any wood you like with wings. This step helps render the fat from under the skin, add in loads of smoky flavor, and dry out the skin.
- After smoking you will need to increase the heat to really crisp that skin. If you’re using a pellet smoker, you can simply turn up the temperature. If your smoker can’t jump up in temp quickly, your best bet may be to move the wings to a preheated oven. Place the wings on an elevated cooking rack above a baking sheet to catch drippings if you’re finishing these in the oven.
- Toss in your favorite sauce or serve plain. If you do decide to sauce, simply toss the wings in sauce that has been heated through to avoid cold sauce softening the crispy skin.
How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings
It takes less than a hour to smoke chicken wings with your smoker running at a consistent temperature. For this recipe, smoke the chicken wings for 30 minutes at 250 degrees F. Next, increase the heat to 425 degrees F until the wings reach 175 degrees F internal temperature.
Make sure to use a thermometer to check for doneness (this is my favorite instant read thermometer). Wings are actually best cooked to 175 degrees F, instead of the usually recommended 165 degrees F for chicken. The higher temperature breaks down some of the tight connective tissues in wings and makes them fall-off-the-bone tender. Plus, the wings are fatty enough to stay nice and juicy.
Best Sauce for Smoked Chicken Wings
I always recommend using flavors and sauces you like best, so when it comes to saucing up these wings, you can’t go wrong with anything you choose.
I’m a big fan of Buffalo sauce on my wings. To make awesome Buffalo sauce for wings, simply heat 1 cup of Buffalo sauce and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Warm the sauce and butter over medium heat and stir until combined. Don’t bring the sauce to a boil or the butter will separate from the sauce. If you like BBQ sauce on your wings, you’ve got to give my Apple Jalapeno BBQ Sauce a try!
More Smoked Chicken Wings Recipes
Looking for even more delicious smoked chicken wings recipes? You’ve come to the right place! Hey Grill Hey LOVES making chicken wings, and we have quite the variety to please any palate. Check out these smoked chicken wings recipes below for more wing goodness:
Smoked Then Fried Chicken Wings
Honey Heat Smoked Chicken Wings
Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings
Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe
Follow the recipe, and I’ll teach you the simple steps to making your own smoked chicken wings at home. Hey Grill Hey is dedicated to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. You can find more of my smoking and grilling recipes and videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.
Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
Video
Equipment
- 1 Smoker I highly recommend this pellet grill!
Ingredients
- 5 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Dry your chicken wings thoroughly on all sides with a paper towel. Place them in a zip top bag.
- Add the baking powder and salt to the wings, close the bag, and toss to coat evenly.
- Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F using your favorite wood. Place the wings directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 30 minutes.
- Increase the heat in your smoker to 425 degrees until the internal temperature of the wing reads 175 degrees F. You can rotate or flip the wings as needed to maintain even cooking and avoid any hot spots on the grill.
- Remove the wing from the grill and serve. You can serve plain, toss in your favorite BBQ seasoning, or hot sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published January 2019. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Sounds delish… Any further suggestions when using an electric smoker?
Do I remove the wood chips before turning the temp up to 425?
You can if you want! You’ll have plenty of smoke flavor by then.
I’m looking forward to making these this weekend! Should I plan to smoke these with an indirect heat method and keep the wings on a cool side or have the heat on the perimeter and wings in the center. I’m using a kettle-style grill, and not a real smoker.
Thanks!
Use an indirect method for sure.
I hosted a group of 15 young men at my house and used this recipe. I cooked over 50 wings and could have cooked more!! Several people commented on the fact that these were the best wings they had ever had!
Heck yes! That’s what I like to hear!
Some people, I understand about 20%, find the taste of baking powder very off putting, with a strong metallic taste. This is due to the aluminum sulfate. Aluminum free baking powder is readily available. I can tell no difference, except the metallic taste is gone.
425 degrees for 45 minutes to finish seems like a long time at that temp. Is that really the time and temp needed? Don’t they dry out or burn?
It works just fine for me. You could adjust it a bit depending on your preferred doneness though!
So I followed this recipe and checked out of an abundance of caution at 38 minutes in, and nearly all of the wings were at 205ish degrees with charred, burnt, black skin. I bet they were probably done closer to 20-25 minutes at 425.
I had to adjust the cooking time. I smoked ours at 250 for 30 min then set the temp up to 450 for about 20 min and they were done. Since we have an adjustment to keep our smoker on a low setting i turned it back down to rest.
Agreed. 45 mins at 450 was way too long for me. Charred the wings. Really like 15-20 mins would be fine I think, depending on how quick the smoker jumps temp.
Made these today. I hate rubbery and saucy wings. Slight variation but mostly the same. We added dry rub to the baking powder. 1/2 Cajun and 1/2 garlic parm. They were great and very crispy. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Susie – I want to use a dry rub instead of a wet. Should I add that when I do the baking powder? Or after they are done smoking?
I’d do it before before you smoke them. Add your rub with the baking powder.
Unbelievable. Never have I had such a delicacy. Tossed them in a Savory, Honey, Garlic Sauce. Thanks for the recipe! I also joined the Grill Squad yesterday, love your Hey, Fit Grill ebook!
Thank you so much! Enjoy that GS membership!
Hey, I am going to try this recipe and I am curious if I should remove the skin from the wings?
Leave the skin on!
Can they go straight on the grill of you don’t have a wing rack?
Yes they can!
I just did them today right on the grill. No issues at all. Delicious!
using a pit boss vertical smoker, would cooking and time and temperature vary???
Nope! It should be the same either way!
These sound so yummy! My family is hooked on the sauce recipe that goes on top of your “jacked up” smoked meatloaf, so needless to say… I’ll be tossing the wings in that sauce. My daughter and husband could put that sauce on everything!
Hey Kaycee! Using the whiskey sauce from the meatloaf sounds like an amazing wing sauce! Hope it is awesome on the wings too.