posted October 12, 2021
Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings
Smoked jerk chicken wings are the wings you never knew you needed! Smoky, spicy, and incredibly tender, these finger-licking-good jerk chicken wings will disappear off of your party table FAST!
Jerk Chicken Wings
As we head into prime football watching season, I’m planning to hook you up with the best of the best tailgating recipes and tasty finger foods from here until the final whistle.
One of the first things that come to mind when I think of finger-licking food is chicken wings! Chicken wings are a bit of a BBQ art form. You gotta get them crisp, tender, and full of flavor. This recipe does just that. These wings are so much more than just shaking a bottle of jerk seasoning on wings.
Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings
These smoked jerk chicken wings are seasoned with a perfectly balanced blend of savory spice and cooked low and slow on the smoker to add an amazing depth of flavor. They’re seasoned in an awesome marinade before heading out to the smoker.
The secret ingredient in the marinade is the pickled peppers. Once you combine them with the fresh green onions, ginger, and garlic it creates a beautifully acidic and fresh sauce for the wings that will just blow your mind. The jerk seasoning adds in those vibrant flavors that really marry the whole sauce together. I like to use Caribeque’s Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, but you can sub with your favorite brand! I like to make 3 or 4 different types of wings every time I’m cooking a batch, and these fly off of the tray first every single time.
Quick note: Test your marinade for seasoning before adding it to your raw chicken wings. Each jerk seasoning blend has differing seasonings and amounts of salt included. A quick taste will let you know if you need to add more salt or heat before you get the wings in there.
How to Make Jerk Chicken Wings
These guys are pretty darn easy to make with a major payoff. If you have some time to dedicate to marinating the chicken, then you’ll be set.
- Make the marinade. Scroll below for the marinade recipe. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined. Add water one tablespoon at a time until the marinade is a smooth consistency.
- Marinate the Wings. Place the wings in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or large glass bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag or cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator. Marinate the wings for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Smoke. Preheat the smoker to 200 degrees F. I like using fruitwood with this recipe (cherry or apple are top-notch). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place them directly on the grates. Close the lid, and smoke for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165-170 degrees F. Flip the wings every 30 minutes to ensure they cook evenly.
- Enjoy. These wings are full of flavor and don’t need any additional sauce or seasoning once they come off the grill. I do recommend serving them with something mild and creamy (like ranch or sour cream) to cool the heat a bit.
Go forth and enjoy, BBQ friends!
More Chicken Wings Recipes
Ready to showcase all your awesome chicken wings BBQ skills? Try out these other popular recipes from the site.
Jerk Chicken Wings Recipe
This recipe was one of the first to hit Hey Grill Hey when I began sharing BBQ recipes and knowledge. It was originally published in September 2015. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips, but the recipe remains the same.
Smoked Jerk Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings
Marinade
- 1 cup green onions (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos (more if you like additional spice)
- 1 1-inch knob fresh ginger (peeled)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 Tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Make the marinade. Add all ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor. Process until fully combined. Add water one tablespoon at a time while the blender is on until the marinade reaches a smooth consistency. Test your marinade for seasoning before adding it to your raw chicken wings. Each jerk seasoning blend has differing seasonings and amounts of salt included. A quick taste will let you know if you need to add more salt or heat before you get the wings in there.
- Marinate the chicken wings. Place the chicken wings in a gallon-sized zip-top barg or large glass bowl. Pour the marinade directly over the chicken wings. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat. When you're ready to cook, start up your smoker (or oven) and try to keep the temperature around 200 degrees F.
- Smoke the wings. Once your smoker is up to temperature, place the wings directly on the grill grates or on a metal cooling rack over a cookie sheet. You don't want the wings to cook sitting in their own juices or the skin will be soggy instead of crisp. Shake on some additional jerk seasoning before closing the door, if you like.
- Finish smoking. Flip wings over every 30 minutes. Allow the wings to cook for a total of 1 1/2 hours. The wings will be brown and crispy and the internal temperature should read 165-170 degrees F.
- Serve immediately. Serve with a side of ranch dressing/sour cream/Greek yogurt to cool the heat a little and garnish with additional sliced green onions.
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