How To Smoke Chicken Wings – A Fail-Proof Recipe

One of the most common questions that I receive this time of the year is how to smoke chicken wings in a smoker. And with the Super Bowl right around the corner, I can understand why.

Chicken wings are the most consumed food during a football game day watch party. Whether you head to a restaurant to watch the big game or host your own party at home, chicken wings are sure to be on the table.

And with the availability and popularity of home smokers, the amount of smoked wings being made on game day is increasing each year. Not only are they easy to make but the meat tastes amazing and it literally falls off of the bone.

In fact they have become a crowd favorite among our family and friends. Every time that we host a backyard barbecue, tailgate party or just an impromptu gathering of friends we always get asked if we will be making our famous smoked chicken wings.

And although it does take a little time to for them to be cooked to perfection, it is well worth it!

The Keys To Smoking Chicken Wings

However, there are a few tips that you need to follow that will help them turn out moist and tender on the inside and nice and crisp on the outside.

1. Thawed Chicken Wings

First of all you must start with thawed chicken wings. If your wings are frozen, the smoke will not be able to penetrate through the skin.

Also, if you put the frozen wings in the smoker the cooking times required for the wings to reach a safe temperature will vary widely. 

And because the each frozen wing will thaw at a different rate inside the smoker some wings will get done before others. Therefore you will be spending all of your time checking each individual wing with a digital thermometer and that will take all afternoon.

It just isn’t worth the hassle! Simply make sure that your wings are thawed out or that you purchase fresh wings before getting them ready to head into the smoker.

Dry Rub Ingredients

Whether you choose to brush your wings in your favorite barbecue sauce or not, you will want to add a light dry rub mixture to your wings.

The addition of the seasonings adds great flavor to the skin of your wings and allows them to crisp up beautifully.

The dry rub mixture that is used in this recipe is our standard, go-to dry rub that I use for various recipes. In fact, I typically quadruple the ingredients and store the remainder in a sealed mason jar.

That way it is ready to use at a moment’s notice. I use it not only on our wings, but also when I cook whole chickens and I even sprinkle the rub on our Instant Pot Chicken Legs as well.

However, if you already have a favorite dry rub, such as Applewood Smoked Dry Rub, feel free to use that instead.

The flavor of the dry rub is totally based on your taste preference.

What Type of Wood Chips To Use When Smoking Chicken Wings

Now that you know what type of dry rub to use, the next decision comes when you are deciding what type of wood chips to use to smoke your chicken wings.

You can purchase a variety of wood chips at your local hardware store or wholesale club. And during the grilling season, you can often find them also at your local grocery store.

Hickory, Mesquite and Apple wood are the most common varieties that you will find. I like them all, however I prefer to smoke our chicken wings with hickory chips.

They provide a deep smoky flavor that compliments the tender chicken wings perfectly. Although you can also use apple or pecan wood if you are looking for a milder, smoked flavor.

To Soak or Not To Soak

Beyond popular belief, when it comes to putting the wood chips in the smoker you don’t have to soak them in water before adding them to the heat.

The purpose behind soaking the wood chips is to allow them to smolder for longer periods of time. However, soaked chips will steam but will take longer to smoke initially because they are wet.

This is important point to consider because your wings require a relatively short cooking time as compared to larger items like a Smoked Brisket.

Therefore, in order to get the wood chips smoking quickly, you will not need to soak them. However, if you like a little less smoky flavor, feel free to do so.

But the choice is really up to you. Either way, the addition of the wood chips will allow enough smoke to be released to make your smoked wings delicious!

When To Add The Barbecue Sauce To Your Smoked Chicken Wings

Many people prefer to eat smoked wings without wing sauce. Smoked wings have so much flavor and really don’t need anything else to make them mouth watering delicious.

However, there are some people that prefer that their wings are drenched in their favorite sauce before eating them. And that is okay too, but adding wing sauce is a little different when making smoked wings.

Brush NOT Toss

Fried chicken wings are thrown into a large bowl after they have been cooked and tossed with the barbecue sauce. However, because smoked wings literally fall apart when you cook them in the smoker, it is best to brush the barbecue sauce on the wings using a pastry brush.

The addition of the sauce should be completed about 20-30 minutes before the cooking time expires. This is the time when you are going to crank up the heat to crisp up the skin.

The caramelization of the sauce will adhere perfectly to the wings and will leave you with great flavor, without all of the mess of eating traditional wings tossed in sauce. Now that is a win-win situation!

What To Serve With Smoked Chicken Wings

So now that you have the star of the show, it is time to determine what side dishes that you will serve with your smoked chicken wings?

Just like any barbecue restaurant, we love to serve the following side dishes with our wings:

• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

• Coleslaw

• Dill Pickle Potato Salad

• Seasoned Potato Wedges

And if you are looking for other popular recipes to serve at your game day watch party, be sure to check out my list of the most popular Super Bowl Party Food Recipes.

Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 pounds chicken wings, thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Dry Rub Ingredients

• 1 TBSP. chili powder
• 1 TBSP. sweet smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

If you are wanting less of a smoky flavor, soak your wood chips. Do this by placing approximately 3 cups of wood chips in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit for at least one hour prior to smoking your wings.

However, you do not need to soak the wood chips at all. In fact, I prefer to add dry wood chips to the smoker when making wings.

Rinse the wings with water and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid. Then let them air dry for at least 10 minutes.

Place wings in a large bowl and rub olive oil evenly over each piece. In a small bowl combine the dry rub ingredients.

Sprinkle half of the season mix onto the chicken wings. Flip wings and sprinkle remaining half onto wings.

Let the dry rub sit on the wings for at least 30 minutes. Then when you are ready to put them in the smoker preheat the smoker to 250°F.

Place the seasoned chicken wings on the racks, placing the largest pieces (usually the legs) closest to the heat source. Add wood chips to the box/tray on your smoker.

Smoking Time Required

Smoke the chicken wings for 45-60 minutes. Flip the wings and add more chips if desired.

Smoke an additional 30 minutes. Then check the internal temperature of wings and once they reach 155°F increase temperature to 375°F.

The increase in temperature will allow the wings to crisp the outer edges. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes.

If desired, brush barbecue sauce on each side of the wings before increasing the temperature to allow the sauce to set and caramelize on the skin.

Remove the wings from the heat and cover until ready to serve. Serve warm with your favorite wing or dipping sauce.

Enjoy! Mary

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