Smoked Chicken Wings

There are more ways to prepare chicken wings than I have fingers. They can be fried, baked, or grilled, and covered in hot sauce, BBQ sauce, or white sauce. My favorite is with only a few spices and the ultimate addition: smoke.

Why Smoked Wings Are the Best

Chicken wings’ dark meat can withstand a lot of heat—they become most tender cooked for an extended time over low heat in the smoker or on the grill with smoke. This allows the collagen in the meat to slowly melt. And while the low heat works magic on the meat, the skin gets a perfect crisp when the wings are finished over high heat.

Some recipes apply baking powder on the wings and refrigerate them overnight, uncovered. It’s a great way to get crisp wings. However, since these are smoked low and slow, they only need a good pat-down with paper towels and a light coat of olive oil.

When smoking wings, I stick to a simple dry rub. If I want a sauce, I dip the cooked wings into them right before serving.

How to Prepare Your Chicken Wings

Chicken wings can be smoked whole, but I prefer to break them down into drums and flats. It allows me to eat with one hand—the smaller portion is easier to handle—and hold my beer glass with the other hand. To accomplish this, I do the heavy lifting during prep. 

A sturdy pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife makes the process a breeze. There is a joint at the point where the drum and the flat meets. Snip right through it—you won’t need much force. I remove the wingtips and add them into a freezer bag for my next batch of chicken stock. 

The Best Wood for Smoking Chicken Wings

While the wings cook, smoke bathes them in sweet bitterness. It also paints the wings a beautiful mahogany. You will taste these with your mouth and your eyes.

I prefer sweet woods, like apple or cherry wood, which is what I call for in this recipe. Chicken also goes well with pecan and hickory wood. Experiment and use the one you like, or even use a combination of woods. Grilling wood chips and chunks are readily available at most grocery and big box stores.

A Smoker or a Grill, Both Work! 

Whether you have a water pan, pellet grill, or kamado, a smoker will undoubtedly make the process easier. A smoker provides a large cook surface and is great at maintaining low heat, whether through insulation or electronics. It is incredibly convenient and rewarding; however, you do not need a dedicated smoker to smoke wings.

If using a gas grill, turn on one or two burners, depending on the size of the grill. You’ll get indirect low heat over the burners that are kept off. Create smoke with a dedicated smokebox that sits directly over a lit burner. A makeshift aluminum foil pouch pierced with holes and stuffed with wood chips is an easy alternative.

On a charcoal grill, indirect low heat is obtained by pushing unlit coals to one side. To do this, light some coals and place the lit coals on top of unlit coals. Low heat is maintained as the lit coal slowly heats downwards towards the fresh coals. Chunks of wood, added to the lit coals, provide waves of smoke.

How Long to Smoke the Chicken Wings

Smoke the wings for 1 hour over indirect low heat, 225ºF to 275ºF—this means the wings are place over the unlit burners or the side without lit coals. Then, ramp up the heat to medium-high, 400ºF to 425ºF—the wings get moved over to the side with the lit burners or coals. There, they cook for 15 more minutes.

What to Serve with Smoked Chicken Wings

Classic celery sticks and blue cheese dressing works, but since the grill is already on, why not pop some vegetables on it. English peas, corn, asparagus, or romaine lettuce—with the blue cheese dressing drizzled on top—are all great choices. 

Just Wing It! 

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