These crispy smoked chicken wings are so simple. Smoking chicken wings adds so much flavor and can be done in a smoker or on your grill. And finishing them on the grill makes them extra crispy!
You won't believe how good these simple chicken wings are. The flavor comes from the smoke and the crispiness comes from the grill.
The smokiness infuses through the crispy skin and the meat, and the wings stay juicy inside. It's a little bit of a process, but the results are well worth it.
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HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED
The ingredient list for this wings recipe is short and simple. There really is no prep work needed.
- One dozen large chicken wings or as many as you can fit on your smoking rack. Just make sure that you can fit all your wings in a single layer, so they cook evenly
- Your choice of dipping sauce − you can also serve the chicken wings as they are, and they will still be delicious perfection. However, the smoky flavor will complement just about any sauce
- Lime wedges for garnish − you can use the limes to squeeze over the wings
HOW TO MAKE THEM
The chicken wings don't really need any preparation before they go in the smoker.
Just pat them dry and place them on the smoking rack in a single layer. Make sure they're not touching so the smoke can circulate all the way around them.
You can add a dry rub if you like, but that's purely optional (be sure to use a dry rub with no sugar in it so it doesn't burn).
Some spices to consider are oregano, smoked paprika, ground mustard, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Or try a homemade chili powder blend.
SMOKE THE WINGS
We smoke the chicken wings in our electric smoker
. The wings smoke for about an hour, just until they get that golden brown smoky color and the skin is shiny.
Don't smoke them beyond this point or they will start to dry out.
GRILL THE WINGS
Then just put them on the grill over medium heat for a few minutes to crisp up and cook through before serving.
If you don't have a smoker, you can also smoke the wings on the grill. Add a pan of wood chips and smoke the wings over indirect heat on a gas or charcoal grill.
The internal temperature of your smoked chicken wings should be 165° Fahrenheit on an instant-read meat thermometer.
HOW TO SERVE THEM
Serve the wings with lime wedges and some fresh cilantro or parsley. These crispy smoked chicken wings are great on their own or with your favorite wing sauce.
If you like sauce, you can serve a delicious sauce on the side, or you can toss your chicken wings in the sauce before serving them.
- Try a sugar-free BBQ sauce that is paleo and keto friendly
- For something with more spice, blend some Sriracha with butter, lime zest, and cilantro for a spicy accompaniment
- Or for smoky take on Buffalo wings, stir together hot sauce and melted ghee to make a quick Buffalo sauce
If you are looking for an easy side to go with your chicken wings, try this 4-ingredient coleslaw recipe that just takes minutes to make
Any fruit wood, especially apple or cherry wood, is great for smoking chicken wings. The wood burns sweet and adds a touch of smokey flavor to your meat. For a more intense flavor, you can use mesquite or oak.
When smoking your chicken wings, you want to keep the heat fairly low. After an hour, you can raise the temperature to around 350-degrees for approximately five minutes to crisp the chicken skin. If the smoker or grill is too hot, it can result in overcooked portions of chicken.
When smoking chicken wings, you don't have to flip them. However, you can flip them at the very end if you add sauce to them. That way, you can achieve some char.
Rubbery chicken results from the slow cooking process of the fat and moisture in the chicken. To avoid this, don't baste the chicken, don't wet brine, don't wrap the chicken in foil, and don't let the chicken just sit in a pan. Keep the temperature between 250 and 275-degrees Fahrenheit for a crispy chicken wing.
For extra crispy skin, baking powder helps remove all moisture so that they can crisp up better.
Yes. Preheat your air fryer to 375°. Place the smoked wings in the air fryer basket leaving space between them. Cook for 5-7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
More simple smoked or grilled recipes
- Easy Smoked Shrimp Recipe
- Smoked Maple Butternut Squash
- Roasted Garlic on the Grill
- Easy Grilled Romaine Salad With Bacon And Ranch Dressing
Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 dozen large chicken wings or as many as you can fit in a single layer on your smoking rack
- dipping sauce of choice
Instructions
- Place chicken wings on smoker rack in a single layer and smoke until skin is golden brown and shiny, about 1 hour. Turn the wings once halfway through smoking.
- Grill wings over medium heat until crisp and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
- Garnish with lime wedges and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
joannabanana21
these were amazing! i used cherry wood and smoked them for almost 3 hours. it was really cold out today so it was hard keeping the smoker temp high enough. definitely the best chicken wings i've had. they were so most and the smokey flavor was outstanding.
Lisa
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed them!:)
Madison @ Keto Diet
It's mouth watering to see this dish. Another fantastic recipe, Thanks for all the effort to share this!
Kristi
what temp on the smoker?
Lisa
Hi Kristi, the smoker should be about 250 degrees. After you finish the wings on the grill, the internal temperature of the chicken wings should be 165 degrees (safe temp for poultry).