Smoked Chicken Wings - Low & Slow Style
Smoked Chicken Wings - Low & Slow Style
Overview: How to Smoke Chicken Wings
- Pat dry the wings
- Combine spices to form a rub
- Toss it up
- Pre-Heat the smoker
- Let it smoke
- Turn up the heat
- Serve it saucy or plain
Today, the star of my blog is a perennial favorite, the one with tender and juicy meat on the inside and crisp, golden skin on the outside. Yup, you got that right….
It’s SMOKED CHICKEN WINGS!
LOVE. WINGS. Fried, grilled or baked, tossed in sauce, served with a dip or just plain, if it’s a wing, it’s got to be my favorite thing! This obsession of mine reached a new peak very recently when I tried my hand at making the most lip-smacking, mouth-watering, belly-pleasing Smoked Chicken Wings. So, if you’re in the mood to do some smoking, you’ve come to the right place.
Let me break down the smoking process for you here, so that you and your loved ones can devour this flavorsome beauty from the comfort of your home.
1. Tools You'll Need
A sharp knife
If you choose to buy your wings whole, you are going to need a sharp knife with a tapered and pointed tip to separate the drumettes and wings. A sturdy chef’s knife should work just fine for this purpose. Dalstrong’s 10” chef’s knife from the Gladiator Series is my personal recommendation. However, if the blade of this knife is too big, you can also use a sharp boning knife or even a paring knife. These knives cut around tough areas like the bone with great ease and precision.
An apron
It’s not that making smoked chicken wings is a super messy process, but better safe than sorry, right? Keep an apron around to make sure your clothes are rub-free and smoker-safe.
A cutting board
If you’re one of those who buy whole wings, this is a must! Make sure you have a big and stable cutting board to place the wings and separate them without getting the chicken all over your kitchen counter.
A large bowl
You’re going to need this to toss your wings. If you don’t have a bowl that is large enough, you can also use a plastic bag.
A smoker
Let’s not forget about the main tool for this process, a smoker. Ensure your smoker has been cleaned and prepped perfectly before you pop in those wings.
Wood pellets
If you have a traditional smoked, you are going to need wood pellets. These last longer, burn hotter, and smoke more evenly than wood chips.
All right then! Now that you have all the tools set up, let’s get smoking!
2. Smoking Instructions
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Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe |
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Prep Time 10 mins |
Cook Time 2 hours |
Total Time 2 hours 10 mins |
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Ingredients |
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Wings: |
6 LBS Chicken Wings |
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Rub: |
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Steps to Smoke Chicken Wings |
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Step 1: |
The real key to crispy, smoked chicken wings is making sure that the skin is totally dry. Pat the wings dry with paper towels and leave them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. |
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Step 2: |
Add all the ingredients required to make a rub in a small bowl and mix it up. I suggest you combine the spices with a whisk and use your hands to break down any small clumps. |
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Step 3: |
Place the wings, olive oil and rub in a large bowl or plastic and toss it up, making sure each wing is nicely coated in a layer of this mix. Let the wings rest for at least an hour. |
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Step 4: |
Before you place the wings in the smoker, remember to heat it up. Heat the smoker to a temperature between 225-250F. If you don’t have a smoker, you can also use a grill. Once heated up, add wood to the coals. |
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Step 5: |
Once preheated, add the wings to the smoker over indirect heat. To achieve this, push the coals to one side and the wings on the other, making sure it is not directly placed over the coal. Now smoke the wings for 2 to 2 ½ hours, maintaining constant smoke for at least 1 ½ hours. When done, the chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 F and will be full of smoke flavor. |
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Step 6: |
Your juicy and tender wings are almost ready. Now it’s time to get that beautiful crisp. To do this, place the wings on direct heat (the grill or coal) for 2-3 minutes. This is enough time for your wings to get that gorgeous color and a nice crisp. |
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Step 7: |
Remove from heat and let the wings rest for up to 10 minutes. This will give the meat time to reabsorb its juices and remain tender. Plate the wings and serve it slathered in sauce, with a dip on the side or enjoy them just the way they are. |
3. Best Smoking Methods for Chicken Wings
While traditional chicken wings are deep-fried in oil to get the perfect tenderness on the inside and crunch on the outside, smoking chicken wings is a much healthier option.
Smoking is a simple yet satisfying process where the marinated wings are placed in a smoker over indirect heat for at least 2 hours until the meat inside is fall-off-the-bone tender and the skin outside is golden.
If you’re smoking chicken wings for the first time, let me take you through the different smoking methods that are available for your to choose from.
Method 1: Wood Smoker
This is the most common type of smoker and usually the preferred choice among seasoned chefs because of their superior flavor profile. Wood smokers are designed to cook food by using the heat that is generated by burning wood and/or charcoal. All you have to do is place the wood and/or charcoal in the smoker’s fuel compartment, wait for it to reach an appropriate temperature, and then add your meats or veggies to the cooking grate.
While these smokers are very similar to charcoal grills, one characteristic that sets them apart is the offset fuel compartment or firebox. This is mostly located inside the smoker, allowing you to cook food at a lower temperature than grilling. With charcoal grills, the food is exposed to more direct heat, making it difficult to achieve a low temperature, which is a must when smoking meat.
Benefits of using a Wood Smoker:
- Compared to electric smokers, these provide a richer smoky flavor.
- These are mobile and can be used anywhere, like on your patio, lawn, or outdoor living space. Electric smokers require a corded connection.
- These smokers are more affordable than electric smokers. This makes it the perfect buy for someone who is on a budget.
Method 2: Electric Smoker
These smokers are designed to produce heat using an electrically powered heating element and here is how it works. When the smoker is turned on, electricity travels through the heating element until the interior of the smoker reaches the desired temperature. In electric smokers, this temperature is controlled through a digital interface where you can increase or decrease the temperature.
Although these smokers are powered by electricity, they also support the use of wood. Every electric smoker comes with a compartment or tray where you can place the wood chunks to produce a thick, flavorful smoke to give your wings the perfect smoky flavor.
Benefits of using an Electric Smoker:
- The greatest benefit of using an electric smoker is the ease at which you can control the temperature. The digital interface makes this very simple.
- Electric smokers have at least 5 or more cooking racks, making it easier to accommodate more food than wood smokers, which come with a single cooking grate.
Method 3: Makeshift Smoker
No smoker? No problem! Not everyone has a smoker, but everyone deserves delicious and flavorful smoked chicken wings. Here are a few things you can do to give your regular grilled wings a smoky flavor:
- You are going to need a disposable loaf pan to make this makeshift smoker box.
- Another important element to this is wood chips. Be sure to pick up the right now as wood chips are different from wood pellets. You can pick these up from any home improvement store.
- Next, soak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes or longer.
- Turn on the grill and light up only 1 burner. Set it to about 300 degrees.
- Add the soaked wood chips to the loaf pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Cut 15 small slits in the foil with a knife to allow the smoke to escape and penetrate the wings.
- Place this pan over the single-lit burner.
- Add the chicken wings to the grates where the burners are not lit. Remember, chicken wings require indirect heat, and placing them on the lit burner will result in burnt and dried-out wings.
- Let the wings cook for 2 - 2 ½ hours or until the internal temperature of the wings reaches 165 F.
4. Best Wood for Smoking Chicken Wings
Back in the day, life was simple. If you wanted to set up a BBQ or smoke some meat all you had to do was set up some logs and you were good to go. But today, the choices of wood and its form can get very overwhelming. Before you can even decide which of the dozens of varieties of wood to use, you need to first pick from wood chunks, chips, pellets, discs, and whole logs.
While you can choose to burn just about any kind of wood to smoke your food, when it comes to smoking meat, there are recommendations for meat/wood combinations.
HardwoodThis is recommended for heavier meats like beef and pork
Lighter hardwoodThis is recommended for delicate meats like chicken and fish
SoftwoodUsing this wood is a complete NO-NO as the wood can be too resinous and can ruin the meat.
Personally, I love the flavor cherry or applewood chunks give me. These are readily available and add sweetness to the meat. You can also take a look at this list of other woods you can use to smoke your chicken wings.
Fruitwood
You can opt for apple, cherry, or maple wood if you want a wood that burns sweet and gives the wings a mellow touch of the smoke flavor.
Hickory
This wood has a sweet, savory, hearty, and slightly balcony flavor. However, be careful while working with this wood as too much of this can cause your meat to have a bitter flavor.
Mesquite
When used in smaller quantities, this wood is packed with intense flavor. It is recommended for grilling and is famous for its strong and unique taste.
Oak
This is the go-to wood for smoking meat and if a great wood to start with is you’re a newbie to smoking. This wood will give your meat a medium to strong flavor. Use this wood in small quantities otherwise, the taste can get overpowering.
5. Alternate Recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings
At the beginning of this blog, we spoke about how you can prepare your chicken wings with a delicious dry rub and smoky flavor. Now, let’s talk about an alternate recipe that is not only delicious but will make all the smoking effort worthwhile.
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Bourbon BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings |
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Prep Time 15 mins |
Cook Time 2 hours 45 mins |
Total Time 3 hours |
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Ingredients |
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Wings: |
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Bourbon BBQ Sauce: |
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Instructions |
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Bourbon BBQ Sauce |
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Smoked Chicken Wings |
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6. Serving Ideas
The beauty of smoked chicken wings lies in the fact that you can enjoy them just the way they are or pair them up with your favorite sauce, dip, or seasoning.
One of my preferred choice of dip with any kind of chicken wings is a delicious Buttermilk and Her dipping sauce.
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Buttermilk and Her Dipping Sauce |
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Ingredients |
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Instructions |
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Another ALL-TIME CLASSIC partner for your smoked chicken wings is some traditional hot sauce, buffalo style. I use Frank’s Red Hot sauce, but you can choose the one you like.
Here’s what you need to do for this:
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Hot Sauce |
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Ingredients |
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Instructions |
Tip: Do not make the mistake of melting the butter at high heat. If you do this and then add the hot sauce, you will be left with an oily sauce where the hot sauce separates from the butter and doesn’t stick to the chicken. |
If you want quick options, you can also try dipping the smoked chicken wings in:
- Blue cheese
- Ranch dressing
- Honey Mustard sauce
- Garlic Parmesan sauce
Other than these sauces, there are a bunch of sides also that pair beautifully with the smoked chicken wings, making it a complete meal.
I really enjoy a quick and easy grilled corn on the cob. The soft and buttery flavor of the corn goes very well with flavorful wings, without leaving an overpowering taste. You can also whip up a quick salad with some macaroni, ham, and cubes of vegetables to accompany your wings.
You might be surprised, but wine also goes very well with smoked chicken wings, especially something like a sweet Riesling or Gewürztraminer . This is because these wines have a small amount of residual sugar in them, leaving a slightly sweet and refreshing feeling that cools the palate. I love myself a nice glass of wine and when I got to know about this, I was obviously intrigued. After going through the trial and error process, I came to the conclusion that semi-dry Rieslings pair beautifully with wings. They have a lovely, fruity aroma, lively acidity, and a cooling sweetness that will calm your palate from the wings.
No wings platter is complete without some fresh cut-up veggies. Here are a few veggies that go perfectly well with your smoked chicken wings:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Radishes
- Sliced bell peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Snap peas
You can also get creative with this and have some additional munchies on the side with these amazing wings:
- Chips
- Tortilla chips
- Nuts
- Olives
- Pickles
- Cut cheese
7. Serving Sizes
Initially, I had a hard time figuring out serving portions for my guests.
“How many wings do I need per person?”
“How many wings do I get in 1 pound?”
“Will this be enough for the number of guests coming over?”
These questions may seem silly, but they really had me worried. If you are someone who has the same doubts, it’s your lucky day because I’m going to break this down for you.
First, let’s figure out how many wings you need per person. This will depend on what part of the meal this is. If you are serving the smoked chicken wings as the main meal or main appetizer, you will need at least 6-10 wing pieces per person. This should've served with at least 4-6 pieces of veggies per person.
If you are serving this as a starter that comes before the main meal, you will want to serve 3-5 wing pieces per person with 2-4 veggie pieces.
Now that you know how many wings you need per person, let’s see how many pounds of chicken wings does that equal out to be. The size can vary depending on the size of the wings, but roughly, one pound of chicken wings is about 10-12 cut chicken wings.
So if you plan on serving the smoked chicken wings as the main course, you can buy about 1 pound per person and if it’s the starter, you can buy about half a pound of chicken wings per person.
8. Storing Smoked Chicken Wings
Couldn’t finish all the chicken wings in one sitting? Don’t sweat it! You can always save the wings for another meal.
Place the smoked chicken wings in an air-tight container with a lid and put them in the refrigerator.
I recommend consuming them within 3-5 days, or there might be a higher chance of the wings drying out. You can eat these wings cold, straight out of the refrigerator, or heat them up for a few minutes in an air-fryer or microwave.
9. Tips to Remember
Be sure to buy party-style wings with are already cut up. This will save you a lot of prep time.
Normally, smoked chicken does not have crispy skin because it’s cooked at such a low temperature. To get that crispy skin, place the chicken wings on the broiler or directly over the coals for about 5 minutes on each side.
To get extra crispy skin on the outside, lay UNCOOKED chicken wings on a baking sheet and refrigerate, fat side up, uncovered for several hours or overnight. This dries out the skin, allowing it to crisp more.
Keep a digital thermometer around to keep a check on the internal temperature of the wings. They are inexpensive and easily available.
You do not need to flip the chicken until the very end.
The smoke coming from the smoked should be very light, almost blue. A heavy white smoke may leave a bitter taste on your food.
Rubbery chicken is a result of not getting the smoker hot enough before popping them in. Make sure to double-check your heat settings during cook time.
To add some creativity to your smoked chicken wings, you can also serve them on a charcuterie board with all your sauces, veggies, dips, and other munchies by its side. This is a great way to serve these wings as an appetizer.
10. Nutritional Value of Smoked Chicken Wings
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Nutritional Value |
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Calories |
607kcal |
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Carbohydrates |
4g |
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Protein |
46g |
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Fat |
45g |
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Saturated Fat |
12g |
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Cholesterol |
189mg |
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Sodium |
1001mg |
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Potassium |
519mg |
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Fiber |
2g |
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Sugar |
1g |
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Vitamin A |
2439IU |
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Vitamin C |
2mg |
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Calcium |
51mg |
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Iron |
4mg |
11. Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to smoke wings?
To get tender and juicy chicken wings, you should smoke them for at least 1 ½ hours to 2 hours over indirect heat, at a temperature between 225-250 F degrees.
To get crisp and gold skin on the outside, increase the temperature to 350 F degrees for 10-20 minutes or place the wings directly on the heat of the coal or wood for 5-7 minutes.
How long does it take to smoke wings at 225?
It takes a minimum of 90 minutes to 2 hours to smoke wings are 225 F degrees.
What temperature should chicken wings be smoked at?
You should smoke the chicken wings at 225 F degrees for an hour and then turn up the heat to 350 F degrees for the next 30 minutes to achieve the perfect crisp on the outside and soft tenderness on the inside.
How long does it take to smoke chicken wings at 275 degrees?It takes about 1 ½ hour to smoke chicken wings at this temperature. However, it is recommended you smoke the wings at a temperature between 225-250 F degrees.
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Written by Himani Vaid
Toronto-based food nerd turned food storyteller, Himani is a connoisseur of all things delish. Currently, busy thinking about what to eat next.
