How to Smoke Crispy Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are my favorite food, but I’m tired of takeout wings and decided to learn how to make my own. These wings are so easy even the beginner can make awesome wings! This was my second ever smoke on a 22″ Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker and they turned out FANTASTIC! My wife, who isn’t a big wing fan, loved them so much she asked me to make again.
Because I’m indecisive I chose to make two types of wings, both are delicious. Jump to…Dry Rub Recipe | Buffalo Recipe
This recipe is modified from Vindulge’s Best Smoked Chicken Wings. I added spice to the buffalo sauce and made two different styles of wings; dry rub & buffalo.
What I learned to help you get started smoking wings.
- Crispy Skin – The challenge with cooking wings is getting a crispy skin. Here are 3 easy steps to follow to get wings crispy:
- Dehydrate wings. Dry them out for up 3 hours in refrigerator. If you don’t have time, here’s another recipe for crispy wings without drying time.
- Rub with oil before smoking. If doing buffalo style, prep w/oil and ground pepper. If doing dry rub, cover wings with oil, pepper and dry rub (no extra salt needed).
- Finish hot. When cooking, crank up the heat for the last 30 minutes to crisp the skin.
- Smoking Temperature – Takes extra effort on charcoal smoker.
- Smoke at 225° for 1 hour finish last 30 minutes at 350°. I finished on my smoker, which takes work to stoke the coals enough to get temperature to 350°. Finish in oven or on the grill for an easier approach. If using oven, put wings on rack above a baking sheet to catch drippings.
- Plan Your Time – Smoking takes time, but chicken doesn’t take a lot of time. What does take time in the recipe is the prep to dry out the wings for 3 hours. Smoking takes 90 minutes. All-in you’re looking at a 4.5-5 hour job so plan your time accordingly.
Dry Rub Recipe
Crispy Smoked Dry Rub Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Smoker
- Grill Tongs
- Charcoal & Wood Chunks or Pellets
Ingredients
- 2 lb Chicken Wings, about 20 wings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup PorkBarrel BBQ All-Purpose Seasoning use more if desired, enough to coat evenly
Instructions
Prep Wings
- Wash Wings
- Pat dry with paper towels
- Place on rack over baking sheet
- Refrigerate uncovered for up to 3 hours
Smoke Wings
- Set smoker to 225°
- Remove wings from fridge, toss wings in olive oil, pepper, & dry rub.
- Put wings directly on smoker racks, smoke for 1hr at 225°. Note: Pictured wings are half naked, half dry rub.
- Increase temperature to 350° & smoke for 30 minutes. In the WSM I use lump charcoal and stoke coals often to reach needed temperature.
- Remove wings from smoker
- Serve with blue cheese or ranch. Note: Pictured wings are half buffalo, half dry rub.
Buffalo Wing Recipe
Crispy Smoked Buffalo Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Smoker
- Grill Tongs
- Charcoal & Wood Chunks or Pellets
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 LB Chicken Wings about 20 wings
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Sauce
- 1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper optional, adds heat
Instructions
Prep Wings
- Wash wings
- Pat dry with paper towels
- Place on rack over baking sheet
- Refrigerate uncovered for up to 3 hours
Smoke Wings
- Set smoker to 225°
- Remove wings from fridge, toss wings in olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Put wings directly on smoker racks, smoke for 1hr at 225°. Note: Pictured wings are half naked, half dry rub.
- Increase temperature to 350° & smoke for 30 minutes. In the WSM I use lump charcoal and stoke coals often to reach needed temperature. Or you can finish in the oven.
- Prep Sauce – Simmer butter and hot sauce until butter is melted, keep warm until read to toss on wings.
- Remove wings from smoker and toss in hot sauce.
- Serve with blue cheese or ranch. Note: Pictured wings are half buffalo, half dry rub.
Tips for Great Chicken Wings
- Buy Pre-Cut Wings – My wings were pre-cut, saving time not having to split the drum from the flat.
- Pre-Mixed dry rub – If making dry rub style, a ready-made mix saves time. I used Pork Barrel BBQ all-purpose seasoning which turned out great. Skip the salt in the wing prep though as it can be too salty. In the future I’ll try this Dry Rub Recipe from Southern Living, but for beginners it’s best to keep things simple and reduce added steps.
- Temperature Control – make sure to get a temperature controller. Flameboss works great for me!
- Warm Sauce – If using sauce, warm the sauce before pouring over wings. A cold sauce softens skin.
Want more recipes?
For more smoking recipes checkout the food section of my blog or Full Dad Mode on Pinterest.
These wings were a hit at my house on football Sunday and I’m sure yours will be too! If you have recommendations or recipes you’d like me to try, feel free to share in comments below.
Thanks,
Britt
About Post Author
Britt
Hey I’m Britt. I run Full Dad Mode to help people like you make the most of life. I share helpful DIY how to's and recipes designed to make busy lives easier. Click here to sign up for email updates to stay up to date on the latest tips and from Full Dad Mode!
