Smoked Chicken Wings

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These Smoked Chicken Wings are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. You won’t be able to stop eating them once you taste their sweet, spicy, and smoky flavor.

If you love smoked meats, you have to try this Smoked Beef Brisket and Smoked Chicken Breast.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Smoked Chicken Wings
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Tasty Chicken Dishes!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

I love making this Smoked Chicken Wings recipe during the summer. They are perfect for serving at backyard barbecues, parties, or just hanging out on a warm evening.

TASTE: Smoky, spicy, and a little sweet, these delicious wings are so flavorful. The brown sugar and spice rub go really well together.
TEXTURE: Smoking the meat gives these wings a crisp outer skin, but leaves them nice and juicy inside.
TIME: It takes about 2 hours to make these Smoked Chicken Wings, but only about 10 of those minutes is active prep time.
EASE: This recipe is so easy to make. Marinating the meat is a simple way to infuse great flavor with almost no work at all.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Smoked Chicken Wings, including party chicken wings, olive oil salt, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken wings- I used party chicken wings for this recipe, which are all drumettes with lots of skin that will crisp up deliciously when smoked.
Spice rub- This is a mixture of chili powder, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. You can also use a pre-made dry rub if you like.
Brown sugar- This ingredient adds a rich sweetness to the chicken that balances out the salty, spicy seasonings in the rub.
Smoker- This is what gives these chicken wings their amazing flavor. I use a Traeger Smoker, but you can use whatever type you have. For wood chips, we use hickory pellets, but cherry wood and apple wood would work, too.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Substitute other meats- If you don’t have any wings, you can also make this recipe using chicken breasts, thighs, and legs, as well as pork or beef.
Add different seasonings- Try these Smoked Chicken Wings with other seasonings, such as cayenne pepper, sage, lemon pepper, berbere spices, or curry powder.
Skip the sugar- If you want to avoid refined sugars, you can also make this using maple syrup or honey as the sweet element.
Add sauce- Once these wings are smoked, toss them in your favorite sauces, like barbecue, teriyaki, or hoisin sauce.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Wings

Make the spice rub. Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl using a fork.

Steps to make Smoked Chicken Wings, including mixing the spice rub with a fork.

Marinate the chicken wings. Now add the chicken wings to a gallon-sized zip lock bag and pour the olive oil over the wings. Then add the spice rub, close the bag, and massage it all into the chicken. Let it marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

Pro Tip: Pat the chicken wings with paper towels to get off any excess moisture. This will help the oil and spice rub adhere better to the chicken skin.

Steps to make Smoked Chicken Wings, including adding the chicken wings, spice rub, and oil to a ziplock bag to mix.

Smoke them. Add the hickory pellets to your smoker and heat it to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the marinated chicken wings directly onto the grill grates. Cook the wings for about 2 hours, or until their internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken wings from the grill and enjoy!

Steps to make Smoked Chicken Wings, including marinating the wings, then smoking them on the grill until golden brown.

Recipe Tips

Pre-mix the spice rub- To ensure an even distribution of the spice rub on the chicken wings, mix them together in a separate bowl before adding them to the chicken.
Don’t rush the marinating- For the chicken wings to absorb the delicious taste of the spices, they need time. If you can, let them marinate overnight for greater flavor.
Preheat the smoker- To get the Smoked Chicken Wings crispy on the outside, you will need to preheat the smoker. The fat in the skin needs to get hot enough to render out.
Adjust the cook time based on wing size- If you are using whole wings, theywill take about 3-4 hours to fully cook.

FAQs

Why are my smoked wings rubbery?

If your chicken wings haven’t cooked at a high enough temperature, the fat in the skin won’t be hot enough to render out, creating a crisp outer layer. Make sure you preheat the smoker so it is hot enough when you add the seasoned wings and allow them to cook for 2 hours to infuse flavor as well as get the right texture.

Do you flip wings when smoking?

Because the wings are placed on the grill plate, they get heat directed to the bottom and the top. You don’t have to flip the wings, but you can in order to avoid any hotter spots or ensure even cooking.

A pile of Smoked Chicken Wings on a white plate.

Serving Suggestions

These Smoked Chicken Wings are not only delicious, but taste great with so many other dishes. Here are some tasty ways to enjoy them.

Sauces: These wings are so good with sauce. Dip or toss them with Homemade BBQ Sauce, Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce, Teriyaki, or Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
Meats: Serve these wings alongside other smoked favorites, like Smoked Chicken Breast, Traeger Smoked Bacon, Smoked Ribs, and Smoked Beef Brisket.
Salads: These Smoked Chicken Wings are delicious with a scoop of Potato Salad with Baked Salmon, Chicken Salad With Grapes, and Cucumber Radish Salad.
Fries: Pair them with Crispy Air Fryer French Fries, Air Fryer Zucchini Fries, and The BEST Sweet Potato Fries.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can prepare these chicken wings a day ahead by making the spice rub and putting everything in the ziplock bag to marinate overnight. You can also smoke the wings, let them cool, and then refrigerate them until you’re ready to warm and serve.

Storing: You can store these Smoked Chicken Wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you are ready to serve them, reheat them in the oven or smoker until warmed through.

Freeze: You can freeze these chicken wings in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag once they have cooled. You may want to flash-freeze them on a baking sheet beforehand for a couple of hours though, so they don’t freeze together in a lump. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.

More Tasty Chicken Dishes!

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Dina

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!