How To Make The Best Smoked Chicken Wings

5 from 31 votes

How To Make The Best Smoked Chicken Wings

If you've never smoked wings before, you're going to be amazed at how quick and easy it is! These BBQ chicken wings are not only tender and juicy, but they are the best wings ever! And I'm going to show you how to master the art of smoking chicken wings so you can enjoy these every single time!

Prep Time10

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizers, dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 474kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

Smoker any type

Ingredients

For The Chicken Wing Seasoning

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For The Chicken

30 party wings, (or whole wings)
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the smoker accordingly and preheat it to 225°F.
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Use a whisk to combine, ensuring you use your fingers to breakdown any small clumps.
Baste ¼ cup of olive oil onto both sides of each wing.
Next, evenly sprinkle on the dry rub onto both sides of each piece.
Baste ½ cup of barbecue sauce onto each wing until they are well coated.
After the smoker has preheated, put each wing directly onto the smoker trays evenly so they do not overlap.
If you're using party wings, it only takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to smoke. If you're using whole wings, they will take 1.5-2 hours.
Expert Tip: For whole wings, don't rely on the smoke time. Insert a digital thermometer and when the meat has reached 165°F, they can then be removed from the smoker.
Halfway through the smoke time, baste on more BBQ sauce.
Expert Tip: I suggest only basting one side of the wings so that you can keep as much smoke in the smoker as possible.
When the wings are done smoking, remove them from the smoker.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

- Use a mild wood when smoking chicken wings. Apple and cherry wood works best. If you use a strong wood like hickory or mesquite, the smoke flavor will overwhelm the meat making these taste too smokey and bitter.

- Never smoke frozen meat. The meat should be completely thawed before starting the smoking process.

- Smoke low and slow. The ideal temperature for smoking is around 225°F. With this recipe, don't let the internal temperature of the smoker get above 250°F.

- Store any leftovers in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

- Reheating chicken wings is easy! If you reheat them in the oven, they will also crisp up nicely. Set the oven to 400°F and bake for 5-7 minutes until warm.

- Dip them in ranch or blue cheese dressing. You can also serve them with celery and carrot sticks!

Nutrition