Best Tips for Smoking Chicken Wings

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Smoking chicken wings makes them tender and juicy on the inside with perfectly crispy skin on the outside. Serve as-is or add your favorite sauce! Learn how to get perfect results every time, plus a secret ingredient!

These crispy smoked chicken wings make for some pretty amazing Game Day food! Brining overnight gives them a delicious flavor and keeps the meat just the way we like it —juicy and finger-lickin’ good!

Whether you’re a pro at smoking chicken wings or just beginning to experiment, this recipe is a real crowd-pleaser that comes out perfect every time.

And when you’re ready to take your skills up a notch, try our dry rubbed brisket recipe or this creamy mac and cheese with bacon-breadcrumb topping!

Best tips for smoking chicken wings

• Calculate the amount you will need. Typically, there are 4 to 5 chicken wings per pound which is also the recommended serving size. So plan for the same number of pounds as the number of people you will be serving.
• Preheat your smoker. I like to set the smoker temperature 25 degrees above the cooking temperature to help boost the initial cooking process — and because some of the heat will be lost when you open the door to load the wings. Once the food is in, adjust the heat back down to the recipe’s cooking temperature.
• Don’t soak the wood chips.  You can if you really want to, but we found that it only seems to create steam instead of the nice wood smoke and flavor we desired.
• But do add some liquid! Adding water or apple juice (or a 1 to 1 blend of both) to the drip pan helps keep the smoked chicken wings moist and tender as they cook.

Special Supplies

• I really love these OXO poultry shears for cutting the wings safely at the joints. For me, it’s much safer and easier than using a big knife!
• And, of course, you will need an electric smoker. If yours is brand new, be sure to clean and pre-season it before making this recipe.

How to make smoked chicken wings?

STEP 1 | Break down the poultry

Pat all of pieces dry with paper towels. Cut each wing at the joints to create three parts — the drumette, the wingette (flat), and the wing tip. You can also leave the flat and wing tip as one piece if you prefer.

STEP 2 | Brine overnight

Refrigerate the meat for one hour before making the brine. Combine the brown sugar, garlic, salt, and seasonings in a large tub, then add the water and stir until the mixture is dissolved. Submerge the meat and place the tub in the refrigerator overnight (up to 24 hours).

STEP 3 | Toss with baking powder

Drain the poultry and pat dry, then place the pieces on a wire rack (set inside a sheet pan) and refrigerate for another hour. Add them, in batches, to a gallon-size Ziploc and sprinkle with baking powder and black pepper. Shake until all of the pieces are well coated.

STEP 4 | Smoke

Transfer the meat to the smoker rack and seal shut. Cook for about 1 ½ hours, flipping them at the halfway point. Once they’re done, move them to a serving platter and dig in!

Smoking chicken wings FAQs

Serving suggestions

If you’re smoking chicken wings for a party, then you’ll want to serve them with other finger foods and party dips.

However, if you’ll be serving these as part of a meal, I suggest the same sides you might serve at a picnic or barbecue. Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, and Potato Salad are delicious at any time of year. Plus, you’ll have plenty of time to make sides while the wings are in the smoker!

Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings

Author: Sheila Thigpen

Smoking chicken wings makes them tender and juicy on the inside with perfectly crispy skin on the outside. Serve as-is or add your favorite sauce!

4.59 from 46 votes

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Prep Time 1 day d

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American

Servings 3 servings

Calories 1559 kcal

Equipment

• Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Brine

• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe Onion Salt

Wings

• 3 pounds chicken wings
• 2 ½ tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

Brining the Wings

• Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. Break down the chicken wings by cutting them at the joints with poultry shears. Add the wings to a pan and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Add water, salt, brown sugar, garlic, and dried spices to a large tub or bowl and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Submerge the chicken wings in the brine and return to the refrigerator for 24 hours, or overnight.

Smoking the Wings

• Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator. Drain and discard the brine and pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels.
• Place the wings on a wire rack (inside a sheet pan) and refrigerate another hour, or until fully dry.
• Preheat the electric smoker to 275 degrees. Add apple chips to the chip loading tray. Pour a 1-to-1 mix of apple juice and water to the drip pan.
• Place the chicken wings in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and sprinkle with the baking powder and black pepper. Shake the bag until the chicken wings are well coated. 
• Place the wings on the smoker racks and close the door. Reduce the temperature to 250 degrees.
• Smoke for 1-1/2 hours, turning once after 45 minutes. The chicken wings are done when an instant read digital thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

Notes

Remember to always preheat the electric smoker ahead of time. I like to set the smoker temperature 25 degrees above the cooking temperature to help boost the initial cooking process and because some heat will be lost when you open the door to load the wings. After the wings are on the smoker racks, adjust the heat per the recipe’s cooking temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 1559kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 77gFat: 110gSaturated Fat: 39gPolyunsaturated Fat: 62gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 372mgSodium: 8797mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword electric smoker, game day food

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