Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe: How to Smoke Chicken Wings

Smoked chicken wings are a barbecue-friendly preparation of chicken wings, relying on a pellet smoker, charcoal grill, or electric smoker to cook the meat low and slow. Smoking food over wood-fired indirect heat infuses it with rich, smoky flavor and results in golden, crispy skin and juicy, tender meat.

Smoking chicken wings slowly over indirect heat produces uniquely tender and juicy chicken wings that will be the hit of your cookout. Here’s how to smoke chicken wings:

1. 1. Flavor the wings. Drizzle the chicken wings with olive oil and coat them in a flavorful BBQ dry rub to add flavor before cooking.
   
2. 2. Preheat the smoker. Preheat a smoker or pellet grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. 3. Smoke the wings. When your smoker is hot enough, place the wings directly on its grill grates and close the appliance. Cook your wings for about 2½ hours, monitoring them for doneness throughout. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the wings toward the end of their cook time. Remove the chicken wings from the smoker when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. 4. Rest the meat. Allow your chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes after cooking so that the juices can settle in the meat, ensuring a moist and succulent texture.

Follow these tips to make the best wings in your smoker.

1. 1. Experiment with seasonings. Customize any smoked chicken wings recipe to include the seasonings and sauces of your choice. Mix up a spice rub with your favorite seasonings or chicken marinade with your favorite sauces and condiments. Brush the wings in your favorite BBQ sauce 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time to add a sweet and smoky flavor.
2. 2. Switch up the wood chips. Experiment with different varieties of wood chips to achieve variations in smoke flavor. Fruitier woods, like applewood and cherrywood, will infuse the meat with a milder flavor. More intense woods, like hickory, pecan, and mesquite, will result in a more distinct smoky taste. Learn more about smoking woods.
3. 3. Cook the meat to the right temperature. When overcooked, chicken gets dry and chewy. To prevent overcooking, which results in dry and chewy chicken, remove the smoked wings from the grill when their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or even slightly before that point). The temperature of the wings will rise by a few degrees as they rest.
4. 4. Rest the meat. Follow your cook time with a resting period to allow the chicken’s juices to settle. During this period, the flavors will redistribute through the meat, resulting in moist wings.
5. 5. Store in the refrigerator. Store your leftover smoked wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow the chicken to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it.