Smoked Chicken Wings

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These Smoked Chicken Wings are perfect for game days, backyard cookouts, or an easy weekend dinner. They’re juicy and tender, with crisp skin and a savory, smoky flavor that makes them easy to serve for a crowd. I’ve made these enough times to know the timing and technique that give you great wings every time.

 

If you love these smoked chicken wings, try my Crockpot Chicken Wings or Oven Baked BBQ Chicken next.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s what you’ll need to make these smoked chicken wings, plus a few easy options for serving them.

• Chicken Wings: Use raw chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes if needed, for the best results on the smoker.
• Dry Rub: Pick your favorite chicken dry rub to season the wings before they go on the smoker.
• Wing Sauce: Toss the smoked wings with Buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or whichever sauce you’re craving.
• Ranch Dressing or Bleu Cheese Dressing: Serve your favorite creamy dressing on the side for dipping, if you like.
• Celery Sticks: Add crisp celery sticks alongside the wings for an easy, classic pairing.

How to Make Smoked Chicken Wings

These smoked chicken wings are easy to make with a little time on the smoker, a quick sear, and your favorite wing sauce.

Step 1: Dry the Chicken Wings

Take the wings out of their packaging and arrange them on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight so the skin can dry out.

Step 2: Preheat the Smoker

Heat your smoker to 225°F according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Hickory is a great choice for smoked wings, but feel free to use whatever wood flavor you like.

Step 3: Season the Wings

Give both sides of the chicken wings a generous coating of your favorite dry rub, making sure each piece is well seasoned.

Step 4: Smoke the Wings

Place the seasoned wings directly on the smoker grates and let them smoke at 225°F for about 1 hour.

Step 5: Increase the Heat

After an hour, raise the smoker temperature to 350°F. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes, or until the wings reach at least 160°F internally.

Step 6: Get the Sauce and Grill Ready

While the wings finish cooking, prepare your favorite wing sauce and heat a gas grill or flat-top grill over high heat. You want the searing surface nice and hot, so the final step goes quickly.

Step 7: Coat with Sauce

Transfer the nearly cooked wings to a large bowl and toss them with the sauce until each wing is nicely coated.

Step 8: Sear the Wings

Place the sauced wings on the hot grill and sear both sides for about 1 minute per side. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outside is nicely browned.

Step 9: Serve

Take the wings off the grill and serve them right away with ranch or bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks, if desired.

Smoked Wings Tips and Tricks

• Use fresh chicken wings. Trim off the tips if needed (save those for homemade broth) and separate the drum from the flat by cutting through the joint. If using frozen wings, make sure they’re fully thawed. Use all drums, all flats, or a mix.
• To get crispy skin, start by drying out the wings. Place them on a paper towel-lined sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for a few hours or overnight. Short on time? Just pat them dry, then toss with a little baking powder or cornstarch before adding the dry rub to help pull out moisture.
• Any store-bought rub will work, and the flavors are endless. Buffalo Flavored Wing Seasoning is my favorite or use a homemade dry rub for chicken.
• At 225° F, you can have that smoked deliciousness in less than 2 hours (see recipe card for temperature adjustments in final 30 min).
• You do not need to turn or flip your wings as the heat is working indirectly. If you find that your smoker runs hotter on the bottom, feel free to flip halfway through.
• Most smokers will have a built-in thermometer probe, or you can use an instant read digital thermometer like this one.

What To Serve With Smoked Chicken Wings

Smoked Chicken Wings can be a great appetizer, or they can TOTALLY be the main course. Here are some ideas for side dishes for Chicken Wings:

• Cornbread – The slight sweetness goes really well with smoky, saucy wings.
• Macaroni and Cheese – Creamy mac and cheese pairs nicely with the smoky chicken.
• Potato Salad Without Eggs – Cool and creamy potato salad is a great contrast to hot wings.
• Doctored Up Baked Beans – The sweet and savory flavors go perfectly with smoked chicken.
• Classic Coleslaw – Crisp coleslaw adds a cool, crunchy bite alongside the wings.
• Air Fryer French Fries – Crispy fries are always a good match for saucy chicken wings.

Need more ideas? Check out my full list of What to Serve with Chicken Wings for more side dishes and 10 easy sauce ideas.

I hope you make these this weekend, they are a serious crowd pleaser! Printable recipe card below. Enjoy, friends!

Tools You’ll Need

These are the main tools that make the smoking and searing steps easier.

• Smoker: The key tool for giving the wings their smoky flavor and cooking them low and slow.
• Sheet Pan: Useful for holding the wings while they dry uncovered in the refrigerator.
• Gas Grill or Flat-Top Grill: Used to quickly sear the sauced wings at the end for better color and texture.
• Instant-Read Thermometer: Makes it easy to check that the wings have reached a safe internal temperature.

Variations

There are a few easy ways to switch up these smoked chicken wings depending on the flavor you’re in the mood for.

• Buffalo Wings: Toss the smoked wings with your favorite Buffalo sauce for a classic spicy version.
• BBQ Wings: Use BBQ sauce instead for a sweeter, smoky finish.
• Dry-Rub Wings: Skip the sauce and serve the wings after searing for a simple dry-rub version.
• Spicy Wings: Add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the seasoning for extra heat.

More Smoked Meat Recipes to Try!

• Smoked Pork Butt
• Smoked Ribs
• Smoked Prime Rib Roast
• Smoked Beef Tenderloin
• Smoked Turkey
• Smoked Corned Beef
• Double Smoked Ham

Storing and Reheating Chicken Wings

These Smoked Chicken Wings make great leftovers. Store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

To Reheat Wings

Oven: Place wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to help crisp the skin.

Air Fryer: Place wings in a single layer and heat at 375°F for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through.

Microwave: Heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until hot. The skin will be softer, but it works for a quick reheat.

To Freeze

Freeze the wings for up to 3 months if they have not been previously frozen. Let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 1 hour.

Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and remove as much air as possible. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tag me @laurens_latest.