Why you’ll love these smoked chicken wings
Not only are these chicken wings smoked to perfection, they’re layered in flavor. The bbq dry rub adds a hint of sweetness thanks to the brown sugar, and the buffalo sauce brings a little bit of heat and acidity.
Smoking the wings on the pellet grill gives the wings time to caramelize, letting the skin get nice and crispy and allowing the fat time to break down while maintaining the glorious flavor.
Serve them how you want. You can serve them as is, or you can toss them in your favorite buffalo or bbq sauce. I adore the combination of bbq dry rub and buffalo sauce, but they’re great even without sauce.
More chicken wing recipes: sticky honey soy chicken wings / peanut butter and jelly wings / crispy baked chicken wings
Our pellet grill
We recently upgraded our pellet grill to a Traeger Ironwood 885, and we absolutely love it!
If you’re using an electric or other type of smoker, simply set yours to the temperatures listed and use as directed by your manufacturer.
Ingredient notes:
- Chicken wings – I like to buy the party pack of wings that comes as flats and drummettes because they are already separated, but you can easily cut up full wings. Use a sharp knife to cut at the join and don’t forget to trim the wing tip!
- Dry rub – You can use store-bought run or make your own. I like my classic bbq dry rub recipe. Just make sure you account for the salt in the rub and adjust your seasoning accordingly.
- Buffalo sauce – We like to use a mild wing sauce for a party, but use your favorite and make sure to check for dairy in the ingredients.
- Dairy free blue cheese dip – You’ll need to make your own here (or you can go with a dairy free ranch if you prefer. We like to make my vegan blue cheese dressing with Follow Your Heart blue cheese crumbles.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make smoked chicken wings on a pellet grill
Season the chicken. Spread your chicken wings out on a baking sheet. Use a paper towel to pat the wings dry. Then, season them liberally with coarse salt & barbeque dry rub.
Smoke until crispy. Heat your smoker to 225˚F. When it’s hot, add the wings and let the smoke for about 1 hour. You’ll want to turn them about halfway through.
Sauce them up. If you want to add sauce, put the wings in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with sauce. Toss them around until they’re evenly coated in sauce. I recommend going easy on the sauce to keep the wings from getting soggy.
Serve your wings. Plate your wings and serve them with celery sticks and vegan blue cheese dressing or dairy free ranch.
Frequently asked questions
At 225˚F, chicken wings should take about 1 hour to cook thoroughly, depending on their size. I always recommend using a temperature probe to make sure you chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165˚F.
Flip your chicken wings halfway through (about 30 minutes) the smoking process. You technically don’t have to flip the chicken wings while you’re smoking them, but I think it helps them to cook more evenly and allows the skin to get even more crispy.
If you want smoked wings with crispy skin, you’ll want to make sure you you start with super dry wings (pat them dry with a paper towel) and make sure your seasoning has enough salt and a little sugar to help them caramelize.
More grilling recipes: grilled turkey breast / grilled chicken tenders / grilled salmon kabobs / grilled pineapple
What’s in your buffalo sauce?
Some brands of buffalo sauce contain milk, but there are plenty of bottled brands on the market that are safe. We usually buy Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Sauce or Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce.
Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wingettes and drummettes
- 3 – 4 tablespoons BBQ dry rub
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt*
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- For serving: celery sticks, dressing of choice
Instructions
- Heat your smoker to 225˚F.
- Using a paper towel, pat the wings dry. Season liberally with salt and dry rub.
- Add the wings to the pellet grill and let the smoke for about 1 hour, turning halfway through.
- Remove the wings from the grill and place them in a large mixing bowl. Toss them with sauce until evenly coated.
- Serve them with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing or dairy free ranch.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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