How To Smoke Chicken Wings - And A Delicious Dry Rub Recipe Too! (2024)

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If you are looking for a simple and delicious way to smoke chicken wings – this is it!

Have you ever walked outside when someone is grilling and felt instant envy?

That smell of charcoal? Or even better – wood chips smoking gently?

We used hickory wood for our smoked chicken wings this week.

Over this past weekend, we finally had a couple of extra hours at the house that we could dedicate to our home project list.

We decided to take advantage of that opportunity to heat up our gas smoker. We began to search our freezer for what we could smoke and found several pounds of chicken wings and drums just waiting to be used.

And in an instant, we had the perfect dinner planned – it was time to smoke chicken wings!

The key to smoking any type of meat is “low and slow”. This is especially true with chicken wings since it isn’t a thick cut of meat and the wings can become dried out quickly.

Using a smokeradds so much natural flavor and keeps the meat nice and juicy. So juicy that traditional wing sauces aren’t even necessary.

That definitely saves on the amount of calories consumed and also the amount of napkins needed.

With our easy how to smoke wings instructions below – you can create amazing wings for any party, tailgate – or like us, an amazing dinner!

The recipe for the dry rub below combines a variety of blends of spices which can be adapted to your individual preference.

Add more cayenne pepper for additionalheat, or add more smoke paprika for more of a barbecue flavor.

The possibilities are endless – and they all let you smoke chicken wings perfectly!

Easy to make dry rub – adjust the seasonings to your own taste

Racks of wings cooking low and slow.

Check the temperature with a thermometer to ensure a safe consuming temperature

No barbecue sauce is necessary, but if you would like additional flavor add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken wings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

How To Smoke Chicken Wings:

*If wings are frozen, thaw.

1. Place approximately 3 cups of wood chips in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit for at least one hour prior to heating.

2. Rinse wings with water and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.

3. Place wings in a large bowl/plastic bag and rub olive oil evenly into each piece.

4. Combine all seasonings in a bowl.

5. Sprinkle half of the season mix onto the chicken wings and rub in. Flip wings and sprinkle remaining half onto wings and rub in.

6. Let the dry rub sit on the wings for at least 30 minutes.

7. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees.

8. Place chicken wings on the racks, placing the largest pieces (usually the legs) closest to the heat source.

Basket of wings right off the smoker – they won’t last long in our house!

9. Add water-soaked wood chips to the box/tray on your smoker

Keep that temperature steady…

10. Smoke/heat wings maintaining a 250 degree temperature for the 45-60 minutes.

11. Flip wings and add more chips if desired (not necessary). After 90 minutes, check internal temperature of wings. Heat to 165 degrees.

12. Increase temperature to 375 degrees F and crisp the outer edge for approximately 20-30 minutes.

13. Remove from heat and cover until served.

**If wing sauce is desired, brush on the wings for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy!

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Mary and Jim

Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings

How To Smoke Chicken Wings - And A Delicious Dry Rub Recipe Too! (7)

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. If wings are frozen, thaw.
  2. Place approximately 3 cups of wood chips in a large bowl and cover with water. Let sit for at least one hour prior to heating.
  3. Rinse wings with water and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
  4. Place wings in a large bowl/plastic bag and rub olive oil evenly into each piece.
  5. Combine all seasonings in a bowl.
  6. Sprinkle half of the season mix onto the chicken wings and rub in. Flip wings and sprinkle remaining half onto wings and rub in.
  7. Let the dry rub sit on the wings for at least 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees.
  9. Place chicken wings on the racks, placing the largest pieces (usually the legs) closest to the heat source.
  10. Add water-soaked wood chips to the box/tray on your smoker.
  11. Smoke/heat wings maintaining a 250 degree temperature for the 45-60 minutes.
  12. Flip wings and add more chips if desired (not necessary). After 90 minutes, check internal temperature of wings. Heat to 165 degrees.
  13. Increase temperature to 375 degrees F and crisp the outer edge for approximately 20-30 minutes.
  14. Remove from heat and cover until served.

Notes

If wing sauce is desired, brush on the wings for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving:Unsaturated Fat: 0g

How To Smoke Chicken Wings - And A Delicious Dry Rub Recipe Too! (2024)

FAQs

Do you add dry rub before or after cooking wings? ›

I definitely highly recommend that you do because this helps air circulate around the wings so they get crispier. Do you add dry rub before or after cooking chicken wings? Before! This allows the flavor of the spices to adhere to the wings.

What is the best temperature to smoke chicken wings? ›

Regardless of what smoker you use:
  • Maintain 250-275°F (a little higher temperature ensures better textured skin)
  • Cook for about 1.5 hours or until the meat reaches 175-180°F.
  • Apply smoke for at least 1 hour. I used cherry wood on these but any good smoking wood will work well.

Do you flip chicken wings when smoking? ›

Place the wings directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 30 minutes. Increase the heat in your smoker to 425 degrees until the internal temperature of the wing reads 175 degrees F. You can rotate or flip the wings as needed to maintain even cooking and avoid any hot spots on the grill.

How do you get dry seasoning to stick to wings? ›

How do you make dry rub stick to wings? You'll use avocado oil or olive oil to coat the keto chicken wings so the dry rub sticks nicely! Don't skip this step!

Do you oil chicken before dry rub? ›

Olive oil helps the dry rub adhere to the meat so it's less likely to fall off while you're cooking it. Put a coin-sized amount of olive oil on the chicken and spread it evenly across the sides of the chicken.

When should I put dry rub on wings? ›

The best way to apply a rub to your chicken wings is the night before cooking. This allows much more time for the spices to blend into the chicken. We also recommend adding the spices by hand, rubbing the rub on all sides of the wings.

How do you make crispy wings when smoking? ›

The Secret to Crispy Smoked Chicken Wing Skin

Add 2 Tbsp of the rub you used in the brine and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Seal the bag and flip it a few times to get all of the wings coated and then throw them in your smoker at 150 degrees.

Do you cover wings when smoking? ›

Smoke the wings over indirect low heat—over the empty side of the charcoal grill or the unlit burners—for 1 hour, with the grill lid on, flipping once. Note: I got 28 to 34 chicken wings in 5 pounds. If your chicken wings are large, with less than 28 wings, smoke them for 15 minutes longer.

Should you spray wings while smoking? ›

The best time to spritz your meat while smoking is just after the bark has formed. The bark on meat generally forms about 1:30 to 2 hours into your cook. It is important to spritz the meat every half hour to 45 minutes to prevent it from drying out.

Do you need a water pan when smoking chicken wings? ›

It is best to smoke the chicken wings uncut – with the three sections intact. I find when smoking cut-up chicken wings they tend to dry out. I also smoke them above a water pan, the steam helps cook the wings and allows for moist, juicy wings when finished smoking.

Can you overcook wings on a smoker? ›

Smoke the wings for 2 hours. By this time the wings should have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. If they're slightly over 165, that's fine. Any internal temp up to 180°F means the wings will still be juicy and tender when cooked low and slow on the smoker.

Why are my smoked chicken wings tough? ›

The ideal temperature to cook your chicken should be around 275 °F – 320 °F (135 °C – 160 °C). As you start to decrease temperature beyond this threshold, the skin will become rubbery. The chicken fat needs to be cooked into the meat, and that cannot happen when your temperature is very low.

Should you put oil on wings before seasoning? ›

Toss the wings in a few tablespoons of neutral cooking oil (like canola or vegetable oil), then season with salt and pepper before adding them to the grill. The oil will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.

How do you make seasoning stick better? ›

Saute your food on the stove with 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 mL) of water, vegetable broth, cooking vinegar, or wine to help your seasoning stick without oil. Spritz your food with water or cooking vinegar before seasoning it, then place it in the oven to roast. Or, dry roast your veggies and season them afterward.

Why do you put baking powder on wings? ›

The less moisture left in the skin, the more crispy your wings will be! Use Baking Powder. Baking powder will help ensure that your wings brown nicely and it also helps create that desired crispy coating.

Can you put dry rub on wings after cooking? ›

If you miss your time window when the wings are hot enough to have seasoning stick, I know of two other options: Spray the wings with a spray oil like olive or coconut oil and tumble them with or in the seasoning. Rub the wings with mustard, which is like a glue and then tumble them with or in the seasoning.

How long before cooking do you apply dry rub? ›

Be sure to let the rub sit for 30 minutes or up to 1½ hours to allow the salt and spices to penetrate the meat before cooking. Another great use of dry rubs when it comes to roasts and steaks is to make a compound butter. This is so much easier than you think. You only need two ingredients: a great dry rub and butter.

Is it better to dry rub or wet chicken wings? ›

You dip the wings into your seasoning, which can be any mixture of sweet, savory, spicy or umami spices. That step yields better flavor: A dry seasoning sticks a whole lot better to chicken wings than any marinade or sauce can. It's baked (or fried!) right in.

How long before cooking should you add a rub? ›

So how long do you leave dry rub on steak, chicken, turkey, or pork? That's up to you: The longer you allow it to sink in, the deeper the flavor will be. Allow the BBQ rub to rest on the food 15 minutes to 2 hours (and up to several hours if you've got time) before tossing the meat on the grill or in the smoker.

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