The Best Easy Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe (GF, LC, Keto, Paleo, Whole30)

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This easy smoked chicken wings recipe yields crispy on the outside and juicy flavorful chicken wings. The smoked wings require minimal prep and effort and are great for snacks, parties, picnics, and game day snacks.

Suitable for Low Carb, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and Gluten-Free dieters. Recipe also includes Weight Watchers points.

Smoked chicken wings in a white and grey spotted bowl with a side of salad.

Hey there, I am still on my smoked every single thing phase and I am so glad you’re here to smoke along with me. My smoker in on constant repeat, smoking things like cheese, vegetables, seasoning and more. Today it is all about the very best smoked chicken wings ever. #forreal.

Smoked Wings

So this smoked wings recipe really does end up with super crispy and are packed full of a whole load of flavor that you will want to eat for daaaaaaaaaaaaaay.

Feel free to grab a whole big bag of chicken wings whenever the grocery store has them on offer, portion them out and store them in your freezer till needed.

Related Link : Super Juicy Smoked Chicken Breast.

After that, smoking chicken wings is really easy, with an optional step of brining if you so prefer and you are good to go.

What is great about crispy smoked chicken wings is that these are very versatile. Bring them out during a bbq or backyard party, an appetizer, some game day nosh, for a snack or for good old movie night.

close up of smoked chicken wings with a salad

Tools and Equipment Needed

  • A super awesome smoker. Try this smoker which I love, or this other smoker too.
  • A charcoal chimney for lighting coal or briquettes easily. Makes life easier.
  • Wood pellets or wood chips depending on which smoker you use.
  • An instant-read digital thermometer. This really awesome one gives you an instant-read so you avoid overcooking your food.
  • Leather gloves – These are really useful for moving stuff about on your smoker so you don’t burn your hands.
  • Aluminum foil – for tenting food, keeping it warm and more.
  • Nice long grilling tongs for adding, removing or turning your food on the smoker.
  • Your favorite seasoning or dry rubs.
  • A mixing bowl if you are brining your food.
  • Sea salt for flavoring or brining.

I am about to walk you through the perfect smoked chicken wings recipe along with a gazillion tips and tricks that will have you whipping up this recipe aaaaaaaaaaaaaall year long.

chicken wings in a bowl

Smoked Chicken Wings Brine

To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Whilst you don’t need to if you brine the chicken before smoking it will help keep the chicken juicy and moist during the smoking process.

Test it both ways and see which you prefer. If you are going to brine the chicken make sure you take that extra time into account.

Your brine liquid can be very simple mixture of water and salt, to more complex versions where you add things like fresh herbs, citrus, heat from peppercorns and various spices. Here is a simple brine recipe that can be easily double or quadrupled to cover whole chickens and turkey.

  • Make the brine => Mix together 8 cups of water, 6 tablespoons of sea salt flakes, 4 tablespoon sugar, slices from half a lemon, and 2 bay leaves. Optional extras you can add include 2-3 sprigs of rosemary or thyme, smashed garlic cloves, a tablespoon of black peppercorns and a small punch of parsley. Combine over medium heat until both the sugar and sugar dissolve, switch off the heat and let cool completely
  • Brine the chicken => Add the brine liquid into a mixing bowl and fully submerge the chicken wings in the mixture for between 2- 4 hours.
  • Rinse the chicken => When done, remove the wings from the brine, rinse and pat dry. You are now ready for the next step.
seasoned chicken wings

How To Smoke Chicken Wings

  1. Preheat your smoker. Preheat your smoker (use this awesome smoker if you don’t already have one) to 250 F using a wood of your choice (see suggestions below) your chicken. Get your chicken (out of the brine if you did this step), pat it dry and rub on some oil and sprinkle on some sea salt flakes.
  2. Season your chicken. Coat the chicken wings with a dry rub of your choice. It can be store-bought or homemade = > see lots of easy dry rub suggestions below).
  3. Smoke the chicken: Place the chicken wings in the smoker, cover and cook for about 2 hours (turning once in the middle of cooking) or until the internal temperature of the thickest part (using a digital thermometer) reaches 165F.
  4. Add extra flavor if you want. At this point, you can brush on extra sauces eg bbq sauce on the chicken and smoke for a further 10 minutes.
  5. Rest. Remove the meat from the smoker, let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  6. Crisp them up: Alternatively, after step 4 you can place them under a hot broiler for about 8 minutes to crisp them up.

How To Make Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wings

  1. Preheat your Pit Boss or similar pellet smoker to 225 degrees F / 110 degrees C.
  2. Place seasoned chicken wings on the Pit Boss pellet grill grates, leaving a bit of space between each chicken wing.
  3. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F / 70 degrees C. This may take up to 2 hours or a little longer.
  4. Turn up the Pit Boss heat to 450 degrees F / 230 degrees C.
  5. Flip the chicken then close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.
  6. Rest the chicken wings for 5-10 minutes before serving.

There you have it, you very own crispy smoky chicken wings for daaaaaaaaaaaaays.

smoked chicken wings on a smoker

How Long Does It Take To Smoke Wings?

It takes around 2 hours to smoke chicken wings at 250 degrees F. Remember this will depend on the size of the chicken wings.

It is important that the thickest part of the wings reaches 165 F using a digital thermometer at which point the chicken is cooked. One tip is to remove the chicken from the smoker at about 160 F and wrap it up in foil to keep it cooking so that you don’t overcook it.

Do you flip chicken when smoking?

Yes, you can flip your chicken when smoking. Flip your chicken over halfway through the cooking time.

What Wood Is Best For Smoked Chicken Wings

This one is down to personal taste and choice. I tend to use oak wood as that is what I easily have available, but you can also use cherry wood, applewood, maple wood, and hickory wood.

Related Link : Poultry Seasoning.

­­Seasoning Ideas

You can go for your favorite store-bought seasoning for this or you can make your own simple blend at home and use that. Depending on your taste and mood, seasonings you can use include:

Tips For The Best Smoked Chicken Wings Ever

  • If you brine the chicken remember this brine recipe uses sea salt flakes, not regular table salt.
  • Make sure the chicken wings are the same size so they will cook at the same rate.
  • You can serve the smoked chicken wings straight up without the extra sauce rubbed on. The choice is yours.
  • If you have time let the chicken wings marinate for up to 2 hrs before smoking.
  • Feel free to serve them up with a selection of dips that you like.
smoked wings in a bowl with salad

How To Serve Smoked Chicken Wings

Serve it alongside some:

More Chicken Wings Recipes

Weight Watchers Points

One serving of smoked chicken wings contains 9 SmartPoints.

Thank you for reading my Easy How To Smoke Wings Recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

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Smoked chicken wings in a white and grey spotted bowl with a side of salad.
Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Easy Smoked Chicken Wings

This easy recipe for smoked chicken breast gives you tender and delicious chicken every time!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main
Cuisine: American, Western
Servings: 4
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1-2 tbsp your favorite rub
  • sea salt flakes if needed

Instructions

  • Preheat smoker to 250F.
  • Prepare chicken wings by patting dry and coating all sides of the chicken with olive oil, sea salt flakes, and your dry rub.
  • Place the chicken wings in the smoker, cover and cook for about 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part (using an instant-read digital thermometer) reaches 160F.
  • Remove the chicken wings from the smoker, wrap in foil, and let rest till the temperature reaches 165F.
  • Your wings are now ready to serve!

How To Cook Pit Boss Smoked Wings

  • Preheat your Pit Boss or similar pellet smoker to 225 degrees F / 110 degrees C. 
  • Place seasoned chicken wings on the Pit Boss pellet grill grates, leaving a bit of space between each chicken wing.
  • Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F / 70 degrees C. This may take up to 2 hours or a little longer. 
  • Turn up the Pit Boss heat to 450 degrees F / 230 degrees C.
  • Flip the chicken then close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.
  • Rest the chicken wings for 5-10 minutes before serving. 
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Notes

Tips

  • If you brine the chicken remember this brine recipe uses sea salt flakes, not regular table salt.
  • If you want your chicken wings to cook at the same rate, then make sure that they are the same size.
  • You can serve the chicken wings straight up without the extra sauce rubbed on. The choice is yours.

Weight Watchers Points

One serving of smoked chicken wings contains 9 SmartPoints.

Serving Suggestions

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 206IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

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Recipe Rating




7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I think it’s been a long time since I made delicious chicken wings… Time to change that with your recipe! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Love how easy and delicious this recipe is. It’s perfect for a gathering or a party.

  3. 5 stars
    So yummy! My hubby got a new smoker this summer that we’ve been playing around with. Love finding new things to try

  4. 5 stars
    When I hear cripsy on the outside and juicy inside, I am 100% sure the recipe is a must-make. Saving it to keep handy, that’s for sure. Delicious!