Smoked wings often come out with soft, rubbery skin. This recipe fixes that with dry skin, a little baking powder and a two-stage cook: smoke low for flavor, then finish hot for crunch. Toss them in sauce or serve them dry with the rub.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed
- 3 tbsp poultry rub or all-purpose BBQ rub
- 1 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free, not baking soda)
- 1 tsp kosher salt, if your rub is low in salt
- 1/2 cup hot sauce or BBQ sauce, for tossing (optional)
- 3 tbsp melted butter, for buffalo sauce (optional)
- 1–2 lb smoking wood: apple, cherry or hickory
Steps
- Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. Wet skin won't crisp.
- In a large bowl, mix the rub, baking powder and salt if needed. Add the wings and toss until every piece is lightly and evenly coated.
- For the crispiest skin, lay the wings on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1–24 hours.
- Set up your smoker for 225–250°F with apple, cherry or hickory.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer with space between them. Smoke for 30–45 minutes, until they take on a light golden color.
- Raise the smoker to 375–425°F. If your smoker can't get that hot, move the wings to a grill over medium-high heat or a 425°F oven on a rack.
- Cook another 30–45 minutes, flipping once, until the skin is browned and crisp and the thickest wings read at least 165°F. For the best texture, take them to 175–185°F.
- Rest the wings for 5 minutes. For buffalo wings, whisk the hot sauce with melted butter. Toss the wings in the sauce, or serve the sauce on the side.
Why this works
Wings have a lot of skin and fat. Low heat gives them smoke flavor, but it can't render the fat under the skin, so they come out soft. Finishing at 375–425°F renders that fat and crisps the skin. Baking powder raises the skin's pH, which helps it brown and get crunchy. It's the same trick used for crispy oven wings.
Food safety and doneness
Chicken is safe at 165°F, per the USDA. Wings are small and full of collagen, though, so they're better at 175–185°F. They stay juicy and the meat pulls cleanly off the bone. Check the thickest drumettes with an instant-read thermometer, keeping the probe away from bone.
The rub
Use about 3 tablespoons of rub for 3 lb of wings. Our poultry rub gives a savory, herby wing. Our all-purpose BBQ rub is sweeter and pairs well with BBQ sauce. Rubs with a lot of sugar can scorch during the hot finish, so keep an eye on them.
Best wood
Wings cook fast and soak up smoke quickly, so a short smoke with apple or cherry is plenty. Hickory gives a bolder, bacon-like flavor. See the wood pairing chart for more choices.
Sauce ideas
- Buffalo: 1/2 cup hot sauce whisked with 3 tbsp melted butter.
- BBQ: toss in warm Kansas City-style BBQ sauce, then put them back on the heat for 5 minutes to set the glaze.
- Dry: skip the sauce and dust with a little more rub right off the smoker.
Make ahead / storage
Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days. Reheat on a rack at 400°F for 10–15 minutes or in an air fryer to bring back the crunch. The microwave will make them soggy.
Gear for this recipe
- A quick instant-read thermometer
- A pellet smoker that can reach 400°F makes the hot finish easy
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