This easy Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wing Recipe gives you tender, juicy chicken wings with super crispy skin seasoned with a homemade dry rub. Serve as is, or toss with one of your favorite wing sauces or dipping sauces.
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If you're a chicken wings fan but find they're always way too greasy, this recipe is for you! No deep frying or oil is needed!
One of my favorite ways to make the best wings is on the pellet grill! The wings are cooked over indirect heat, so they are super juicy and they are infused with flavorful smoke. Check out my Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Quarters next!
❤️ Why you will love these smoked chicken wings
- Easy. With a pellet grill, making smoked chicken wings is simple and easy.
- Great flavor: These crispy smoked chicken wings have the perfect smoky flavor.
- Restaurant quality: These wings rival those at your local pub - and they are ready in about an hour!
- Versatile: Serve as a main course or as an appetizer!
⏲️ How long to smoke chicken wings?
The smoking process for the best wings takes about 1 hour until they reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. Use a temperature probe to ensure the chicken is at the right temperature.
🐓 Ingredients
You can prepare these delicious, juicy, flavorful, crispy smoked chicken wings on a pellet grill with basic pantry ingredients.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.
- Chicken wings. I used split chicken wings with the skin on.
- Baking powder. This is the secret ingredient to getting crispy skin on the wings. The baking powder helps the chicken skin crisp up.
- Dry rub. I used my favorite Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken, which is fantastic on chicken AND pork. It contains brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, roasted garlic and peppers seasoning, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper.
♨️ How to smoke chicken wings on pellet grill
Step 1. Preheat the pellet grill to 250 degrees F. Dry chicken wings really well with paper towels (Image 1).
Step 2: Place chicken wings in a large freezer bag or large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the dry rub ingredients. Add the baking powder and dry spice rub to the bag or bowl. Zip up the bag and shake to coat the wings evenly (Image 2).
Step 3: Shake off excess dry rub and place the whole chicken wings directly on the smoker racks (Image 3).
Step 4: Smoke the chicken wings at 250 degrees F for about 20 minutes, flip them over, and cook for another 25 minutes or so until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees F. Turn the grill temperature to high heat (375-400 degrees F) and cook the wings for another 10-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. This will give the wings their signature crispy skin (Image 4).
Step 5: Remove the wings from the grill and serve with your favorite dipping sauce, or toss the wings in your favorite wing sauce.
Tip: Use a large sheet pan to carry the wings back and forth from the pellet grill.
🧂 Substitutions
- Baking powder: No baking powder? Use cornstarch instead! The wings will still crisp up, just not as much as with baking powder.
- Dry rub: Add kosher salt, smoked paprika, or Cajun seasoning to the dry rub, or use your favorite!
📖 Variations
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper, chili pepper flakes, or chipotle powder
- Sweet - Add extra brown sugar to the spice rub.
- Less Sweet - Decrease the amount of brown sugar in the BBQ rub.
- Saucy - Add your favorite BBQ sauce 5 minutes before the end of cooking time. If you add it any earlier, the sugar in the sauce may burn.
- Buffalo wings - Toss the cooked wings in buffalo sauce, or make your own using hot sauce and butter!
💭 Expert Tips
- Do not overstuff the Ziploc bag with chicken. I like to mix the wings with the dry rub ingredients in two batches.
- Tap off any excess dry rub before placing the wings on the grilling racks.
- Make sure there is space between the wings so they cook evenly.
- Flip the wings over halfway through for even cooking.
🍽 Side Dishes
⭐ What is so great about a pellet grill?
A pellet grill cooks your food using hardwood pellets instead of gas or propane like a gas grill. The wood smoke adds fantastic flavor. It cooks the meat at a lower temperature so it doesn't dry out. When using a pellet grill, you get a consistent temperature. You set the smoker to the temperature you want to cook your food at, and that's it! Easy, right? No more fires on the grill, no more burnt food; it's practically foolproof! This is my preferred method to cook just about anything!
⭐ What is the best wood for smoked chicken wings?
The best wood for smoking chicken wings is hardwood with a mild smoky flavor, like apple wood or cherry wood. Hickory wood pellets are also a good choice. I also like the Competition blend, a combination of maple, hickory, and cherry, which has a uniquely delicious flavor and goes with almost anything.
Because the bags of wood pellets can be expensive if you buy different types, my favorite wood chips are the Competition blend, as they go with everything, and a bag of Hickory pellets for when I want that stronger Hickory flavor. And Applewood for when I'm cooking Smoked Pork Tenderloin or Double Smoked Ham. 🙂
⭐ FAQ's
To reheat the wings, bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-6 minutes, in the air fryer on the 'REHEAT' function for a few minutes, or in your microwave for about 1 minute.
The best temperature for crispy skin smoked chicken wings is 225-250 degrees F for the first 45 minutes, then 375-400 degrees F for 15 minutes.
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
No, you don't have to use it.
Yes, just make sure you have enough space on your grill rack for all the wings.
Yes, you can use the broiler in your oven for a few minutes to get extra crispy skin instead of turning up your grill to high heat.
More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
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- Jeri
Recipe
Pit Boss Smoked Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Meat Thermometer
- Pellet grill
- Wood pellets
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons dry rub for smoked chicken the recipe below makes nine tablespoons - save extra rub for the next time you make chicken.
Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic and Peppers Seasoning a Club House seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
- Mix up the ingredients for the homemade chicken rub in a small bowl.
- Dry wings well with paper towels. Place the wings in a large Ziploc bag or large bowl. Add baking powder and dry rub to a Ziploc bag or bowl. Zip up the bag and shake to coat the wings evenly.
- Shake off excess coating and place the chicken wings directly on the smoker racks. Smoke the chicken wings at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes, flip them over, and cook for another 25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees F.
- Next, turn the smoker to high heat (375-400 degrees F) and cook the wings for another 15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Flip and rotate wings as needed to avoid any burnt spots.
- Once the wings reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, remove the wings from the grill and serve with your favorite dipping sauce or wing sauce.
Video
Recipe Notes:
- Do not overstuff the Ziploc bag with chicken. I like to mix the wings with the dry rub ingredients in two batches.
- Tap off any excess dry rub before placing the wings on the grilling racks.
- Make sure there is space between the wings so they cook evenly.
- Flip the wings over halfway through for even cooking.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
About Jeri Walker
Jeri Walker is the founder and CEO of Winding Creek Ranch. She is a self-taught home cook who specializes in easy family-friendly recipes. Jeri is also a food writer who regularly writes articles for MSN. Read about Jeri's journey and connect with her on your favorite social media channels!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
I'm typically just a hot wings person - haven't liked any other wings, before this. But these wings are totally amazing!! I can't wait to make them again - and a bigger batch!! I consumed them with gusto!
DK
I love smoked chicken wings! And this recipe is so easy and delicious to make - will be having them for dinner tonight!
Katie
These smoked wings were amazing! My whole family loved them.
Jeri Walker
Thanks Katie! I'm glad you liked them! 🙂
Rob
do you recommend over an open flame or indirect heat?
Jeri Walker
Hi Rob! For the best results, I recommend cooking the chicken wings using indirect heat. Indirect heat allows for more even cooking, reducing the risk of burning the outside while ensuring the wings are fully cooked on the inside. Thanks for checking out my recipe - and enjoy your chicken wings! 🙂
Angela McIlwaine
Hi
What happens if your electric smoker can only go up to 300 degrees?
Thanks
Jeri
Hi Angela. Great question! You can still crisp chicken wings on a smoker if your smoker doesn't go past 300 degrees. When it is time to turn up the temperature, cook the wings at 300 degrees until they reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. It will probably take about 30-45 minutes or so. Alternatively, to speed up the process, you could place them on a baking sheet and pop them in your oven under the broiler for a few minutes; make sure to flip them to avoid any burnt spots. Hope this helps! 🙂
Jere Cassidy
I think I am missing out on not having a smoker. These wings look amazing.