Smoked Wings Recipe

dry and coat

Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, kosher salt and black pepper until evenly coated. Transfer to a wire rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 30–60 minutes (optional) to dry the skin further for better crisping.

apply dry rub

Mix the dry rub ingredients (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, cayenne) in a small bowl. Sprinkle and rub the mixture evenly over the wings so each piece has a light coating. Let sit 10 minutes while you prepare the smoker or oven.

Preheat smoker to 225°F (107°C) using mild wood like apple, cherry, or hickory. Place wings directly on the smoker racks in a single layer and smoke for 45–60 minutes until they reach an internal temp of about 160°F (71°C) and have absorbed smoke flavor.

Increase smoker temperature to 375–400°F (190–205°C) (or transfer wings to a preheated oven at 425°F / 220°C if you prefer). Cook an additional 10–15 minutes, flipping once, until skin is crisp and internal temp reaches 175–180°F (79–82°C). Remove wings and let rest 5 minutes.

buffalo

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Whisk in hot sauce, honey, white vinegar and black pepper until smooth and warm. Keep warm on the lowest flame or transfer to a bowl.

BBQ

Combine BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan and warm gently until just simmering; stir and remove from heat to keep glossy.

hot honey parmesan

In a small skillet or saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add honey and red pepper flakes and warm 1–2 minutes until combined. Stir in lemon juice. Toss freshly cooked wings in the hot honey to coat, then immediately sprinkle with grated Parmesan so it sticks to the hot honey coating.

sweet thai chili

Whisk together sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and sesame oil in a small bowl. Warm briefly if you prefer it slightly thinner and warm; otherwise use at room temperature.

Divide the cooked wings into four equal batches (about 12 pieces per batch for 3 lbs). Toss each batch with one of the sauces: one with the buffalo sauce, one with the warmed BBQ, one with the hot honey parmesan (toss then sprinkle parmesan), and one with the sweet Thai chili. For a dry-rub option, reserve one small portion of wings un-sauced after crisping and serve with extra dry rub on the side.

Arrange on a platter, garnish hot honey parmesan wings with extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley/cilantro if using. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side.