Smoked Chicken Wings

My husband, Brian, and I recently attended a smoker cooking class. Our boys gave him a smoker for Father’s Day. Chef Michael Turner guided us through the class and we were able to taste many things prepared by the chef. It was a fun night and we learned how to prepare a brine, smoke meats and vegetables, and add delicious sauces to the food. This is Brian’s recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings. They are amazing!

My boys and I purchased a Masterbuilt Charcoal Bullet Smoker for Brian for Father’s Day, so this was a perfect addition to his Father’s Day gift. With 15 or more people in attendance, the class was full. The class included tasting portions of BBQ chicken, pork ribs and homemade rosemary rolls. A cooking demonstration by Chef Turner was also included. He gave us tips on smoking different meats and told us how to make a brine for the food before it is smoked.

The food was delicious. The white truffle french fries were amazing…of course.

We had a great evening and would recommend cooking classes to anyone who is planning to buy a smoker. Brian has smoked many things since then and has developed his own recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings. We learned that a good brine is important to smoking meats and vegetables.

Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

For the brine:

• 6 cups of water
• 1 bottle or can of beer
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried, chopped rosemary

Meat and Vegetables:

• 2 tablespoons of grilling seasoning
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried, chopped rosemary
• 10 whole chicken wings, cut wing tips off
• 6 small sweet peppers

How to make a brine for your meat?

• The day before you plan to smoke your food, prepare the brine above by mixing the first seven ingredients in a large baking pan or dutch oven. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
• Wash and remove the tips from the chicken wings. You can cut them at the joint or leave them whole. Place them in the brine. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Some tips on buying and using a smoker?

• Prepare your smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Brian’s smoker is a charcoal smoker. You can also get ones that use electricity or propane to generate heat.

• We purchased this Masterbuilt Bullet Charcoal Smoker on Amazon.com for less than $100. It is easy to use and easy to clean. Most smokers operate at a low temperature, which means the food takes longer to cook. But the trade-off is better flavor. Inside the smoker, there are layers— charcoal at the bottom, wood chips in the middle, and food at the top. Our smoker cooks at about 200-225 degrees.

How to make Chicken Wings on the smoker?

• When the smoker is hot and ready to go, drain the brine from the chicken into a plastic pitcher. Reserve the brine for basting the food during cooking. Add the dry grilling seasoning to the wings and add them to the top rack of the smoker.

• You may need to add additional charcoal during the cooking process to maintain the correct temperature. Try to keep the smoker at a constant 200-210 degrees. Use the brine to brush and baste the chicken occasionally during the smoking process. Our wings took about 4 1/2 hours to cook through. We added some vegetables about half way through smoking.

• When the wings are done, remember to add your favorite barbecue sauce before serving. We brushed on some spicy BBQ sauce to half of the wings and some Honey BBQ sauce to the other half for those who don’t like it hot!

Food on the smoker has an amazing amount of flavor. We have enjoyed using the smoker for pork, ribs, chicken and vegetables. It is a time commitment, but you will be so pleased with the flavor and quality of the food you make. Next up, we will be doing a beef brisket…can’t wait!