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 cooking class was a perfect addition to his Father’s Day gift. Let’s face it, I shouldn’t be the only one in the house who can cook, right?!
With 15 or more people in attendance, the cooking class was full. It 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 putting on the smoker.
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. Check out your local culinary shops and the specialty shops for classes in your area.
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. It really adds great flavor and keeps everything moist and delicious.
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, or at least a few hours in advance, 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. Our smoker uses charcoal for the heat source. 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, between 200 and 325 degrees. That 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. We usually cook meats and vegetables with our smoker set at about 200-225 degrees.
How to make Smoked Chicken Wings?
- Prepare your smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Smoker should reach at least 225 degrees fahrenheit.
- 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 place them on the top rack of the smoker.
- You may need to add additional charcoal during the cooking process to maintain the correct temperature. Keep the smoker at a constant 225 degrees. Use the brine to brush and baste the chicken occasionally during the smoking process. Our wings took about 1 1/2 hours to cook through. Internal temperature of the meat should read 175 degrees when done. We added some vegetables about halfway 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.
Add this recipe for Smoked Chicken Wings to you list of favorite chicken recipes. Next up, we will be doing a beef brisket…can’t wait!
Want more of the best smoked and grilled chicken recipes, check out these tasty dishes:
- Hoisin Smoked Chicken
- Beer Can Grilled Chicken
- Asian Grilled Chicken Salad
- Barbecue Chicken and Grilled Asparagus
Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the brine:
- 6 cups water
- 12 ounces beer
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Meat and Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons dry meat rub
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 10 chicken wings, whole wing, tips removed
- 6 small sweet peppers
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, to finish
Instructions
- Prepare your smoker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Smoker should reach at least 225 degrees fahrenheit.
- 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 place them on the top rack of the smoker.
- You may need to add additional charcoal during the cooking process to maintain the correct temperature. Keep the smoker at a constant 225 degrees. Use the brine to brush and baste the chicken occasionally during the smoking process. Our wings took about 1 1/2 hours to cook through. Internal temperature of the meat should read 175 degrees when done. We added some vegetables about halfway 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! Recipe makes 10 whole wings or 20 wing pieces.
Equipment
- 1 smoker, charcoal or electric