BBQ Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

These are great. They’re a cinch to make and the deliver a great taste of real BBQ to your table in just an hour or so of smoking (Unlike the 4 hours you’d spend smoking ribs or the better part of day you’d spend on a pulled pork shoulder).

Here are basic instructions for smoked chicken wings. I think these are great as is, but with all things BBQ, there is always room for experimentation and once you get the hang of this simple recipe you can play around with different rubs and finishing sauces to your heart’s content.

If you have a smoker, then you don’t need me to tell you how to smoke…so I won’t! If you don’t have a smoker, then you can make these in any regular grill BBQ, whether gas or propane, as long as you use indirect cooking (keep the chicken wings as far from the heat as possible!) Heat the burner on one side of the grill, get the temperature up to 275 f and put your soaked wood chips in tinfoil on the side that has the flame and put your wings on the grate as far as you possibly can from the flame on the other side. Cook covered until done.

Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings

Recipe quantities are not necessary for these. They are so easy, as long you understand the method.

• Chicken wings
• Salt and pepper
• Hickory wood chips for smoking
• Hot sauce for finishing, optional

1. The night before you plan on smoking these, sprinkle with salt and pepper all over.
2. Let them sit in the fridge overnight, uncovered, ideally on a rack inside a tray or on some clean dish towels. You want these to dry out a bit so they’ll grab the smoke a bit better in the smoker
3. About half an hour before cooking, put your wood chips in water to soak. (You can buy hickory woodchips at most hardware or grocery stores)
4. When ready to cook, preheat the smoker or BBQ to 275 (If using a regular backyard propane BBQ, see above on how to indirect smoke)
5. Once preheated, add the woodchips and wait until the first smoke appears and then a rub a little oil on the grates and toss on your chicken wings.
6. Smoke at 275 for about an hour, or until they are cooked through, nicely browned and smelling fantastic.
7. I like these as is, but they’re even better if you give them 5 or 10 minutes on a grill set to medium high, to really crisp up the skin before serving.
8. Serve with your favorite hot, BBQ or wing sauces on the side.