Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings – Perfect for Tailgating
Chicken wings evoke tailgates, game-day parking lots, and crowds ready for a good time. Alongside burgers, brats, and loaded nachos, crispy smoked chicken wings are always a crowd-pleaser. Whether you prefer battered and fried wings drenched in sauce or simple, well-seasoned wings you dip in blue cheese or ranch, smoked wings offer a smoky, crisp alternative that stands out at any gathering.
The Perfect Chicken Wing
To me, a perfect wing builds flavor with every bite: crispy skin, juicy meat that pulls clean from the bone, and a gentle heat on the finish. These smoked wings deliver on all those fronts. I make them for family, friends, and watch parties—whenever I bring a tray, they disappear fast.
They’re versatile, too: use the spicy butter-and-hot-sauce glaze described here or swap in a classic barbecue sauce or a sweeter sauce with added brown sugar if you prefer milder flavors.
Table of Contents
Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
Beer Brine
These wings start with a simple beer brine that adds flavor and helps keep the meat moist. I brine wings overnight in an IPA—fruit-forward IPAs like huckleberry or citrus-forward varieties work great and impart a subtle, complementary flavor. For the brine I use 12–18 ounces of beer with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon poultry rub.
Buy whole wings and separate them into tips, flats, and drumettes. Lay the wing meat-side down and cut through the joints with a sharp knife—after a few pieces you’ll find a rhythm. You can separate wings before or after brining.
Chicken Wing Prep Work
When you’re ready to smoke, remove the wings from the brine and pat them very dry. Dry skin is essential for crisping.
The Secret to Crispy Smoked Chicken Wing Skin
To help the skin crisp, place the wings in a gallon zip-top bag with 2 tablespoons of the same poultry rub used in the brine and 1½ tablespoons of baking powder or cornstarch. Seal and shake or flip the bag until the wings are evenly coated. The coating draws moisture from the skin and encourages a dry, crispy finish when smoked.
How to Smoke Chicken Wings
Start the wings in the smoker at a low temperature of 150°F and smoke for 30 minutes. This gently infuses smoke flavor without drying the meat.
While the wings smoke, prepare the glaze: combine 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup red hot sauce, and 6 ounces of beer in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the mixture reduces by about half and thickens slightly.
After the initial smoke, raise the smoker temperature to 350°F. Toss the wings in the reduced sauce, return them to the smoker, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F—about 30–45 minutes more. Check a few pieces with an instant-read thermometer to be sure.
Know Your Temps!
Always verify doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken should reach 165°F internal temperature. I use a fast-reading thermometer for accurate checks; it’s an essential tool to avoid undercooked or overcooked results.
The Best Chicken Wings You’ll Ever Make
These smoked wings are a repeat request at my gatherings. For big events I’ve cooked multiple batches—eight pounds once disappeared in minutes at a Super Bowl party. The recipe is straightforward, scalable, and forgiving: swap in a barbecue sauce if the spicy glaze isn’t your thing, or add a little brown sugar to the sauce for a sweeter finish.
If you try this recipe, I welcome feedback—good or constructive. It’s always great to hear how cooks turn out and what variations you enjoy.
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Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings
- 3 Tbsp Nick’s Poultry Rub
- 1 ½ Tbsp Baking Powder or Corn Starch
- 18 ounces IPA beer
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Cup Red Hot
- 4 Tbsp Butter
Instructions
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If you have whole wings, separate the drums and flats with a knife and place the wings in a large gallon zip-top bag.
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Add 1 tablespoon of rub, the kosher salt, and 1/4 cup brown sugar to the bag, then pour the beer over the wings. Seal and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
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Remove wings from the brine, place them on a foil-lined sheet, and pat very dry with paper towels. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of rub and the baking powder or corn starch.
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Place the wings directly on the grill grate and smoke at 150°F for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, raise the smoker to 350°F and continue cooking. Total cook time after the initial smoke will be about 45 minutes, but monitor internal temperature.
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While the wings cook, combine 6 ounces of IPA with 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup red hot, and 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce reduces by half.
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After about 45 minutes at the higher temperature, pull the wings, toss them in the sauce, then return them to the smoker for an additional 15 minutes or until the wings reach 165°F internally.
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Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces or enjoy them plain.
Video
Notes
Choose your salt carefully: fine table salt or fine kosher salt will over-season. Coarse kosher salt, such as Morton, works well for this recipe.