Honey Chipotle Smoked Chicken Wings
These smoked chicken wings go in at 350 and come out at 175. Much hotter and farther than most wing recipes recommend. Seasoned with chipotle seasoning applied over oil, then tossed in a honey chipotle glaze made of butter, honey, honey BBQ sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the same rub used on the wings. If you’ve got the time, dry brine overnight.
Dry Brine Overnight If Possible
Salt the wings lightly and place them uncovered in your fridge overnight. That’s it.
Crispy skin is a moisture issue. Skin comes out of the package wet. Wet skin steams before it crisps. Salt draws moisture from the surface and leaving them uncovered in the fridge allows that moisture to dissipate into the air, meaning what goes on your smoker is already partially dried.
Skip the brining? Add some corn starch to your seasoning instead. It does a similar job absorbing surface moisture during the cook.
Pat them dry regardless of whether you brine or use corn starch before the oil.
What I Used to Make Smoked Chicken Wings
| Ingredient | Notes |
|---|---|
| Chicken wings | Four pounds. |
| Olive or cooking oil | Just for binding the seasoning to the wings, not cooking with. |
| Chipotle seasoning | Chipotle powder, paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, brown sugar, cumin, and cayenne if you like it spicy. Set two teaspoons aside for the glaze. |
| Cornstarch | Only if you aren’t dry brining. |
| Butter, honey, honey BBQ sauce | For the glaze. |
| Bear Mountain BBQ Tailgating Blend | The pellets I used. |
Find exact amounts in the recipe card below.
My Process for Smoking Wings
Pat wings dry and brush lightly with oil as binder.
Season liberally on all sides with chipotle seasoning, reserving two teaspoons for the glaze.
Preheat your smoker to 350 using the tailgating blend.
Cook wings, turning occasionally for even cooking and crispy skin.
Pull wings when internal temperature hits 175.
Toss wings in warm glaze.
The times and temperatures for each step are in the recipe card below.
Why Pull at 175 instead of 165?
165°F is where poultry is safe. It’s where you stop cooking a chicken breast.
Chicken wings are dark meat and operate differently. Dark meat has more connective tissue and more fat running through those tissues. Neither of those are done giving up their deliciousness at 165°F. When you push to 175 that collagen begins to break down and that fat begins to render. That’s what turns a rubbery wing into a tender bite.
When you pull at 175 that extra ten degrees is also crisping the skin. All that rendering fat is escaping through the skin as it does its thing and that’s a huge part of what makes a smoked chicken wing that tastes like you smoked it instead of one that just won’t stop squishing on your teeth.
Yes, you can cook a chicken breast until it’s dry. There’s more room for error on dark meat.
The Glaze
Melt together half a stick of butter, half a cup of honey BBQ sauce, half a cup of honey and two teaspoons of chipotle seasoning.
Melt over low to medium heat until butter is melted and combined.
Keep warm until your wings are done.
Author’s Notes
The Wings Are Dark Meat
The wings are dark meat, so they stay juicy. And you want a really crispy skin.
You can serve it with your favorite sides. You can also do carrots, celery, ranch for dipping. All that works pretty good.
Miguel
Miguel’s Tips
- If you have the time dry brine them overnight. Just salt and leave uncovered in fridge.
- If you don’t have time for a dry brine, add corn starch to your seasoning instead.
- It’s just there as a binder not to cook them in. A little bit will go a long way.
- Reserve two teaspoons of your seasoning for the glaze.
- Pull your wings at 175 not 165. Dark meat needs the extra time.
- Toss the wings hot. Straight from the smoker into the glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why go 350°F instead of low and slow?
I’ve seen many recipes that tell you to smoke them at a lower temp then apply sauce at the end. You won’t get crispy skin if you do this because they aren’t hot enough to render all the moisture from the skin. I feel 350 will give you plenty of smoke flavor and crisp up your skin.
Do I have to dry brine?
You sure don’t. It’s the crispiest way to do it but adding corn starch to your seasoning skips most of the day before. They’re great with or without.
Can I make the glaze ahead of time?
Absolutely. It keeps and reheats beautifully. Just warm it when the wings are done because they need to go right into the glaze.
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- Parmesan Garlic Grilled Chicken Wings
- Buffalo Parmesan Garlic Wings
- Glazed Honey Jalapeno Orange Chicken Skewers
- Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza
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Honey Chipotle Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If you have time, lightly salt the wings and place them uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This draws moisture out of the skin and is the best route to crispy skin. If you skip it, add 1 to 2 tbsp of cornstarch to your seasoning instead.
- Pat the wings very dry. Lightly coat them with olive oil or cooking oil to act as a binder. A little goes a long way, this is not for cooking in.
- Combine the chipotle seasoning ingredients. Reserve 2 teaspoons for the glaze, then season the wings generously and evenly on all sides with the rest.
- Set your smoker to 350°F. Place the wings on and cook, turning occasionally so they cook evenly and the skin crisps.
- Cook until the wings reach an internal temperature of 175°F. Wings are dark meat, so taking them past 165°F renders the fat and breaks down the connective tissue rather than overcooking them.
- While the wings cook, add the butter, honey BBQ sauce, honey and reserved 2 teaspoons of chipotle seasoning to a small saucepan. Warm over low to medium heat, stirring until the butter melts and everything is combined. Keep it warm.
- Pull the wings at 175°F and toss them straight into the warm glaze while they are hot, so every wing is coated. Serve with carrots, celery and ranch.
