These sticky and crispy smoked chicken wings are the perfect party appetizer. You can batter the wings ahead of time and save the smoking and saucing for some BBQ entertainment! They only take 30 minutes to smoke so your guests will be eating in no time!
What You Need To Make These Sticky & Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
2lbs of raw chicken wings – 2lbs of chicken wings are roughly 25 chicken wings and drumsticks. We currently purchase ours from our local grocery store.
Cornstarch – The cornstarch in this recipe may seem odd but this is the magic ingredient that makes these chicken wings crisp!
Seasoning – Mixing in seasoning with the cornstarch gives these chicken wings added flavor to their crispy skin.
BBQ sauce – Grab your favorite BBQ sauce to add the final sticky touch to these smoked chicken wings.
We sauced our chicken wings in Rufus Teague Honey Sweet BBQ Sauce and Franklin Barbecue Spicy BBQ Sauce.
How to Prepare Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
- In a ziplock bag, add the cornstarch, poultry seasoning, bbq rub, and garlic jalapeno rub. Shake together until combined.
2. Add 2 lbs of raw wings to the bag. Shake until all of the wings are fully coated.
3. Place the coated wings on a baking sheet with a rack, gently shaking the excess coating off as you go.
4. Sprinkle seasoning salt and bbq rub on the coated wings.
5. While the wings are drying on the rack, heat the grill to 400°F with mesquite pellets.
6. Once the grill reaches temperature, place the wings on the grill rack for 35 minutes or until the cornstarch is no longer visible.
7. Toss the cooked wings in your BBQ sauce until fully coated.
8. Finish with green onion or chives and fresh sea salt! Enjoy!
Grilling Tips
Drying time – It is important to let the wings dry on a rack for 5-10 minutes at a minimum. Using a rack allows all sides of the chicken wings to dry out. We recommend a baking sheet/drying rack combo like this one.
Grill type – We are using our Traeger Ironwood 650 for these sticky and crispy smoked chicken wings. You can use any pellet smoker or offset smoker. You can even use a BBQ if you don’t have a smoker!
When to sauce – If you aren’t serving your wings straight off the grill, sauce the wings just before serving. This will keep the wings crispy.
Sticky & Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs raw chicken wings
- cornstarch
- poultry seasoning
- BBQ rub
- garlic jalapeno rub
- seasoning salt
- BBQ sauce
- green onion or chivee for garnish
- fresh sea salt for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Coating: In a ziplock bag, combine cornstarch, poultry seasoning, BBQ rub, and garlic jalapeno rub. Shake the bag to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
- Coat the Wings: Add the raw chicken wings to the bag. Shake well until all the wings are fully coated with the cornstarch mixture.
- Dry the Wings: Place the coated wings on a baking sheet with a rack. Shake off any excess coating. Let the wings dry on the rack for 5-10 minutes. This drying process helps achieve a crispy texture.
- Season the Wings: Sprinkle additional seasoning salt and BBQ rub on the wings.
- Heat the Grill: Preheat your grill to 400°F using mesquite pellets. Ensure the grill reaches the desired temperature before placing the wings on it.
- Grill the Wings: Place the wings on the grill rack. Grill them for approximately 35 minutes or until the cornstarch is no longer visible, and the wings are crispy.
- Sauce the Wings: Toss the cooked wings in your favorite BBQ sauce until they are fully coated.
- Garnish and Serve: Finish by garnishing with chopped green onion or chives and a sprinkle of fresh sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
Great post and recipe! Might have to forward to my husband because he always smokes the salmon he catches 🙂
These look delicious! I definitely want to try them.
We love wings and just made them last weekend! What a great recipe! Love the garlic jalapeño rub. We use garlic and jalapeño in almost everything 💕