Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings
These Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings are cooked hot and fast at 400°F for crispy skin while still picking up plenty of wood-fired flavor. My method starts by patting the wings dry and air-chilling them uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 hours before adding avocado oil and seasoning.
I also keep the wings on wire racks while they're on the pellet smoker, which makes it easy to rotate the entire batch when I'm dealing with hot spots instead of moving every wing individually. After about 40-45 minutes, I'm looking for crispy skin and an internal temperature around 185-190°F before tossing the hot wings in sauce- a technique I’ve used for my orange Gochujang smoked chicken wings too.
Quick Look: Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings
- What They Are: Crispy seasoned chicken wings cooked hot and fast on a pellet smoker and tossed in a wing sauce after cooking.
- Why Make THIS Version? The wings air-chill uncovered for 2 hours before cooking and stay on wire racks throughout the cook for easier hot-spot management.
- Cooking Temperature: 400°F.
- Cook Time: About 40-45 minutes.
- Target Internal Temperature: 185-195°F.
- Best For: Game day, appetizers, parties and weekend BBQs, served alongside steak loaded nachos.
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Why This Recipe
Fool-Proof Crispiness: Crispy smoked wings start before the wings ever reach the smoker. Pat the wings completely dry and leave them uncovered on wire racks in the refrigerator for 2 hours. That gives surface moisture time to evaporate instead of carrying it onto the smoker.
Sauces Change Up the Flavor: The smoked chicken wings are versatile. You can keep them dry (like I do with smoked and grilled Creole chicken wings) or toss them in your favorite wing sauce and customize them to your preference.
Functional Simplicity: I keep the wings on wire racks during the entire cook. Pellet smokers can have noticeable hot spots, and with the wings on racks, you can rotate an entire batch to a different part of the smoker instead of moving every wing one at a time.
Key Ingredients
Chicken Wings: Use split chicken wings with a mixture of flats and drumettes- like I do when I make hot honey lemon pepper wings. Wings that are relatively similar in size will cook more evenly.
Avocado Oil: I use a light coating of avocado oil as the binder after the wings have finished air-chilling. You only need enough to lightly coat the skin and help the seasoning stick.
BBQ Seasoning: Season the wings generously with your favorite BBQ or wing seasoning. Because we're cooking at 400°F, be careful with rubs that contain a large amount of sugar. Sugar can darken quickly over higher heat.
Wing Sauce: Use your favorite wing sauce. I start making mine when I flip the wings around the halfway point so it's ready when they come off the smoker.
Substitutions or Additions
- Change the seasoning: BBQ, Cajun, garlic Parmesan, lemon pepper or another favorite wing rub can all work with this cooking method.
- Change the sauce: Buffalo, BBQ, hot honey, garlic Parmesan butter, crispy chili Parmesan compound butter or another favorite wing sauce can be tossed with the finished wings.
- Keep them dry: Don't want sauced wings? Skip the final toss and serve them straight off the pellet smoker with the dry rub.
- Avocado oil substitute: Another neutral high-heat cooking oil can be used if you don't have avocado oil.
How to Make Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings (Step by Step)
Step 1: Pat Dry and Air-Chill the Wings: Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. Arrange them in a single layer on wire racks with baking sheets underneath. Place the wings uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Step 2: Oil and Season: Remove the wings from the refrigerator and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the wings, then season generously. Toss until every wing is evenly coated. Return the seasoned wings to the wire racks.
Step 3: Smoke the Wings: Set the pellet smoker to 400°F and allow it to fully preheat. Place the loaded wire racks directly onto the pellet smoker and cook at 400°F for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on how the wings are cooking across the racks. If one part of your smoker runs hotter, rotate the racks as needed.
Step 4: Flip and Rotate: Flip the wings after 20-25 minutes. Rotate the racks around the pellet smoker if needed and continue cooking for approximately 20 additional minutes.
Step 5: Prepare the Sauce: While the wings are finishing smoking, prepare the bbq sauce. Add all the ingredients together and whisk on a light simmer for about 10-15 minutes and then let cool for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Sauce and Serve: Transfer the hot wings directly to a large mixing bowl. Add the prepared sauce and toss until every wing is evenly coated. Plate and serve immediately while the skin is still hot and crispy.
James’ Grill Master Pro Tips
Give the Wings the Full 2-Hour Air-Chill: Don't rush this step. Patting the wings dry helps, but leaving them uncovered in the refrigerator gives surface moisture additional time to evaporate before cooking. I used this method while making grilled garlic Parmesan chicken thighs too.
Cook Wings Hot and Fast: I run my pellet smoker at 400°F for wings instead of treating them like traditional low-and-slow BBQ. The higher heat helps render the fat underneath the skin and gives me a crispier exterior.
Keep Them on Wire Racks: I leave the wings on wire racks throughout the cook. When I find a hot spot in the pellet smoker, I can rotate an entire rack instead of moving every individual wing.
Don't Automatically Pull Them at 165°F: Chicken is safe at 165°F, but that's not where I prefer to finish wings. I take mine to about 185-195°F because wings handle the higher temperature well and I prefer the rendered texture.
Sauce After Smoking: Get the skin crispy first. I toss the wings in sauce immediately after they come off the smoker instead of adding sauce during the cook, like I did when I made grilled Teriyaki wings.
Chicken Wing Temperature Guide
Chicken wings should reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the meat, according to USDA guidance. Make sure you check several wings when cooking a batch, since smaller wings can cook faster than larger ones.
- 180- 195°F+: My preferred range for chicken wings. Cooking wings beyond the minimum safe temperature allows more fat to render and connective tissue to break down, giving the wings a more tender texture and better-rendered skin.
- Below 165°F: Meat may be translucent or undercooked near the bone. Do not eat.
- 165-175°F: Fully cooked, juicy meat with clear juices and a tender texture.
- 175-185°F: More thoroughly cooked with firmer meat; skin can become especially crisp.
Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings FAQs
I cook these pellet smoked chicken wings at 400°F. The higher heat helps render the fat underneath the skin while giving the wings a crispier exterior.
Plan on approximately 40-45 minutes. I cook the wings for 20-25 minutes, flip them, then continue for roughly another 20 minutes. Always verify doneness with an instant-read thermometer.
Start with dry skin. I pat the wings dry, air-chill them uncovered for 2 hours, and then cook them at 400°F. I also wait until after cooking to add the sauce.
Chicken is safe at 165°F, but I prefer taking wings to approximately 185-195°F. That additional cooking gives the fat and connective tissue more time to render and produces the texture I want.
I sauce them after cooking. Tossing the wings while they're still hot gives you plenty of sauce without interfering with the skin during the high-heat cook.
More Pellet Smoker Recipes
If you tried this pellet smoked chicken wings recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Remember, a bad day grilling is better than a GREAT day at work!
Crispy Pellet Smoked Chicken Wings (400°F Hot and Fast Method)
Equipment
- Pellet Grill
- Wire Rack
- Baking Sheet
- Instant-Read Thermometer
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings party wings, flats and drums; up to 3 lbs
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or melted ghee up to 2 tbsp for 3 lbs
- 2 tbsp BBQ dry rub your favorite blend; up to 3 tbsp
Optional Sauces
- buffalo sauce for tossing after cooking
- BBQ sauce + honey for honey BBQ variation
- ranch or blue cheese dressing for serving
Instructions
Pat Dry and Air-Chill the Wings
- Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. Arrange them in a single layer on wire racks with baking sheets underneath. Place the wings uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Oil and Season
- Remove the wings from the refrigerator and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add enough avocado oil to lightly coat the wings, then season generously. Toss until every wing is evenly coated. Return the seasoned wings to the wire racks.
Smoke the Wings
- Set the pellet smoker to 400°F and allow it to fully preheat. Place the loaded wire racks directly onto the pellet smoker and cook at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.
Flip and Rotate
- After 20-25 minutes, flip the wings and rotate the racks to account for any hot spots in the pellet smoker. Continue cooking for approximately 20 additional minutes, or until the wings reach 185-195°F internally and the skin is crisp.
Prepare the Sauce
- Get your wing sauce ready to be poured onto the hot chicken wings.
Sauce and Serve
- Transfer the hot wings directly to a large mixing bowl. Add the prepared sauce and toss until every wing is evenly coated. Plate and serve immediately while the skin is still hot and crispy.
Video
Notes
- Chicken wings are safe to eat once they reach 165°F internally, but I prefer taking mine to around 185-195°F for more rendered fat, tender meat, and crispier skin.
- If you are short on time, pat wings dry and let them sit uncovered on a wire rack at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is not as effective as a 2-hour fridge dry but still helps.
- Start preparing your sauce after you flip the chicken wings over on the other side. That way, the sauce will be hot and ready just in time.
