These delicious, tasty, and caramelized smoked chicken wings feature the most delicious sweet and savory dry rub and are prepped in just 10 minutes (the grill does the rest!). Easy, kid-friendly, and perfect for weeknights, weekends, gatherings, and more!
What Makes This Recipe Great
Around my house, the words Smoked Chicken Wings are like music to our ears. My boys LOVE BBQ days, and they devour these crispy smoked chicken wings! Plus, we love to eat outside as much as possible, and since the weather in CA is typically pretty nice, we like to soak it up!
Smoked wings are very easy to make and so so so fun to eat. I make a super simple (absolutely perfect) dry rub that is a delicious blend of savory, sweet, and salty. I prep whatever side I plan to have ahead of time, so when it’s time to cook, this meal comes together as quick as can be.
All you need are a few simple ingredients, a grill, and hungry kids. The tender meat, tasty smoky flavor, the ease- all perfection! This is my favorite way to make wings– even over a charcoal grill or gas grill. The smoke flavor is just SO GOOD. Trust me when I say this recipe will truly rescue you!
Watch The Recipe Video
Note: You can also watch on YouTube.
Rescue Recipes: Nat’s Notes
This is a brand new recipe that’s part of my 2023 Rescue Recipes Series – aka lifesaving recipes for busy families! View all the Rescue Recipes here.
These smoked chicken wings are one of my boys’ favorite meals. They go absolutely nuts when we make these, and there are often no leftovers. Using the grill is so fun even after summer, and we love getting to sit outside, get messy, and EAT!
The dry rub is the perfect blend of sweet and savory, and the sugar caramelizes to give them a crispy skin on the outside of the wings. What is better than a crunchy, caramel-ly exterior and a tender, juicy chicken middle?!
- Rescue Recipes Tips: There’s very little prep that needs to be done with the wings, so I’d spend any extra time throughout the day to prep a side dish like this Roasted Broccoli, this Simple Grilled Asparagus, or Easy Green Beans. Get your veggies chopped and prepped so it’s easy to throw them in the oven or on the grill at dinnertime.
- Kid-Friendly Tips: I’ve always heard that making meals fun is a great way to get kids to try new foods, and this is one of the best ways to do it! My boys love to eat these crispy wings with their hands, and the mess never bothers me because they’re eating, and that is such a win! Bring a pack of baby wipes to the table for easy hand cleaning at the end.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken wings: This works for whole chicken wings or wings where the flat and the drumette are separated.
- Avocado oil
- Brown sugar: I’ve tried this with paleo sugars (coconut sugar, maple sugar, monk fruit). It sadly doesn’t work.
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill or smoker to 325ºF.
- Make the dry rub by combining the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and kosher salt in a small bowl. Keep the brown sugar separate; do not add it yet.
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl with the avocado oil and toss to combine. Then sprinkle on the dry rub in an even layer on all sides of the chicken wings.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the dry rub chicken wings, and gently pat to adhere. Adding the brown sugar last gives it more caramelization and a better crispy outer layer.
- Smoke the wings on your Traeger grill grates with the lid shut for 1 hour and 20 minutes—no need to flip or turn the wings while cooking. The internal temperature of the wings should be 165 degrees F. Check with an instant-read thermometer if you’re unsure.
- Remove the wings from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with your favorite sauce to dip. These are seriously the BEST wings.
Expert Tips
- Wings: This works for full wings or wings where the flat and the drumette are separated.
- Brown Sugar: I’ve tried this with paleo sugars (coconut sugar, maple sugar, monk fruit). It sadly doesn’t work. Those sugars don’t caramelize but instead burn. I wouldn’t recommend swapping for another sweetener. You could use cane sugar in place of brown sugar.
- Oven Method: You can make these in the oven if you don’t have a grill. Bake them at 325ºF for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I’d recommend baking them on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack so the air can circulate and get crispy.
- Pellets: If you’re using a pellet smoker/pellet grill, you can choose the pellets/wood chips you use. There are tons of options. I use Signature, which I love. But there are tons of options like cherry wood or hickory as well.
Serving Tips
- Serve these smoked chicken wings hot with a simple side salad or your family’s favorite side dish! They also go well with celery sticks and carrot sticks.
- For dipping, you can serve these with ranch or blue cheese dressing or even BBQ sauce if desired. But my kids really like them as is. If you’re a hot sauce person, you can spice up your dipping with your favorite hot sauce.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze, let the smoked chicken wings cool completely. Then, store in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and choose a reheating method below.
- Reheating: You can eat them cold or reheat in the oven (350ºF for about 10 minutes) or air fryer (300ºF for about 4-5 minutes).
Recipe FAQs
I smoke these wings at 325F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. The cooked wings will reach a safe internal temperature of 165, which is recommended for chicken. Check with a meat thermometer if desired. There’s no need to flip!
No! This smoked wing recipe does not need any flipping. It’s a close the lid and forget about them for an hour kind of thing (EASY!).
More Delicious Wing Recipes
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Dry Rubbed Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger grill, or smoker, to 325ºF.
- Make the dry rub by combining the garlic powder, smoked paprika and kosher salt. Keep the brown sugar separate, do not add it yet.1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Toss the chicken wings in the avocado oil, and toss to combine. Then sprinkle on the dry rub in an even layer on all sides of the chicken wings.2 pounds chicken wings, 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the dry rub chicken wings, and gently pat to adhere. Adding the brown sugar last gives it more caramelization and a better crispy outer layer.3 tablespoons brown sugar
- Smoke the wings on your Traeger grill with the lid shut for 1 hour and 20 minutes. No need to flip or turn the wings while cooking.
- Remove the wings from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Wings: This works for full wings or wings where the flat and the drumette are separated.
- Brown Sugar: I’ve tried this with paleo sugars (coconut sugar, maple sugar, monk fruit). It sadly doesn’t work. Those sugars don’t caramelize but instead burn. I wouldn’t recommend swapping for another sweetener. You could use cane sugar in place of brown sugar.
- Oven Method: You can make these in the oven if you don’t have a grill. Bake them at 325ºF for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I’d recommend baking them on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack so the air can circulate and get crispy.
- Pellets: If you’re using a pellet smoker/pellet grill, you can choose the pellets/wood chips you use. There are tons of options. I use Signature, which I love. But there are tons of options like cherry wood or hickory as well.
Serving Tips
- Serve these smoked chicken wings hot with a simple side salad or your family’s favorite side dish!
- For dipping, you can serve these with ranch or blue cheese dressing or even BBQ sauce if desired. But my kids really like them as is.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze, let the smoked chicken wings cool completely. Then, store in a freezer-safe container or bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and choose a reheating method below.
- Reheating: You can eat them cold or reheat in the oven (350ºF for about 10 minutes) or air fryer (300ºF for about 4-5 minutes).
Nutrition
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