| |

Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings

Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings – Calling all chicken wing lovers! These smokey pellet grilled chicken wings, with their juicy insides and perfectly crispy-crunchy skin, are insanely good. Pair them up with your favorite dipping sauces or just enjoy them naked. They taste amazing either way! 🤤

Insanely good Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings with ranch dressing and celery sticks

Chicken wings are a popular party food for good reason. Everyone loves them; including me. Besides their innate tastiness, they’re easy to prepare and won’t break the bank. They’re ideal for all occasions, from sporting events to family reunions. 

But they’re a wonderful weeknight family meal, too! So, add them to your weekly meal rotation like I did. Kids always clean their plates, and thanks to their small size, they don’t need endless hours on the smoker (and a pellet grill is set it, and forget it). 👌

Enjoying Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings with sauce and celery sticks

The Secret’s in the Sauce: The Best Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings

Now, let’s be clear: These wings taste amazing, even naked. And if you are a naked wing lover, then devour them as-is. But a couple of different sauces for dipping the wings adds variety to the meal and is nice for different taste preferences.

Plus, it looks festive and it’s fun! I highly recommend homemade BBQ sauce, ranch dressingremoulade saucejerk sauce, and chimichurri sauce for dipping and drizzling. 💯

Recipe Ingredients

Recipe Ingredients
  • Wings – Use whole wings or party-cut wings; either way works! Personally, I like precut wings, so they get a little extra seasoning coverage. 😉
  • Seasonings – For your dry rub, you’ll need salt, onion and garlic powder, thyme, oregano, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, cayenne, and paprika. 

How to Make Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings

Season poultry and smoke for an insanely good appetizer

Season the Wings

  1. Prep Wings: Thoroughly wash and pat the wings dry with paper towels. That ensures the spices adhere to the wings and they get a nice crispy skin.
  2. Seasonings: In a bowl, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Adjust the seasonings to taste; if there’s a spice you don’t like, leave it out. 
  3. Season the Wings: Place chicken wings in a bowl and sprinkle with the spice mix. Mix thoroughly to coat every inch of the wings. Let them marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge if you have time.

Smoke the Wings

  1. Preheat your pellet smoker to 250°F (120°C). The slow indirect heat cooks the wings slowly, allowing them to absorb the smoky flavor without drying out.
  2. Smoke: Place the wings on the pellet grill or smoker, leaving space between each wing. Close the smoker and smoke the wings for 1½ to 2 hours. The wings’ internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C) when done.
Smoked chicken wings ready to come out of the pellet grill

Recipe Variations

  • Saucy smoked wings. Marinate chicken wings in your favorite BBQ sauce for at least an hour before smoking. Brush them with additional BBQ sauce halfway through cooking. Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce for dipping.
  • Smoked Buffalo wings. Mix the melted butter and Frank’s RedHot Sauce in a bowl, adjusting the ratio to your desired spice level. Toss chicken wings in the Buffalo sauce mixture until well coated and smoke as directed. Serve these guys with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.
  • Lemon pepper wings. Mix lemon zest, black pepper, salt, and a touch of olive oil in a bowl. Toss your chicken wings in the mixture until evenly coated. Smoke as directed and serve with lemon wedges for an extra citrusy kick.
  • Grilled chicken wings. Someone always asks what to do without a smoker. Slap these delicious wings on a 425℉ (220℃) charcoal or gas grill and have at it. Grill them for about 20 minutes, flipping them every 5 minutes, so they get evenly crispy skin.

Tips and Tricks

  • A meat thermometer checks the internal temperature to ensure the wings cook all the way through and are safe to eat. It can also help you ensure you don’t overcook and dry them out. 
  • Once the wings finish smoking, let them rest for a few minutes before serving. That helps the juices redistribute and makes for extra moist wings. 
  • Choose flavorful wood. ​​Fruitwoods like apple or cherry offer a milder, sweeter smoke, ideal for chicken. Hickory and mesquite provide a stronger, more robust flavor. Choose your favorite to get that gorgeous depth of flavor only smoked meat has.
  • Some people swear that adding a little baking powder to the spice mix creates a crispier skin. I’ve tried it, and it works for me.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make these addictive chicken wings on a pellet grill a day or two in advance. Or season and store them raw in the refrigerator, covered for up to 24 hours before smoking them. Then give them 30 minutes at room temperature, throw them on the smoker, and forget ’em (for a couple of hours anyway).

Freezing is also an option. Simply let them cool, and then store them in an airtight container in your freezer for up to three months. Thaw them in the fridge the day before you plan to serve them. 

Serving and Storage Instructions 

As soon as they finish resting, serve your hot smoked chicken wings with your favorite dipping sauce.

Refrigerate leftover pellet grill chicken wings in an airtight container for 3-5 days. To reheat, pop them in the microwave or toss them back on the grill or in the oven. For those last two methods, keep the heat low and serve them as soon as they’re hot.

What Goes With Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings

Enjoy smoked chicken wings with other handheld foods, like smoked corn on the cob and grilled potato wedges. Then round out your meal with some grilled pineapple and homemade rum raisin pineapple ice cream for dessert. 

More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try

Enjoying Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings with sauce and celery sticks

Pellet Grilled Chicken Wings

These smokey pellet grilled chicken wings, with their juicy insides and perfectly crispy-crunchy skin, are insanely good. Pair them up with your favorite dipping sauces or just enjoy them naked. They taste amazing either way!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken wings, pellet grill, smoked
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 537kcal
Author: Imma

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds (1.5k) chicken wings (drumettes, flats, or both)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (6g) onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon (5g) garlic powder
  • teaspoons (1.5g) dried thyme
  • teaspoons (1.5g) dried oregano
  • teaspoons (4g) chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon (1-2g) ground cumin
  • ½ tablespoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) paprika

Instructions

  • Thoroughly wash and pat the wings dry with paper towels. That ensures the spices adhere to the wings and they get a nice crispy skin.
  • Mix the onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and paprika in a bowl. Adjust the seasonings to taste; if there's a spice you don't like, leave it out.
  • Place chicken wings in a bowl and sprinkle with the spice mix. Mix thoroughly to coat every inch of the wings. Let them marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge if you have time.
  • Preheat your pellet smoker to 250°F (120°C). The slow indirect heat cooks the wings slowly, allowing them to absorb the smoky flavor without drying out.
  • Place the wings on the pellet grill or smoker, leaving space between each wing. Close the smoker and smoke the wings for 1½ to 2 hours. The wings' internal temperature should read 165°F (74°C) when done.

Notes

  • A meat thermometer checks the internal temperature to ensure the wings cook all the way through and are safe to eat. It can also help you ensure you don’t overcook and dry them out. 
  • Once the wings finish smoking, let them rest for a few minutes before serving. That helps the juices redistribute and makes for extra moist wings. 
  • Choose flavorful wood. ​​Fruitwoods like apple or cherry offer a milder, sweeter smoke, ideal for chicken. Hickory and mesquite provide a stronger, more robust flavor. Choose your favorite to get that gorgeous depth of flavor only smoked meat has.
  • Some people swear that adding a little baking powder to the spice mix creates a crispier skin. I’ve tried it, and it works for me.
  • Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 200g | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 198mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 1218IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 5mg

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating