Chicken wings are versatile. You can bake, grill, and fry them. However, smoked chicken wings are the tastiest method of them all.
The trick to smoking chicken wings is to time them perfectly. When you know how long to smoke chicken wings at 250, you can remove them the second they are finished cooking.
Smoke your chicken wings at 250 for 2-2 1/2 hours for the best results.
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Why Smoke Chicken Wings
Smoking chicken wings infuses them with flavor. However, this is not the only benefit of smoking chicken.
Frying wings allows you to drop a small portion of wings at a time. If you are feeding a large crowd of people, you will be standing in front of the fryer all day frying chicken instead of enjoying the party.
Furthermore, not only are deep-fried foods unhealthy.
Even if you serve a small crowd of people, you will still have to fry multiple batches of fried chicken just to satisfy everyone’s appetite.
Smoking the chicken wings allows you to cook them simultaneously. You can arrange as many or as few chicken wings on your smoker and smoke them to perfection.
You can leave the wings plain or sauce them up. Either way, you will have a dish that people will fall in love with.
To glaze the wings, brush them with BBQ sauce.
Grilled Vs. Smoked Chicken Wings
Wondering what the difference between smoked and grilled chicken wings is? Don’t ‘t worry; I’ve got you covered.
People usually mean grilled chicken wings when they refer to chicken wings cooked for short bursts at a high temperature. This high temperature will help the wings helps the chicken wings skin crisp up.
In contrast, when people take about smoked chicken wings, they mean cooking chicken wings over low heat for a long time.
The low temperature will cause the chicken skin to be soft and rubbery. However, you can easily crisp the skin by searing the chicken wings in a hot cast-iron skillet with a few tablespoons of oil and butter.
The biggest difference between grilled and smoked chicken wings is the cooking time. Grilled chicken wings are cooked in a matter of minutes.
In contrast, it can take up to an hour to smoke chicken wings.
Yes, chicken wings are smaller compared to bigger cuts like pork shoulder. So you don’t have to smoke the chicken wings for 8-10 hours. However, the chicken wings must cook long enough to not be undercooked or overcooked.
Typically, chicken wings are smoked bone-in. The bone helps the chicken wings retain moisture.
However, smoked chicken wings are slightly dry compared to grilled chicken wings.
Can You Overcook Smoked Wings?
You can overcook chicken wings. Whether you bake, fry, grill, or smoke chicken wings, you can overcook them.
The chicken wings will overcook if your smoker’s temperature is too hot.
Additionally, if you cook the chicken wings too long or don’t remove them at the right time, the wings will overcook. This is why you need to know how long to smoke chicken wings.
Do You Spritz Chicken Wings When Smoking?
Spritzing chicken wings is optional. However, I do not recommend spritzing chicken wings. The added moisture can soften the chicken’s skin.
If you do spritz your chicken wings, only spritz them once about halfway through the cooking process. Do not spritz the chicken wings several times during the cooking process. This will prevent the wings from becoming too moist.
How Long To Smoke Chicken Wings At 250
It depends. For example, the size of the wings, temperature, and even humidity levels can affect the smoking time of wings. If your smoker has hot spots, they can also influence the cooking of chicken wings.
Generally, it takes about 2-2 1/2 hours to smoke chicken wings at 250°F. However, check the chicken wing’s temperature after 45 minutes to an hour and address the cooking time if necessary.
Additionally, ensure the chicken wings have a temperature of 165°F before removing them from your smoker. This is the commended safe temperature for chicken.
How To Smoke Chicken Wings Without A Smoker
Everyone is not fortunate enough to have a smoker. Luckily you don’t need a smoker to smoke chicken. You can smoke chicken wings using your grill.
Place your wood chips into a container and add enough water to cover them. Soak
them for a minimum of 30 minutes. Soaking the wood chips helps produce more smoke.
You can smoke chicken wings using any wood chips you prefer. However, apple, maple, and cherry wood work well with chicken wings.
Next, pat the chicken wings dry and place them into a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil and add your favorite BBQ rub. Massage the BBQ rub into the chicken wings, then set them aside.
Turn on half of your grill’s burners and leave the remaining burners off. The cool side of the grill is where the wings will be smoked.
Let the grill heat to 250°F.
Next, drain the wood chips.Place the wood chips into an aluminum foil pan. Cover the loaf pan with foil. Cut a few slits into the foil using a paring knife. The aluminum foil pan will act as a makeshift smoker box.
Place the makeshift smoker box on top of the hot side of the grill. Arrange the chicken wings on the cool side of the grill, leaving 1-2 inches of space between each wing.
The goal is to smoke the chicken wings, not grill them. If you place them on the hot surface of the grill, the wings will burn and overcook.
Smoke the chicken wings for 2 21/2 hours until they have a temperature of 165°F. Place the chicken wings onto the hot side of the grill.
Cook the chicken wings for 2-3 minutes per side until crisp. Let the chicken wings rest for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Final Thoughts
Smoking chicken thighs creates irresistible flavor. The smokiness combined with the sweet BBQ sauce and BBQ rub are a match made in heaven.
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.