How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings at 275

Smoked wings are so addictive. They get infused with the delicious smoky flavor that makes them simply irresistible.

But how long do you smoke chicken wings in a smoker? What happens if you leave the wings in the smoker for too long? 

Can You Overcook Chicken Wings in a Smoker

Just like you can fry or bake chicken wings too long, you can smoke chicken wings too long.

The chicken wings will overcook if your electric smoker or portable pellet grill is too hot. 

If you do not remove the chicken wings from the smoker or grill at the right time, they will overcook. 

In addition to this, if you leave the chicken wings in the smoker too long, they will absorb too much smoke, ruining the meat’s flavor. 

Tips For Smoking Chicken Wings 

Smoking chicken wings involves more than tossing them onto your offset smoker.

Use these tips to make you smoke the perfect chicken wings every time. 

If you are smoking whole wings, do not use the recipe’s cooking time as an indicator of doneness.

In addition to this, you shouldn’t depend on your smoker’s thermometer as an indicator of doneness since it can also be inaccurate. 

It’s best to use a dual probe digital thermometer when smoking chicken wings since you can insert one probe into the meat and remove it once the chicken wings have a temperature of 165°F. 

You can also attach the other thermometer probe to the monitor to monitor the ambient temperature. 

Baste your chicken wings with BBQ sauce once they are at the halfway stage. Do not put BBQ sauce on both sides of the chicken wings. 

The side of the wings facing the smoker’s cooking grates should remain bare. This will allow the chicken wings to absorb more smoke. 

Frozen chicken wings should never ever be smoked. It doesn’t matter whether you are smoking them in an electric smoker or pellet smoker, do not smoke frozen wings. 

The smoke generated by the smoker will not be able to penetrate the chicken wings because they are frozen.

Furthermore, the wings will cook unevenly. The outside of the chicken wings will be cooked while the inside is still raw. 

By the frozen chicken wings come to the recommended temperature, they will be extremely dry and very unpleasant. 

This is why you should always thaw the chicken wings before smoking them. 

Do You Flip Wings When Smoking?

Technically, there’s no need to flip the chicken wings once you place them in your smoker. 

The chicken will not be smoked for hours like brisket, and it will be smoked with indirect heat, so flipping is optional. 

However, if you will be coating the wings with BBQ sauce, it’s best to apply the first coat 15-20 minutes after you place them in the smoker. 

Do Wings Get Crispy in a Smoker

Smoking chicken wings and frying chicken wings are two different things, which means smoked wings will not be super crispy. 

Smoked chicken wings have a slight crisp. 

However, if you want to give your chicken a crispy texture, heat up your hibachi grill to high and grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly charred and crispy. 

What Temperature Should I Smoke Chicken Wings 

Every grill master has a specific temperature that they recommend for smoking chicken wings. 

The general consensus is that chicken should be smoked between temperatures of 225°F and 250°F.

However, you can also smoke chicken wings at 275°F and 300°F. 

Unfortunately, if the smoker’s temperature is any higher than 300°F, the chicken wings will end up dry and tough.

I recommend smoking chicken at 275°F. This temperature is not so hot that it will not dry out the chicken.

However, the temperature is not so low that it takes forever to smoke the chicken.  

How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings at 275

Now that we’ve discussed what temperature is best for smoking chicken wings, let’s talk about how long to smoke chicken.

Knowing how long to smoke chicken is very important.

It will let you know when to remove the chicken from the smoker, ultimately preventing the chicken from absorbing too much smoke and overcooking.

Smoked chicken wings should take about 1-1 1/2 hours to smoke. 

The recommended cooked temperature for smoked chicken wings is 165°F.

However, some people like to pull the smoked chicken wings once it reaches an internal temperature between 175°F-180°F. 

How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings at 250

Since 250°F is a lower temperature, it will take longer to smoke.

It will take about 2-2 1/2 hours to smoke the chicken if your smoker is set to 250°F. 

How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings at 225

You can also smoke chicken wings at 225°F. It will take longer than smoking wings at 275°F or 250°F.

However, you can speed up the cooking process by smoking the chicken wings for 1 hour at 225°F.

Then increase the smoker’s temperature to 350°F and smoke the chicken wings for an additional 30 minutes. 

Essentially this technique allows the chicken wings to cook low and slow and absorb the smoke generated by the wood chips. 

However, increasing the smoker’s temperature to 350°F helps the wings crisp up a bit more without overcooking them.

How Long to Smoke Chicken Wings at 300°F

Since the temperature is higher, it will only take 300°F about an hour to smoke. 

You could even get away with setting your temperature at 315°F.

Since this is a higher temperature, you must monitor the chicken’s temperature carefully to ensure it doesn’t overcook. 

What’s The Best Wood For Smoking Chicken Wings 

Light woods such as fruit woods are best for smoking chicken.

Woods like applewood and cherry wood are perfect for smoking chicken since they infuse the meat with flavor without overpowering the chicken’s natural flavor. 

You should avoid strong woods like hickory, oak, and mesquite at all costs when smoking chicken. 

These woods will ruin the chicken’s natural flavor and give it an overly unpleasant smoky flavor. 

How To Smoke Chicken Wings 

There is no point in talking about smoked chicken wings without showing you how to smoke chicken wings.

First, you must prep the chicken wings for smoking by placing all of your chicken wings in a large ziplock bag.

Add 1/4-1/2 cup of neutral-flavored oil like vegetable oil to the chicken wings.

Seal the bag and toss the chicken wings to coat them in the chicken.

Depending on how many chicken wings you are smoking, you will need to add enough BBQ rub to coat the chicken in the seasoning. 

I recommend 1 1/2 teaspoons of BBQ rub for every pound of chicken wings. 

Once you have added the seasoning to the chicken wings, seal the bag and toss it to coat it in the seasoning.

Let the chicken wings marinate in the fridge while you set up your smoker. 

Add your desired fuel and wood chips, and let your smoker preheat to 275°F.

Once your smoker comes up to 275°F, arrange the chicken wings onto the smoker’s cooking grates. 

It’s best to place the chicken 1/2-1-inch apart to ensure the smoke can freely flow around each chicken wing.  

Cook the chicken wings for 1 hour. Coat the chicken wings with BBQ sauce.

Cook them for an additional 15-30 minutes until the chicken wings reach an internal temperature of 165°F or 175°-180°F if you want your smoked chicken wing to cook a little more.  

Once the chicken wings come to your desired temperature, remove them from the smoker and place them into an aluminum pan or serving platter. 

Should Wings Rest After Smoking?

Just like any other meat, including Denver steak, pork butt, and brisket, chicken wings need to rest.

Once you remove the chicken wings from the smoker, let them rest for ten minutes. 

Letting the smoked chicken wings rest gives them time to cool slightly and helps the chicken wings crisp up a bit. 

Let the chicken wings rest for 10 minutes. 

How To Reheat Smoked Chicken Wings 

Unless you are having a large BBQ party in your backyard, you will probably end up with some leftover BBQ chicken wings.

The key to reheating these chicken wings is storing them properly. 

First, let your smoked chicken wings cool to room temperature.

Do not let the smoked chicken wings stay at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

The smoked chicken wings become filled with dangerous levels of bacteria after 2 hours which means you will have to toss the chicken into the trash. 

You can divide the smoked chicken wings into smaller portions by placing them into small airtight containers.

Once the smoked chicken wings are cool, place the lid onto the container and set them aside. 

To reheat the smoked chicken wings, turn your oven to 400°F and let it preheat.

Place the smoked chicken wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake the smoked chicken wings for 5-7 minutes until they are heated through. 

Final Thoughts

Nothing sucks more than eating overcooked chicken wings.

Luckily, now that you know how long to smoke chicken at 275°F, you will never have to deal with dry smoked chicken wings ever again. 

William Thomas

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.