Crispy Smoked Buffalo Wings (Printable View)

Smoky crispy wings coated in tangy buffalo sauce for your next gathering

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken Wings

01 - 2 lbs chicken wings, separated into drums and flats
02 - 1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1 tsp black pepper
05 - 1 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1 tsp smoked paprika

→ Buffalo Sauce

07 - 1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)
08 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
09 - 1 tbsp honey
10 - 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
11 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder

→ For Serving

12 - Celery sticks
13 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat smoker or grill to 250°F with indirect heat. Add hickory or applewood chips for smoke flavor.
02 - Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange wings in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
04 - Place wings in smoker and cook at 250°F for 45 minutes.
05 - Increase heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 30 minutes until wings are crispy and golden brown, flipping once halfway through.
06 - In a small saucepan over low heat, combine hot sauce, melted butter, honey, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Whisk until smooth and warmed through.
07 - Transfer smoked wings to a large bowl, pour buffalo sauce over, and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The smoking step creates layers of flavor you just cannot achieve with regular frying alone
  • That bake-then-crisp method gives you impossibly crunchy skin without deep frying
  • Homemade buffalo sauce lets you control exactly how tangy and sweet it gets
02 -
  • Dry your wings thoroughly before seasoning or the steam will prevent proper crisping
  • Do not skip the baking powder even if it seems weird, it is genuinely the key to crispy skin
  • Let the sauce cool slightly before tossing so it thickens and sticks better to the wings
03 -
  • Let the wings rest for 5 minutes after saucing so the sauce sets and does not drip everywhere
  • Double the sauce recipe if you are serving serious sauce lovers who like to dip

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