Crispy Smoked Buffalo Wings (Printable version)

Smoky, crispy wings with tangy buffalo sauce—ideal for game day gatherings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ To Serve

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 completely 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, ensuring pieces are not touching.
04 - Place wings in the smoker and cook at 250°F for 45 minutes to develop smoke flavor.
05 - Increase heat to 425°F and continue cooking for 30 minutes until wings are crispy and golden brown, flipping once halfway through cooking.
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 tips:

01 -
  • The baking powder trick creates next level crispy skin without any deep frying mess
  • Smoking then high heat finishing gives you that perfect tender inside, shattering outside texture
  • The homemade sauce strikes that addictive balance between tangy heat and rich butter
02 -
  • Dry wings thoroughly before seasoning because moisture prevents that crispy skin from forming
  • Use aluminumfree baking powder since some people can taste the metallic notes in regular kind
  • Sauce wings right before serving or they'll start losing their crunch
03 -
  • Let seasoned wings sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour before cooking for even better skin texture
  • Invest in a good instant read thermometer and pull wings at 165°F internal temperature

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