Buffalo Style Smoked Chicken Wings

With Super Bowl Sunday coming up, I’m sharing my recipe for buffalo style smoked chicken wings. They may be a far cry from your traditional buffalo wing, but once you try them you’ll never want to have wings any other way.

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Almost two years ago, my sister-in-law bought my brother a smoker. It was during the pandemic, and according to her “the pandemic made me realize what was important to me, and that was smoked meats.” Since then, we’ve smoked everything from brisket to salmon to turkey for Thanksgiving, but these buffalo style smoked chicken wings have become one of our go-to’s. We made them for the first time during the Super Bowl in 2021, and have made them every year since. No one in my house is a football fan, and the Super Bowl is simply an excuse for us to make elevated junk food. But honestly any occasion is a good one for these smoked chicken wings. They are everything you could want in a wing: smokey, spicy, a little sweet, and super tender.

Some smoked chicken wings recipes call for a dry rub; we’ve tried this and the wings come out great. But for these particular wings we went with a marinade, which caramelizes in the smoker and leaves you with sticky and juicy wings that come closer to a “traditional” buffalo wing. The marinade is a simple one: hot sauce and butter (the hallmarks of buffalo sauce), lemon juice for acidity, paprika and worcestershire sauce for savoriness, and of course lots of salt and pepper. Then the wings get a nice long smoke with applewood, low and slow: 225 for two hours. Then they get a quick hot sear in the air fryer (or under the broiler, if you don’t have one), locking in all that juicy smokiness under a crispy skin.

SMOKING CHICKEN WINGS 101

What temperature and for how long do I smoke the wings?

225 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until internal temperature registers blank.

What type of chicken wings?

Drumettes and wingettes. You can use either or both, but make sure to separate them. The larger chicken thighs or drumsticks work too, but will take a little more time to cook.

What kind of wood chips?

We used applewood for a sweetness that lends itself to a spicy wing, but honestly you can use whatever wood chips you like (as long as they are meant for smoking of course).

Dry rub or marinade?

You definitely want to use either a dry rub or marinade before you smoke your wings to impart flavor. You can use a marinade for a stickier wing, but a try rub followed by a toss in sauce after the wings are coked works too.

Dry or wet smoke?

Definitely dry smoke. Wet smoking will make the skin of your smoked chicken wings too flabby.

What should I do after smoking the wings?

We prefer to put the smoked chicken wings in the air fryer or under the broiler to make the skin crispy. Don’t skip this step unless absolutely necessary; crispy skin is part of the pleasure of eating a chicken wing. You can also toss the wings barbecue or hot sauce after they’re smoked.

What if you don’t have a smoker?

If you don’t have a smoker, you can substitute with a charcoal grill. Build a charcoal fire on one side that takes up about 1/3 of the grill. Add soaked wood chips to the top. Place your meat on the grill grate over the opposite side of the grill, on indirect heat. Smoke for around the same amount of time, or until internal thermometer reaches 165 for chicken. You may need to add more coals and wood chips to the fire if it gets too low.