We love making these Smoked Buffalo Wings. The intense smoky flavor and crispy skin makes this the best buffalo wing recipe for all your game day parties.
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Chicken Wings Recipes make the best Game Day Appetizer or can even be made for a delicious main dish recipe. Each bite is bursting with smoky flavors, crispy skin and juicy center. If you love smoker recipes as much as we do, then this is the perfect recipe to make.
My kids love this Smoked Chicken Wing Recipe, but we have even made Jerk Chicken Wings, Blackstone Chicken Wings and Grilled Chicken Wings for other easy ways to make chicken wings.
Table of Contents
Why We Love Smoked Buffalo Wings
Slow smoking chicken wings allows for all the flavors to marinate together for the best chicken wing recipe. The addition of the tangy, buffalo sauce adds even more flavor for an irresistible appetizer, snack or main dish recipe. They are delicious served with a vegetable tray and your favorite side dishes.
Chicken Wings seasoning is completely customizable. We have added a simple dry rub, 2 tablespoon of BBQ Sauce or any spice combination that you prefer. If you are new to using your smoker, these Buffalo Smoked Wings are a great recipe to start with. You may even like these Smoker Recipes for Beginners.
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings – If using a whole chicken cut the whole chicken wings into sections
- Hot Sauce – Substitute with Buffalo Sauce
- Butter – We used unsalted butter that has been melted
- Garlic Powder – If you are out, you can substitute with minced garlic or garlic salt
- Paprika – Substitute with Smoked Paprika for intense smoky flavor
- Cayenne Pepper – This gave the best kick of spicy flavor
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Seasoning Additions
This is a base recipe, so feel free to add in spices to these already simple ingredients. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more to taste.
- Black Pepper
- Onion Powder
- Brown Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Chili Powder
How to Make Smoked Buffalo Wings
Step 1 – Melt butter in a microwave safe large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add hot sauce, melted butter and seasonings to a medium bowl. Whisk together until smooth.
Step 2 – Remove half of the sauce from the bowl and set aside. Toss the chicken wings in the remaining sauce and marinate for at least 1 hour (or up to 6 house).
Step 3 – Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees f. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken wings directly on the grates in the smoker. Smoke for 30-45 minutes, rotating the wings halfway through the cook time.
Step 4 – Increase the heat on the smoker to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook them for 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway, until the chicken wings reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit and the skin on the wings is crispy.
Step 5 – Remove from the smoker and place them in a large bowl.
Step 6 – Pour the remaining hot sauce mixture on top and toss to coat the wings in the sauce. Let the wings rest for 10 minutes and then they are ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Prepare Smoker – Before placing the prepared chicken wings, preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. You can place the chicken wings directly on the grill grate for the best flavor and crispy texture.
- Chicken Wings – To ensure that the chicken cook evenly and about the same time, try to smoke chicken wings about the same size. We recommend to use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature.
- Coating Wings – After combining the sauce together in a bowl or gallon size freezer bag, make sure to coat the uncooked wings completely for the best flavor.
What If I Don’t Have a Smoker?
If you do not have a smoker, you can still make these buffalo wings. You can easily make on a charcoal grill or a gas grill. Cook the buffalo wings until fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Make sure to flip the chicken wings occasionally so each side is cooked thoroughly.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Wings make the best appetizer or meal idea. We love to smoke chicken wings because of the intense flavor and the smoker does all the work. These are some of our favorite side dishes to serve with these party wings.
We also love to make sure to serve with Ranch Dipping Sauce, Blue Cheese Dressing, carrots and celery sticks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, we smoke the chicken wings 225 degrees for about 40 minutes. Then we increase the temperature and smoke the wings for an additional 10-15 minutes which helps to create a crispy texture.
Feel free to use any type of wood chips to smoke the chicken wings. We like to sweet flavor apple or cherry wood chips gives chicken wings. But you can also use Mesquite or Oak chips for more intense smoky flavor.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Easy Smoked Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make Smoked Buffalo Wings, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Smoked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken Wings if whole cut the chicken wings into sections
- 1 cup hot sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Melt butter in a microwave safe large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add hot sauce, melted butter and seasonings to a medium bowl. Whisk together until smooth.
- Remove half of the sauce from the bowl and set aside. Toss the chicken wings in the remaining sauce and marinate for at least 1 hour (or up to 6 hours).
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off any excess marinade and place the chicken wings directly on the grates in the smoker. Smoke for 30-45 minutes, rotating the wings halfway through the cook time.
- Increase the heat on the smoker to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook them for 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway, until the chicken wings reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit and the skin on the wings is crispy.
- Remove from the smoker and place them in a large bowl. Pour the remaining hot sauce mixture on top and toss to coat the wings in the sauce.
- Let the wings rest for 10 minutes and then they are ready to serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Amazing Flavor!