Smoked-Then-Seared Chicken Wings
Dry-brined overnight, smoked low over cherry and hickory, then blasted hot to crackling crisp and tender. The two-temperature method on your gravity smoker gives you rendered, collagen-soft dark meat under shatter-crisp skin.
- whole chicken wings, split into drumettes and flats, tips reserved for stock5 lbs
- aluminum-free baking powder, about 2 tsp per 2.5 lbs of wings2 tbsp
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt1 tbsp
- lump charcoal, enough to fill the hopper
- cherry wood chunks3½ chunks
- hickory wood chunks(optional)1½ chunks
- sauce of choice, one batch coats ~1.5 lbs; warm before tossing(optional)
- 1
Cut through each wing joint (between the bones, not into them) to separate into drumettes and flats. Reserve the tips for stock.
- 2
Pat the wings bone-dry. Whisk the baking powder and salt together, then toss with the wings until evenly, lightly coated — every piece should have a thin even dusting, no clumps. Arrange skin-side up in a single layer on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered 8–24 hours.
- 3
Fill the hopper with lump charcoal and nestle the cherry chunks (and hickory if using) into the chute. Bring the Masterbuilt 1080 to 250°F and wait for thin, clean blue smoke before loading.
low250°F - 4
Smoke the wings at 250°F for 45–60 minutes, turning once, until they take on color, render fat, and reach an internal temp of 150–160°F.
low250°F - 5
Open the diffuser / set the 1080 to sear mode and bring it to 425–450°F. Sear the wings, turning, until the skin is crackly and blistered and the internal temp reaches 195–205°F. Confirm with an instant-read thermometer.
high425-450°F - 6
Rest the wings 3–5 minutes on a clean rack. Meanwhile, warm your sauce. Toss in small batches in a metal bowl right before serving, or season dry.
Cook it with a chef at your shoulder.
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Sous is an AI cooking assistant, not a food-safety authority. Use a thermometer for doneness — especially meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood — and trust your own judgment.