Smoked Chicken Wings

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Cut 3 lbs chicken wings (flats/drumettes) into flat and drumette pieces, if they‘re not already separated. Then, place the chicken wings on a tray and add 1½ cups sake to marinate the wings for 10 minutes. Alternatively, soak for 20 minutes and keep rotating the wings if you want to use less sake.
3. Transfer the sake-marinated wings to a wire rack, skin side up. Discard the sake. I usually pat dry the chicken with paper towels for my oven-broiled Salted Chicken Wing recipe to remove any excess moisture, but we can skip this process (and save paper towels) when using a smoker. The air ventilates really well inside the smoker and the skin gets super crispy every time.
4. Here, I‘ll show you how to season the wings with both flavor options. Generously sprinkle 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the skin side of all the wing pieces (I use a sifter). For the salt and pepper wings, sprinkle ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper on a HALF PORTION of the chicken wings. I will season the other half of the wings with the spicy soy glaze, so there‘s no need to add black pepper here.
5. Flip the wings and repeat the previous step.
6. Preheat your smoker (I use a Traeger grill) to 450ºF (232ºC) using your favorite pellets.
7. Place the wings directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for 20–25 minutes. You can start preparing the spicy soy glaze during this time.
8. At the 20- to 25-minute mark, rotate or flip the wings to maintain even cooking and avoid any hot spots on the grill. Cook the other side for 20–25 minutes. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure chicken is cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC). Cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size of the wings.

To Make the Spicy Soy Glaze

1. Meanwhile, separate the white and green parts of 1 green onion. Diagonally slice the green part of the green onion for garnish and set aside. Cut the white part in half to fit into a small pot.
2. Grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and measure ½ tsp ginger, grated, with juice.
3. Gather all the spicy soy glaze ingredients.
4. In a small pot, combine the glaze ingredients: the white part of the green onion, the grated ginger, ¼ cup mirin, 2 Tbsp sake, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes), and 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed; I use a garlic press).
5. Simmer the sauce on low heat for 10–15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Turn off the heat. Remove and discard the green onion. Set the glaze aside until the wings are done cooking.

To Serve

1. Remove the wings from the grill. Make sure to separate the salt and pepper wings from the spicy soy glaze wings.
2. Add the wings for the spicy soy glaze version to a large bowl and pour the sauce on top. Toss the wings in the sauce to coat well.
3. Arrange the spicy soy glaze wings on a serving dish and garnish with the sliced green onions. For the salt and pepper wings, arrange on a serving dish with a wedge of lemon on the side.

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.