Smoked Chicken Wings Recipe

Dry brining

1. Use paper towels to dry off the 3 lb chicken wings.
2. In a bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients: 4 tsp kosher salt, 4 tsp dark brown sugar, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp ground mustard powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and ¼ tsp five spice. Mix thoroughly.
3. Mix the wings with the seasoning until all parts of the chicken are covered evenly.
4. Place the wings on a sheet pan lined with a cooling rack in one even layer.
5. Keep the wings in the fridge, uncovered to marinate for at least 4 hours and no more than 8 hours. An hour before smoking, remove the wings from the fridge and place them on the counter to come to room temperature.

Smoking

1. Preheat the smoker to 250°F.
2. Use paper towels to dry the wings gently, try not to remove too much of the seasoning. Wipe down the cooling racks so they are dry too.
3. In a bowl, combine the 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp baking powder until thoroughly mixed. Gently coat the wings with the starch and powder mixture and remove any excess powder back into the bowl.
4. Place the wings back on the racks as you finish.
5. Place the wings flat side up (or the smoothest side) on the smoker and smoke until the internal temperature of the wings reaches 150°F. Occasionally turn the wings over or move them in different spots in your smoker to prevent them from burning.
6. Once the wings reach 150°F (about 20 min), raise the smoker's heat to 425°F. Note: It's okay if the wings are still a little white from the coating. The natural fat from the wings will begin to render and crisp the wings as they cook at a higher temperature.
7. Cook until the wings reach an internal temperature of 200°F or until they get a nice golden brown texture. Continue to check on the wings and move them around the smoker or turn them over to prevent burning. Note: while this may seem like a high temperature for chicken wings, we have smoked dozens of wings to this temperature and they are always still juicy and tender due to the dry brining before smoking.
8. Remove the wings and transfer them onto a clean cooling rack-lined sheet pan. Let them rest for about 2-3 minutes, and then serve. They should crisp up a little more while resting.