These smoked and fried chicken wings are brined for flavor, smoked for richness, and fried until crispy. We use the whole wing, and no extra salt is needed thanks to the brine. No smoker? Our recipe includes charcoal grill tips for that perfect smoky taste!
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Two of Marrekus' favorite things are ribs and chicken wings. These "smoke-a-fried" wings, as he likes to call them, are the best of both worlds because they are smoked then fried. Yes, you can smoke then fry wings!
One of my favorite sauces to pair these wings with is homemade pineapple mango habanero. Other times we have them plain. Every time they are 10/10 recommend!
One thing you'll want to do is a salt water brine of at least 4 hours up to overnight. We've included steps for this below. A brine is recommended because it will infuse your smoked fried wings with a flavor and help retain moisture during cooking.
Instead of skipping the brine, at least do 30 minutes to an hour if possible. Otherwise, add a little kosher salt to your seasoning mixture for flavor.
Finally, you don’t have to fry these wings if you prefer not to. Try our smoked chicken wings instead!
What you'll love about this recipe
- Whole Wings: We use the whole wing, not just drums and flats, so you get the best of both in every bite.
- Juicy & Flavorful: Our wings are brined before cooking, which means they soak up tons of flavor and stay extra juicy.
- No Extra Salt Needed: Since they’re brined in a saltwater mixture, they already have the perfect seasoning.
- Grill-Friendly Option: No smoker? No problem! We include tips for using a charcoal grill to get that smoky flavor.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings: Whole chicken wings are perfect for smoking and frying. You can substitute with drums or flats if preferred.
- Chicken wing brine: A salt, sugar, and water mixture.
- Seasonings: Granulated garlic, granulated onion, and ground black pepper. Garlic powder and onion powder can be used as a substitute.
- Oil for frying (vegetable or canola oil): Essential for deep frying the wings.
- Your favorite wing sauce (optional, for tossing): Adds an extra layer of flavor and can be customized to your taste; chili garlic wing sauce, BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, or honey mustard are great options.
- Wood for smoke: Infuses the smoked wings with a rich, smoky flavor; use pecan, apple, oak, or cherry wood.
How to Make Smoked and Fried Chicken Wings
- Season and Smoke: Rinse and pat dry the brined chicken wings, season them with granulated garlic, onion, and black pepper, then smoke them at 275°F with your choice of wood for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Prepare Smoked Chicken for Frying: Let the smoked wings rest for a few minutes while you heat oil in a deep fryer, cast iron skillet, or Dutch oven to 350°F.
- Fry and Serve: Fry smoked chicken wings in batches until crispy and golden brown, drain on paper towels, and toss in your favorite sauce or serve plain with dipping sauces.
Using a Charcoal Grill
If you don't have a smoker, you can use a charcoal grill set up for indirect cooking. Arrange the coals on one side of the grill. Add wood chunks to the coals for smoke. Place chicken wings on the grill grate over the cool side (indirect heat), cover, and maintain a temperature of around 275°F. Smoke wings until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F, then proceed with frying as directed.
Recipe Tips
- Brine Overnight: For even juicier smoke fried wings, brine them overnight to ensure they absorb more flavor and stay moist during cooking.
- Use a Thermometer: To avoid undercooking or overcooking, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the wings. They should reach 160-165°F (71-74°C) during smoking.
- Check Oil Temperature: Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure your frying oil is at 350°F (190°C) before adding the wings. This ensures they cook evenly and get crispy.
- Do Not Overcrowd the Fryer: Fry wings in small batches to keep the oil temperature consistent and to ensure they cook evenly and crisp up nicely.
What to Serve
Here are some delicious sides to serve with your smoked and fried chicken wings:
- Celery Sticks and Carrot Sticks
- Blue Cheese or Ranch Dressing: Perfect for dipping both the wings and the veggies.
- Coleslaw: A delicious BBQ coleslaw recipe.
- Macaroni and Cheese: A creamy, cheesy side that pairs well with wings. Try our gouda mac and cheese or Southern mac and cheese.
- Baked Beans: Doctored up; made with canned beans and ground beef.
- Southern Potato Salad: Our recipe has a creamy texture and tangy flavor, with ingredients like mayo, mustard, pickle relish, and seasonings.
- Fried Pickles: Made with thick dill pickle spears and a crunchy panko coating.
- French Fries
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat them in the oven to retain crispiness.
Smoke fried wings check both boxes: mouthwatering smoky flavor and a perfectly crispy skin. It's a must try for wing aficionados and the best wing recipe for your next big game day!
📖 Recipe
Smoked and Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings whole wings
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- Oil for frying vegetable or canola oil
- Wing sauce optional, for tossing
- Wood for smoke
Chicken Wing Brine (for 2 lbs of chicken wings)
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- Ice
Instructions
Brine
- Bring water to a boil in a pot.
- In the same pot, add kosher salt and sugar to the boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the brine cool slightly.
- Add ice to the pot, stirring until the ice is mostly melted, and the brine reaches room temperature.
- Place wings in a large bowl, container, or resealable plastic bag.
- Pour the brine over chicken, ensuring they are fully submerged. If using a bag, remove excess air before sealing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for maximum flavor absorption.
- Remove wings from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels, Then, proceed with smoking wings.
Smoke Fried Wings
- Rinse chicken wings under cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix granulated garlic, granulated onion, and black pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over chicken wings and toss until they are evenly coated.
- Preheat your smoker to 275°F (107°C). Use wood like pecan, apple, oak, or cherry for a nice smoky flavor.
- Place the seasoned wings on the smoker grates in a single layer, making sure they are not overcrowded.
- Smoke chicken wings for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F.
- After smoking, remove smoked wings from the smoker and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large deep fryer or heavy-bottomed pot to 350°F (190°C).
- Carefully add the smoked wings to the hot oil in batches, ensuring not to overcrowd the pot. Fry them for 4-5 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown.
- Remove wings with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- If desired, toss smoke fried wings in your favorite sauce or serve naked wings.
earline.dyous@gmail.com says
Yes!! I would Love to try this Recipe..
Jazz says
I used whole chicken wings, as recommended, and they came out great! That crispy skin was just perfect. We will be serving these again thank you.