Lemon Pepper Smoked Chicken Wings

This is a hot and fast smoked wings recipe and will be done in 1hr instead of the traditional 2-4hr low and slow cooks. For chicken, I prefer to cook hot and fast as it gives a crispier and less watery version along with skin that’s actually edible. Since these wings will be coated with a sauce at the end, it will rehydrate them at the end during the tossing process. If you want to try out another hot and fast smoked chicken half recipes on the Weber Kettle, I have one that has served me well over the years here: https://crumbsandchaos.com/smoked-chicken-on-weber-kettle/

I grew in Texas, which is one of the well known hubs for world renowned BBQ. However, growing up I wanted flavors that I would enjoy and wasn’t fond of what I was getting at restaurants that often rushed the process or gave out rubbery or under seasoned wings.

Plus not to mention the price of what wings have become!

In the late 90s and even up to about 5 years ago, wings were a less desirable cut and served as a side costing anywhere from 50c – $1 per lb. Compare that to over $5/lb now and it its no wonder why it’s become an entree dish and better to make yourself. With restaurants now more greedier than ever for profits and flavors are compromised over margins, the recipe below is a great baseline for anyone looking to make wings for a family gathering using their Weber Kettle (https://amzn.to/4lCAuhr)

Ingredients

5 lbs Chicken Wings (cut into drumettes and flats or whole if desired)

1 1/2 tbsp. Kosher Salt (Diamond Crystal is my preferred choice and can be purchased here: https://amzn.to/43Riry8)

1 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

3 tsp. Garlic Powder

3 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Cayenne

2 tsp. Mustard

1 tbsp. Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Directions

Preparation & Seasoning:

1. Cut the chicken wings in half by cutting along the middle bone where the drumette and the flat meet. It helps to cut this at an almost 45 degree angle and with a sharp knife should separate through the bone joints like butter. If you are having issues with this step, having the chicken frozen for about 10 minutes will help make it easier to cut in half. Other option is to leave them whole as some people like the aesthetics of serving whole wings.
2. Wash the chicken and pat dry if needed. All blood should run clear when it’s thoroughly washed. Drying the chicken is needed to get the best possible skin texture and prevents excess moisture buildup during the marination process.
3. Apply the mustard to the chicken which will help the rest of the seasonings stick. You won’t get any flavor of mustard in during the cook so don’t worry about that part. You can also substitute mayo here if you have that on hand instead and it will function the same. The goal is to create a method that allows a glue which will hold the ingredients against the chicken.
4. Season the chicken with the rest of the ingredients and combine them well. The mixture should stick to the chicken and be almost paste like.
5. Refrigerate the wings overnight or allow to marinate on the counter for at least 1-2 hours.

BBQ:

1. Prep charcoals until they are white and fully lit using a chimney starter with a fully packed amount of coals. Here is the chimney I use and recommend: https://amzn.to/3IcDcvS
2. Place the coals on the charcoal baskets or your Vortex (https://amzn.to/4lmjNHC) if using one. Here are the links for both: (charcoal baskets: https://amzn.to/4eAYVK2).
3. Open all the vents on the kettle and get the temperature to 400F or higher. We don’t want rubbery skin. On this cook I reached around 500F for the cook with all vents open.
4. Add 1-2 chunks of a smoke wood of choice directly on top of the grate where the hot coals sit. Post oak was used for this cook.
5. Place the chicken wings in a circle pattern around the perimeter of the grill and close the lid with all vents open.
6. Turn the chicken over ever 20 minutes, until a amber brown color is reached on all sides. A total of 4 times typically is enough.
7. Since the moisture in the chicken will naturally reduce and the size will shrink it might be worthwhile to move the wings slightly closer to the fire to continue to achieve a crispier skin.
8. When the temperature cooks, sear it for about 10-20 seconds on fully lit coals to put a great char flavor and color. Do this by placing the wings in small batches so they don’t burn directly over the coals and turn quickly.
9. Remove from the grill, baste with BBQ sauce of choice and serve.

Tips

• Don’t apply the BBQ sauce before the searing process. It will end up in a bitter mess.
• For almost everything that a Vortex can do, the charcoal baskets that are a whole lot cheaper and usually come on the Weber Master Touch models are going to do everything. In fact, I used them on this cook and it always held a steady 450-500F temperature throughout the 1hr cook.
• If you have neither a charcoal basket nor want to buy a Vortex, you can still ban the charcoals on one side of the grill and get the coals up to the 400-500 and put the wings on the opposite side and follow the exact recipe.
• We prefer our wings on the slightly drier side and chose to cook them a little longer, but if you want to remove them at the optimal temperature, then you can use a thermometer to alarm at 165F in the thickest side of a drumette.
• You can make a quick buffalo sauce using equal parts Frank’s Hot Sauce (or similar) and butter. Another simple trick is to combine equal parts olive oil and cajun seasoning and toss that in the wings for a healthier kick. No need to waste money on premade sauces loaded with extras.
• If you want a fried version of our chicken wing recipe which still remains our number 1 recipe (although much more unhealthier) try out this one: https://crumbsandchaos.com/buffalo-fried-chicken-wings-recipe/