Smoked BBQ Chicken Wings Tray

Name: Smoked BBQ Chicken Wings Tray
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Lb Chicken Wings; 1 3/4 Tbsp Kosher Salt; 1 3/4 Tbsp Brown Sugar; 1 3/4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika; 1 3/4 Tbsp Garlic Powder; 7/8 Tbsp Black Pepper; 7/8 Tbsp Baking Powder; 1 1/4 Cups BBQ Sauce; 1 3/4 Tbsp Hot Sauce; 3.4 Tbsp Butter; 1.6 Cups Celery Sticks; 3/4 Cup Ranch Dressing

Dry-rub smoke, crisp finish, and sticky sauce for ten

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 75 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

Wings that smoke first, crisp second, and hold in a tray between calls

Why crews like it: Wings are handheld morale. Smoke adds depth without fryer mess, and they hold covered at 170°F for 30 minutes.

677Cal

70gProtein

19gCarbs

34gFat

Ingredients

4 Lb Chicken Wings
1 3/4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 3/4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 3/4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 3/4 Tbsp Garlic Powder
7/8 Tbsp Black Pepper
7/8 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 Cups BBQ Sauce
1 3/4 Tbsp Hot Sauce
3.4 Tbsp Butter
1.6 Cups Celery Sticks
3/4 Cup Ranch Dressing

Instructions

Season the wings: Pat wings dry. Toss with salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and baking powder until evenly coated. Rest 10 minutes.
Smoke at 250°F: Arrange wings on wire racks skin-side up. Smoke at 250°F until internal temp reaches 160°F, about 45–50 minutes.
Crisp finish: Increase heat to 425°F (grill or oven) 12–15 minutes until skin crisps and wings hit 165°F internal.
Build wing sauce: Simmer BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and butter until smooth. Keep warm for tossing.
Toss and tray: Toss hot wings in sauce to coat. Spread on sheet pans for service.
Hold at 170°F: Cover loosely with foil and hold at 170°F up to 30 minutes. Re-toss if sauce pools.
Tonight's board: Wings on a tray with celery and ranch. Napkins mandatory.
Leftovers: Re-crisp on a sheet pan at 400°F 8 minutes. Toss with fresh sauce.

Tonight's spread

Sauced wings on a tray with celery sticks.
Ranch or blue cheese on the side.

Hall tips

Baking powder dries skin for crisp without deep frying.
165°F is the floor—pull when clear juices run from the thickest drum.
Toss in batches so every wing gets sauce, not just the bottom layer.

Meal prep

Season wings early. Smoke in two batches on wire racks. Finish and sauce right before service, or hold sauced wings covered at 170°F up to 30 minutes.

Leftovers

Pull meat for wing tacos with slaw.
Chop into a smoky chicken dip for game night.

smoker
grill or oven
wire rack
sheet pans
large mixing bowl
instant-read thermometer