Having recently purchased a new smoker, the very first thing I did on the first day of un-boxing it was to make these fabulous Chipotle Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings!
Perfect for game day or any occasion where you are entertaining, or just as a snack for the family (if your kids are less than enthused about spicy foods, just tone down the amount of the chipotle ground pepper).
Just the right amount of spicy for all of our family members here, smoky chipotle chicken wings perfection!
I usually combine my dry rub in a bowl, but realized after the fact that since I threw my chicken wings into a large freezer bag to refrigerate them in the dry rub seasoning, I could have just as easily combined all of my seasoning directly in the bag and then added the chicken…so, save yourself a dish or two if you’d like and add the seasoning directly to your freezer bag!
Plus, your dry rub goes further with the bagged method (you can see in the video that my dry rub only made it through about 16 pieces, due to the coating being much thicker with the bowl method).
Combine the light brown sugar, chipotle ground pepper, smoked paprika, ground mustard, ground cumin, and salt in a bowl or directly in your freezer bag.
Add the chicken wings, we used about 5.5 pounds or 28-30 chicken pieces, and let the chicken sit in the dry rub for at least an hour.
The longer your meat can stay in the seasoning, the better the flavor!
Remove from the refrigerator and place the chicken wings directly onto your smoker racks (or line the racks with aluminum foil). Smoke them at 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) for 1.5-2 hours.
Ours were done to a perfect crispiness after 1.5 hours.
How To Make Chipotle Dry Rub Chicken Wings In A Smoker
- In a small bowl combine the light brown sugar, chipotle ground pepper, smoked paprika, ground mustard, ground cumin, and salt.
- Place the chicken wings into a large Ziploc freezer bag and pour the seasoning mix with them. Seal and ‘squish’ the contents around to coat the chicken.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour to season the chicken wings (the flavor is better the longer you can let the meat sit in the dry rub).
- Remove meat from the refrigerator/freezer bag and place onto your smoker racks either directly or lined with aluminum foil. Our wings smoked to a crispy deliciousness at 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) in only 1 1/2 hours, but they can take up to 2 hours. Remove from the smoker and serve immediately.
Cooking on the Grill or in the Oven
- Cook chicken wings on the preheated grill for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink.
- Cook on a parchment paper lined or greased baking sheet at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 45-50 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy, and the wings are cooked through.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Chipotle Dry Rub Smoked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp ground mustard
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 5 1/2 lbs chicken wings (about 30 wings)
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the light brown sugar, chipotle ground pepper, smoked paprika, ground mustard, ground cumin, and salt. Place the chicken wings into a large freezer bag and pour the seasoning mix with them. Seal and 'squish' the contents around to coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour to season the chicken wings (the flavor is better the longer you can let the meat sit in the dry rub).
- Remove meat from the refrigerator/freezer bag and place onto your smoker racks either directly or lined with aluminum foil. Our wings smoked to a crispy deliciousness at 250 degrees F (121 degrees C) in only 1 1/2 hours, but they can take up to 2 hours. Remove from the smoker and serve immediately.
Cooking on the Grill or in the Oven
- Cook chicken wings on the preheated grill for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer pink.
- Cook on a parchment paper lined or greased baking sheet at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 45-50 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy, and the wings are cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Great recipe, I’ve found it works better to just sprinkle the rub over the wings in a large bowl instead of losing a lot of the rub in the zipper bag.