Go Back

2025's Best Chicken Wings

We'll see if 2026 we change things up - but this was my favorite chicken wing recipe of the year.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs Chicken Wings Trimmed (drums/flats)
  • 2 Tbsp Baking Powder -ish, enough to lightly coat
  • Your favorite Chicken Wing Rub ForensicBBQ "Bird"
  • Wing Sauce

Method
 

  1. Trim the whole wings, splitting into drums/flats. Remove the wing tip (un-necessary)
  2. Dry the wings with paper towel, throw baking powder into a ziploc bag. Add chicken wings, coating the wings lightly.
  3. Remove the bird from bag ensuring baking powder coat was good, place on a plate - place into refrigerator for at least an hour.
  4. Smoker to 180F. Remove chicken from fridge, and throw your favorite rub on there. My RecTeq takes about 10 minutes to stable out - I let the chicken set for 10min on the counter while it does so.
  5. 180F for 20 minutes. Then dial up the pellet smoker to 275 - no need to remove from grates. Cook until internal temperature is 145F-ish
  6. Remove from smoker, tent in foil. Crank to 475F. Put 'em back on when heated, cook until 180F internal, flipping once.
  7. Splash some wing sauce on your plate and just drag a wing and eat. If you're a sauce fanatic, go ahead and toss in a bowl, but I like to taste the chicken and seasoning too!