America loves its chicken wings. From game-day spreads to late-night bar food, wings have become a national staple. What a lot of people don’t know is that much of that craze can be traced back to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, where the now-iconic “Buffalo” wing was first served in 1964. Traditionally cut in two pieces with the flap removed, fried without breading, and tossed in hot sauce and butter, the style quickly caught fire across the country and cemented itself as the gold standard of wing preparation.
Why Smoke Wings?
In recent years, smoked wings have been making their way onto menus and backyard grills. The low-and-slow method adds irresistible wood-fired flavor, but there’s one catch: the skin often comes out soft and rubbery instead of crisp. That’s because smoking temps—usually in the 225ºF to 275ºF range—aren’t hot enough to fully render the fat under the skin. The result? Tender smoky meat, but skin that doesn’t deliver.
You Can Have Your Smoke and Crispy Skin Too
Luckily there’s a simple hack that fixes the problem. By managing moisture and finishing the wings at a higher temperature, you can get the best of both worlds: juicy smoked meat, and crisp flavorful skin. The secret ingredient? Baking powder.
Crispy Smoked Wings Recipe Hack
Ingredients
- Chicken wings (flats and drumettes)
- Baking powder – 1-tsp per pound of wings.
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Dry the wings. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels to remove all moisture. For even better results, leave them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours to draw out moisture.
- Season. Toss with baking powder, salt and pepper.
- Smoke low and slow. Set your smoker for 225-250ºF and smoke the wings for 60-90 minutes until cooked through.
- Finish hot. Crank the heat up to 400-450ºF on the smoker or move the wings to a preheated grill, oven or air fryer. Cook the wings for an additional 5-10 minutes until the skin turns golden and crackly.
- Sauce and serve. Toss in Buffalo sauce, BBQ or your favorite glaze just before serving
How It Works
The secret is the combination of the two-stage cooking process, plus the baking powder. When the wings are tossed with a light coating of baking powder before smoking, it changes the chemistry of the skin. Baking powder raises the skins pH, which speeds up the Maillard reaction, the browning process that creates color, crunch, and deep flavor. At the same time, it draws out moisture, helping the skin to dry as it smokes.
That sets the stage for the high-heat finish. Once you crank the heat up to 400ºF or higher, the fat under the skin quickly renders and the proteins on the surface crisp up into a golden shell. The result is the holy grail of wings: smoky meat that stays juicy inside, with skin that shatters when you bite into it.
The Last Bite
This simple hack bridges the gap between barbecue flavor and fried-chicken crunch, making smoked wings as craveable as their Buffalo-style cousins. Because let’s be honest—no one is craving soggy wings.
