Smoke then fry your way to the ultimate tasting experience. Our delicious chicken wings start with a smoky flavor, then get dipped in the secret scratch-made buffalo sauce for a unique flavor that will have you hooked. Time to experience fried chicken wings like never before!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Smoke first, fry second: Wings seasoned with Noble Saltworks Cherry Smoked Finishing Salt and pepper pick up a light smoke at 200°F, then a dip in 400°F oil crisps the skin and finishes cooking.
- Scratch-made buffalo sauce: Killer Hogs Hot Sauce, unsalted butter, Worcestershire, garlic powder, cayenne, and celery seed simmer for 2 minutes into a glossy sauce that coats the wings.
- Two dressings: A buttermilk ranch with fresh parsley, chives, and dill, and a smoked blue cheese dressing with smoked paprika and champagne vinegar give you a choice for dipping.
- Flats and drumettes separated: Removing the tips and cutting the wings into flats and drumettes makes 36 even pieces that fry at the same rate.
Smoke Fried Buffalo Wings
Tom Jackson
Rated 4.5 stars by 2 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Calories
1405
Why choose between smoked wings and fried wings when you can have both! These smoke fried chicken wings begin their journey on the smoker, and finish with a dip in the fryer. And once you try this scratch made buffalo sauce, you’ll be whipping up your own sauce every time you make wings!
Ingredients
- 18 whole chicken wings, tips removed and discarded, flats separated from drumettes
-
Noble Saltworks Cherry Smoked Finishing Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
-
2/3 cup Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
-
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
-
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 4 oz smoked blue cheese
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
-
Noble Saltworks Cherry Smoked Finishing Salt
- Black pepper, to taste
For the buffalo sauce:
For the buttermilk ranch dressing:
For the blue cheese dressing:
Directions
- To make the buttermilk ranch dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- For the blue cheese dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning, as necessary. For a chunkier dressing, reserve half of the blue cheese before processing and stir it in by hand at the end.
- To build your buffalo sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 200ºF, set up for smoking.
Season the wings with the Noble Saltworks Cherry Smoked Finishing Salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place on the second shelf of the grill and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 100ºF. Remove from the grill.
Preheat 3-4 quarts vegetable oil to 400ºF in a Lodge 7 Quart Dutch Oven, on the side burner of your grill or stove.
- Fry the wings in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the dutch oven. Fry until the internal temperature surpasses 170ºF, and the outside is lightly browned. Remove from heat. Shake off excess oil. Place in a mixing bowl. Add enough buffalo sauce to the bowl to coat the wings. Toss to cover wings in the sauce.
- Repeat the process with the remaining wings. Serve with the buttermilk ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why smoke the wings before frying them?
A short stint in the smoker adds smoke flavor and renders some fat from the skin. The fryer then crisps the skin and finishes cooking the meat in just a few minutes.
Why only smoke the wings to 100°F?
The smoker supplies flavor, and the fryer does the real cooking. Go straight from the smoker to the fryer, and keep the total time raw wings spend out of the refrigerator under 2 hours.
What internal temperature should the wings reach?
Poultry is safe at 165°F. This recipe fries the wings until they pass 170°F and the skin is lightly browned. Check a drumette with an instant-read thermometer, away from the bone.
How do I fry the wings safely?
Use a deep pot filled no more than halfway, as the recipe does with 3-4 quarts in a 7-quart Dutch oven. Keep the oil at 400°F, lower the wings in gently, and fry in small batches so the temperature doesn't drop. Keep water away from the oil, and let it cool completely before discarding it.
Why shake off the excess oil before saucing?
Extra oil keeps the sauce from clinging, so the wings end up greasy and the sauce slides off.
How is the buffalo sauce made?
Hot sauce, butter, Worcestershire, garlic powder, cayenne, and celery seed simmer together for 2 minutes until the butter melts into the hot sauce. Stir or whisk it before tossing so it stays emulsified.
How do I make the blue cheese dressing chunkier?
Reserve half of the blue cheese before blending, then stir it into the finished dressing by hand.
How long do the dressings keep?
Both contain dairy, so keep them covered in the refrigerator. The ranch keeps for up to a week, and the blue cheese dressing keeps for about the same time.
Why remove the wing tips?
The tips have little meat and burn quickly in hot oil. They can be saved for making chicken stock.
How should I store leftovers?
Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. The wings keep for about 3-4 days, and they reheat best on a rack in a 400°F oven so the skin re-crisps. Reheat to 165°F.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
4 out of 5. The frying and sauce are done on the stovetop, and the wings can be baked on a rack at 425°F instead of smoked. You'd lose the smoke flavor.
Recipe Highlights
Smoke, then fry: Gives smoky flavor and crisp skin.
Scratch buffalo sauce: Comes together in two minutes.
Ranch and smoked blue cheese dressings: Give two dipping options.
Flats and drumettes: Fry evenly in batches.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 1405
- Carbs
- 45 grams
- Protein
- 55 grams
- Fat
- 113 grams
- Sodium
- 3453 milligrams
