Smoked Wings with Bourbon BBQ Sauce
These smoked chicken wings have a bold, flavorful crust and a tender inside. Accompanied with the bourbon shining in the barbecue sauce, these can be either the perfect appetizer or main dish for those barbecue lovers in your life.
Equipment
- smoker
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1 package whole chicken wings there's typically around 20 in the package i buy
- wood pellets or smoking chips of your choice
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 1 T paprika
- 1 t cumin
- 1 t cayenne pepper
- 2 t garlic powder
- 1 t salt
- 3 t black pepper
Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 2 T olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup bourbon or whiskey if you have that on hand
- 2 cups ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 T liquid smoke
- ¼ cup worcestershire
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- ½ t onion powder
- 1 t dry mustard
- ½ t paprika
Instructions
Smoked Wings
- Take the wings out of their package, cut off their tails, and lay them on a baking sheet.
- Put them in the fridge, uncovered, for at least an hour. The longer the better! This dries them out and helps them form a more crispy skin when being smoked.
- Combine the olive oil, chili powder, smoked paprika, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. This is your rub.
- After they're done in the fridge, take them out and coat them in the rub. I find that the easiest way is to dip the wing in your mixture and use your hands to rub it into the entire wing.
- Smoke them for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 250° F, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165° F.
Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Heat your olive oil in a pan and add your minced garlic over low/med. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add your bourbon and let it cook down for 2-3 minutes. I try not to let it evaporate out completely.
- Add the rest of your BBQ sauce ingredients and combine. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for an additional 10 minutes.