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Smoked turkey wings on a pellet grill

Smoked Turkey Wings

Learn how to make the best smoked turkey wings, with crispy skin, on ANY grill or smoker, whether its a Traeger or Pit Boss pellet grill, a Masterbuilt propane smoker, or just a simple Weber kettle!
First we trim, season, and slow smoke the turkey wings for maximum flavor, then raise the temperature and finish them hot and fast to get the skin nice and crispy.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American, Australian, barbecue, BBQ, Holiday, Keto, Smoked, Thanksgiving
Servings 4 servings
Calories 500 kcal

Equipment

  • Gas Grill, Pellet Grill, or Smoker
  • Wood pellets, chunks, or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips preferably a fruitwood like apple
  • Paper Towels
  • Cutting Board
  • Boning Knife
  • Aluminum Tray or Baking Dish
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Instant Read and/or Leave in Probe Thermometer
  • Grilling Tongs

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Large Raw Turkey Wings 4 intact including both the drumette and flat, or 8 separate drumettes and flats
  • A sugar free BBQ rub like Bad Byron's Butt Rub -OR - our sugar free Savory BBQ Turkey Rub Below. sugar free so that the rub will not burn

Savory Smoked Turkey Rub

  • 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Dry Mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper optional for heat

Instructions
 

Rinsing, Separating, and Trimming the Turkey Wings

  • Remove the turkey wings their packaging and rinse under cold running water.
    4 Large Raw Turkey Wings
    raw turkey wings
  • Pat the turkey wings dry with paper towels, and place them on a cutting board.
    raw turkey wings
  • Spread the drumette away from the flat to get a sense of where they connect.
    spreading apart a raw turkey wing
  • Next, slice through the skin connecting the two pieces with a sharp boning knife until the knife gets to the joint itself.
    separating a raw turkey wing with a knife
  • Now pull the two pieces apart to see exactly where they connect at the joint.
    pulling apart a turkey wing at the joint
  • Take your knife and cut right through the joint at about a 45 degree angle to the flat.
    separating a turkey wing drumette and flat with a knife
  • If there is also a wingtip on each wing, then cut those off the other end of each flat.
    a separated turkey wing drumette and flat on a cutting board
  • Trim any excess skin hanging off the sides of each turkey wing drumette and flat.
    trimming a turkey wing flat

Season the Turkey Wings

  • Gather your favorite 'no-sugar" BBQ rub or mix together the ingredients to the Savory Smoked Turkey Rub above in a small mixing bowl.
    A sugar free BBQ rub like Bad Byron's Butt Rub -OR - our sugar free Savory BBQ Turkey Rub Below., 1 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 tablespoon Paprika, 2 teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Onion Powder, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Dry Mustard, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
    Bad Byron's butt rub
  • Generously sprinkle the BBQ rub all over the turkey wings on each side. Do not use oil to help the rub adhere.
    seasoned turkey wings on a tray

Set up your Grill or Smoker

  • Light or turn on your smoker, grill or pellet grill and set up the temperature to 225°F. If using a grill, only light a small amount of charcoal or light a single burner on one side for indirect cooking
    setting a pit boss pellet grill to 220 225 degrees
  • Add your wood chunks directly to the firebox of a smoker, or use chips in a smoker box, or pellets in a tube smoker or pellet grill.
  • Oil the grates well with canola or vegetable oil using a paper towel
  • Once smoke is being produced and the grill or smoker is at 225°F, put your turkey wings on the indirect side and close the lid.
    smoking turkey wings in a smoker

Smoking the Turkey Wings

  • Rotate and flip the turkey wings as needed, maybe every 20-30 minutes for about 90-120 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the wings has reached 140°F.
    turkey wings smoking in a smoker
  • Then increase the heat of your grill or smoker to 400° and continue cooking INDIRECTLY.
    setting a pit boss pellet grill to 400 degrees F
  • Continue to flip and rotate the smoked turkey wings every 5-10 minutes and cook at this temperature for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 165°F.
    an instant read thermometer showing 165 degrees on smoked turkey wings
  • Remove the smoked turkey wings from the smoker and place on a wire rack or cutting board to cool.
    smoked turkey wings on a plate with crispy skin

Serving the Smoked Turkey Wings

  • Let the smoked turkey wings cool for about 5 minutes.
  • You can serve the smoked turkey wings immediately or toss them in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce or even a buffalo sauce and serve with ranch dressing or blue cheese. Enjoy!
    smoked turkey wings on a plate with crispy skin

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal
Keyword crispy smoked turkey wings, grilled turkey wings, Masterbuilt, Pit Boss, pit boss turkey wings, poultry, smoked turkey, smoked turkey wings, thanksgiving, traeger, traeger turkey wings, turkey wings in a smoker, turkey wings on the grill, Weber
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