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.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 500kcal
Cost $25
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
- Pat the turkey wings dry with paper towels, and place them on a cutting board.
- Spread the drumette away from the flat to get a sense of where they connect.
- Next, slice through the skin connecting the two pieces with a sharp boning knife until the knife gets to the joint itself.
- Now pull the two pieces apart to see exactly where they connect at the joint.
- Take your knife and cut right through the joint at about a 45 degree angle to the flat.
- If there is also a wingtip on each wing, then cut those off the other end of each flat.
- Trim any excess skin hanging off the sides of each turkey wing drumette and 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 Tbsp Chili Powder, 1 Tbsp Paprika, 2 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Black Pepper, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 1 tsp Garlic Powder, ½ tsp Dry Mustard, ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- Generously sprinkle the BBQ rub all over the turkey wings on each side. Do not use oil to help the rub adhere.
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
- 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 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.
- Then increase the heat of your grill or smoker to 400° and continue cooking INDIRECTLY.
- 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.
- Remove the smoked turkey wings from the smoker and place on a wire rack or cutting board to cool.
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!
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcal