If you’re looking to cook some mouth-watering wings for game day or just because then you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I will share my tips and experience on how to make wings with the Pit Boss pellet grill that are sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
Can You Smoke Chicken Wings On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill?
The Pit Boss Pellet Grill is one of the most versatile grills on the market. It can be used as a smoker, grill, or rotisserie – and this versatility makes it perfect for cooking wings!
Smoking the wings is the secret to cooking mouth-watering wings.
You can even use the Pit Boss to cook a whole chicken, make spatchcock chicken, and pretty much anything else you want.
Smoking Chicken Wings On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Whether you’re cooking wings for the big game or just craving some mouth-watering wings, then you’re in luck. The Pit Boss pellet smoker makes it easy to smoke, cook, and season your own wings. Plus, it does most of the work to begin. You’ll need the following:
- Pit Boss pellet grill (or any pellet grill)
- Chicken wings
- Your favorite seasonings
- Meat thermometer (preferably handheld)
- The right pellets
- Your favorite sides
Choose The Chicken Wings
Cooking the right wings begins at the grocery store. Of course, you can buy your wings anywhere, but I always buy mine in bulk at Costco. I prefer the Kirkland brand because they are less expensive and one bag is enough to feed my family and friends.
The hard part is determining how many you’ll need to buy, especially if you’re cooking for several people.
How Many Chicken Wings To Buy?
It will depend on what else is on the menu and who’s coming over for dinner. If you have a big family or are planning a huge party, you’ll want to get more wings.
- If you’re chowing down on wings with nothing else or just celery, you’ll want to get about a pound of bone-in chicken wings per person.
- If there’s a vast spread of side dishes and the wings are the appetizers, not the main course, then you can cut it down to a half-pound of bone-in wings per person.
I would rather get a few extra than run out. But you can use this genius wing calculator that will tell you how many wings you’re going to need.
Wings Can Be Purchased As:
At the grocery store, you’ll see two main types of chicken wings.
Frozen
There are different brands of frozen chicken wings from Tyson, Perdue, TGI Fridays, Banquet, etc. If you want to make it easier on yourself, you can even get them pre-seasoned.
Although, for the best experience, I recommend seasoning them yourself.
Whole Wings or Pre-Cut
Most grocery stores offer chicken wings that are already cut up and ready to cook. The downside is they are more expensive than whole wings.
Expect to pay about 30 to 60 cents more per pound than whole wings.
Buying whole wings will save you money but will require more preparation. The process consists of cutting through the two joints, where the wing naturally blends together, and that’s it!
You’ll end up with wing tips, wingettes (aka as a “flat), and drumettes. The Salted Pepper video will show you how easy the process is to do.
Wash and Dry The Wings
To smoke the perfect wings, you’ll want to wash and dry the wings (both frozen and fresh ) before putting them on the smoker. If you’ve opted for the frozen variety, pull them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Season The Wings
The best part about making homemade wings is you can season them any way you want. For example, you can prepare your favorite rub to lather them up before putting them on the grill. Or you can do like we did and just add black pepper.
Spray the grilling area with some cooking spray such as Pam. It prevents them from sticking to the grill, and the black pepper gives them a little bit of seasoning.
This makes it easy for people to dip the wings in their favorite wing sauce. I prefer mine hot, so I love dipping them in Chili Pepper Soy and Ginger Asian Zing Sauce.
If you decide to sauce your wings, ensure it has fully penetrated the chicken and is at room temperature, as the cold sauce can affect the skin from becoming crispy.
If you’re a more traditional person, you can stick with BBQ seasoning or hot sauce. The best part is it’s entirely up to you how you want to flavor your wings!
How To Cook Wings On A Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Once the wings are washed, dried, and seasoned, it’s time to head outside and put them on the Pit Boss grill. If you don’t dry them, the skin won’t be able to crisp up, and you’ll end up with soft-skinned wings.
Smoking The Wings
The secret to cooking the perfect wings is to smoke them for an hour before turning up the temperature dial.
Set the Pit Boss to the “smoke” or “S” setting. Wait until the grill has reached the proper temperature before placing the wings directly on the grill.
P-Setting
Unless you want to experiment or are cooking in cold weather, leave the P-setting on the factory default (P-4) setting.
Place The Wings On The Rack
You don’t need any pans or cooking dishes to smoke the wings on the pellet grill. Place the wings side by side with each other, ensuring they don’t touch directly on the rack.
Also, make sure the flame broiler is closed, as you’ll want to smoke and cook the wings on indirect heat. If the flame broiler is open, the wings will go from raw to burnt in minutes, as the open flame will be too hot.
Seasoning The Wings On The Grill
We’ve all seen those commercials or videos where people open the grill to season their wings. During the smoking process, you want to leave the lid closed. Continual opening and closing of the lid will cause the grill temperature to fluctuate, ruining the smoking process.
If you want to apply more seasoning to the wings, I recommend doing it about a minute or two before they’re done. I always do it after I remove them from the grill.
Turn The Temperature Up
After the wings have smoked for an hour, it’s time to turn the grill up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. They’ll need about another 20-25 minutes to cook.
Should I Flip The Wings?
Only if you want to, it’s not necessary. The pellet grill uses combustion heat to cook the foods, meaning it will easily cook both sides of the wing. However, I prefer to flip mine because I like the grill markings on both sides.
Plus, flipping them helps make the whole wing crispier, instead of just one side.
Monitor The Internal Temperature
Use a handheld thermometer to ensure they cook thoroughly. Insert the thermometer into the meatiest part of the meat. Once the chicken wings reach an internal temperature of 165 175 degrees, they are ready to be removed from the grill.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Wings On A Pit Boss?
It will take 1.5 hours to cook wings at 425 degrees—one hour for the smoking process and then 30 minutes at the higher temperature. Of course, the cooking time will vary depending on how many wings you’re cooking, the ambient temperature, and whether or not you keep opening the lid.
If you smoke the wings at 225 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit through the whole process, it will take about two full hours. Regardless of how long it takes, make sure they reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Otherwise, you risk your family, friends, or anyone who eats the wings to become ill.
Best Pellets To Use for Cooking Wings On A Pit Boss?
I used the Pit Boss Cherry Wood pellets because that’s what I had in the hopper, but they would also be good with mesquite, hickory, or the competition blend.
The great thing about the Pit Boss pellets is you can’t go wrong with which flavor you use, and it all comes down to personal choice.
Do I Let The Wings Rest?
Once they are done, remove them from the grill and let them rest on a cutting or cooling board. This is also an excellent time to toss them in the sauce or rub.
Let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This resting period is vital as it allows the flavor to infuse and the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat fibers, making it nice and juicy!
Final Word
There are many things to consider when it comes to cooking wings. For example, what flavors you want, your grill’s temperature, how long they need to be cooked, the best pellets to use, and how many wings you need.
If you’re looking for a delicious dish that will impress your friends on game day or any other occasion, follow these steps to make the process easier.
You’ll be tempted to rush the process, by not drying the wings or skipping the smoking process. However, these are the two most important parts of making the perfect mouth-watering wings.
Once you realize how easy it is to smoke wings on the Pit Boss pellet grill, you’ll never buy them pre-made ever again!
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