Step 1

Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel.

Step 2

Place a drying rack over a cookie sheet and place wings on top.

Step 3

Place into a refrigerator, uncovered, for 1-3 hours to dehydrate (3 hours being optimal). This is crucial to the end texture of the chicken. This process will prevent the wings steaming when you cook it, which creates a rubbery texture. We’re going for crispy here, trying to emulate the texture of fried wings.

Step 4

When ready to cook, preheat smoker to 225 degrees, and remove wings from fridge.

Step 5

In a large bowl, toss the wings with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Step 6

Place wings on the smoker for one hour.

Step 7

Next, increase heat to 350 and let wings cook another 30 minutes. Conditions can change which can lead to more time. The key is to not pull the wings off until you get that crispy outside. You can tell by touch.

Step 8

Remove from smoker and toss immediately with hot sauce mix.

Step 9

Serve with your favorite ranch or blue cheese dip.

Step 10

Bring butter and sauce to simmer (not boil!!) and remove from heat. Place into a large bowl to toss the wings in. *see notes