Moh's Chicken Wings-Crispy, Smokey, Spicy

Seems like there is always someone here asking how to make chicken wings. I don't consider myself an expert in this category and there are a lot of ways to make wings. I prefer to make my wings indirect (nearly all chicken actually as the texture is what we prefer). Unconventionally, I use Mesquite smoke and no seasoning. The sauce is plenty salty and a second coat of sauce will make them quite a bit spicier. Below is my method if it interests you. It takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1:15 if you don't have the wings air dried in the fridge. It's more work than just grilling wings, but the results are what makes our household happy. 

400-425 indirect with drip pan. Get the egg up to temp (plate setter included). Put one handful of Mesquite chips on the lesser burning part of the fire. This will give about 10 minutes of smoke. That's all I usually need. 
  


Put the wings on flats down.


Nice smoke for about 10 minutes. That's all I really want on the wings. Mesquite is bitter and too much is not your friend. It seems to pair very nicely with this particular sauce.


Wait 1/2 hour and flip. Note that the skin is starting to tighten and crisp. There is a little smoke color on them.



Wait about 1/2 hour and flip. These were flipped and the photo was taken a few minutes later.


Once you get the skin crisped as shown above, sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has set. 


Then flip and sauce the other side.


Sometimes the middle ones need a little crisping so I place them around the edges to get some direct heat for a minute or two. If you want to really crisp them, you could go direct at this point.


They come out smokey and tender with crispy skin. I wish I had some fancy sauce recipe but really it is just store-bought sauce and it goes nicely with the mesquite smoke.


They pull clean from the bone and stay juicy as a result of being cooked indirect. They take a while (these were cooked from partially frozen) an hour and fifteen minutes from putting them on the egg until resting for a few minutes to eat. If they are thawed and dried overnight, I can have them done in about 45-50 minutes.

Here is the sauce I use. We buy it at Whole Foods (just happened to stumble upon it a few years ago).



Technically, they are overcooked (around 200 degrees internal) but remain juicy since cooked indirect. They pull clean from the bone and are very tender. (sorry if you think the bone pic is gross!) To me, they have just enough smoke and the sauce is best if it is cooked down to crispy. Again, this is a lot of time and work for chicken wings, but they are our favorite and the neighbors seem to love them too. Can't eat wings anywhere but home anymore.