Smoked Buffalo Wings!

I needed to smoke something this weekend, but I just didn't have a ton of time to do so.  Enter, Buffalo Wings!

Traditional Buffalo Wings are fried, not smoked, but we don't always have to go with tradition.  I really enjoyed the smoked wings I had at Jethro's BBQ, so I didn't really have a choice in trying to make them.  With only a couple of hours, today was a great day to try some smoked Buffalo Wings.

I bought about 5 lbs. of wings, which ended up being 24 wings.  I rinsed them off, then seasoned them with Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder.  While I was doing this, I preheated the Green Mountain Grill to 250 degrees.  Just for cleanliness and to avoid over smoking, I placed the chicken on a cookie sheet that was covered with non-stick foil.  Once the smoker reached 250, I put the wings on for 2 and a half hours.  

After about 2 hours, I decided to make my buffalo wing sauce.  I really like making my own sauces because I can accentuate flavors I like, and I can avoid those pesky preservatives.

My Buffalo Wing Sauce Recipe is very traditional.  You can dial the heat up or down with more or less black pepper or cayenne pepper.  Here's how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 Tablespoons Vinegar

1/2 Tablespoon Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

1.  Melt butter and while still on the heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of flour.  Stir for 3 minutes to create a roux.  I do this because I like a little thicker wing sauce.

2.  Add Frank's Red Hot, Vinegar, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Worcestershire Sauce and Cayenne Pepper and stir.

3.  Let sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

After 2 and a half hours, I pulled the wings off the smoker.  I didn't measure any temperature, but from what I had read online, it seemed like they would be done, and they were.  

I then tossed the wings in the Buffalo Wing Sauce and enjoyed!  The skin does not get crispy like you would get from frying the wings.  But you get the added dimension of smoke flavor which adds complexity. 

Overall, I was really happy with these wings.  As you can see from the picture, they look amazing!  I am pretty happy with that food pic.  They were very moist, and even though the skin wasn't crispy, it didn't really detract from the flavor.  The added dimension of the smoke complimented the sauce and created a very tasty wing.  

So, do I prefer these wings over traditional fried buffalo wings?  Eh...it's sort of a toss up.  I think it really depends on my mood of the day.  If I want a smokey flavor, then I'll cook 'em this way.  If not, I'd fry 'em.  In the future, I may try frying after smoking, or charring them on a hot grill to add crispiness to see what this does to the flavor.  Overall, this was a very successful cook and I can't wait for my next cook on the smoker.