Do we need an excuse to devour a platter of chicken wings? If you do, we have the double whammy of the Winter Olympics and the Super Bowl. Both of which just scream out for a pile of crispy, glazed wings. And these Smoked Wings will take your wing game to a whole new level. The crispy, sticky, sweetly smoky wings are a real vibe. Simple pantry ingredients and just 20 minutes will make you the MVP of any gathering, so let’s get into it.
Smoked Flavor Hack
Maybe you want to spend hours meticulously tending to an outdoor smoker, but I most certainly don’t, though I still crave that smoky flavor. Liquid smoke to the rescue! It gives me the satisfying smoky flavor without any of the work. Just a little over a tablespoon delivers unbelievable wood-smoked taste. I begin making my Smoked Wings by letting them sit in a liquid smoke mixture while I get the sauce ready.
Smoked Wing Sauce
I like my wings glazed with a sticky, tangy and sweet sauce, and this one does not disappoint. It relies on pantry heavy hitters like red wine vinegar, ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. I also add a smidge of the liquid smoke so there’s a hint of that woodsy flavor in the sauce too.
Cooking the Smoked Wings
Now that the sauce is mixed up, it’s time to cook the wings.
Now the wings are ready to plate and serve. I like to garnish with some additional toasted sesame seeds and a thinly sliced scallion, and then it’s time to dig in!
My husband loved them so much that when I turned back around to take a picture, this is what I found:
Smoked Chicken Wings are sure to be a hit at your Super Bowl Party, or figure skating viewing party (go Nathan Chen!). Let us know what you think by rating and commenting on the recipe below. And don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Smoked Wings
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: small plates
- Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of chicken wings cut into wings and drumettes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tablespoon minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Sauce:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 Tablespoons ketchup
- ½ coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Garnish:
- 1 scallion, sliced thin on a bias
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the wings at the joint to separate the wing and drumette. (I cut off the wing tip too and save them to make chicken stock.)
- On a foil wrapped baking sheet, mix the chicken wings, salt, liquid smoke, and 1 Tablespoon of oil. Spread the wings out on the baking sheet and set the sheet aside white you make the sauce. (I like to let the chicken wings sit for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors and let them come up to room temperature.)
- Combine the red wine vinegar, seasoned rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ketchup, ground black pepper, and liquid smoke. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425 and move the oven shelf to the middle.
- Roast the wings for 20 minutes.
- Heat a large 12” skillet over medium high heat for several minutes. Add the oil and the garlic and stir for a couple of seconds. Pour in the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened slightly.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds into the sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the wings and cook for 1-2 minutes tossing to fully coat the wings with the sauce. The wings should be nicely glazed with the thick sauce.
- Transfer to a serving platter.
- Sprinkle with the scallions and extra sesame seeds. Serve smoked wings immediately.
Keywords: wings, smoked chicken wings, party food, asian appetizers