Traeger Spicy Sticky Chicken Wings – Recipe and Cooking Guide

Hey Smokers, and welcome to my post where we will run through my recipe and cooking guide for Traeger spicy sticky chicken wings. As you may or may not know, this site is all about cooking on my Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet Smoker and seeing where we can take things – and today, we are going to play a little more with some chicken wings.

Chicken wings are a favorite in my household, and to be honest, I usually just do them the same way – a bit of seasoning and cooked via the 0-400 method. We then dip them into a little bit of whatever sauce we have around at the time.

Lately however, the family is looking for some winged variation. So, taking some inspiration from the sticky and hot wings we had out the other night, I have had to come up with something different. Wish me luck…

Check Out My: Traeger 0-400 Chicken Wings – Recipe and Cooking Guide

Traeger Spicy Sticky Chicken Wings: What You’ll Need

Ok, so below is what I used to cook me some smoked chicken wings on the Traeger pellet smoker:

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of chicken wings (about 12-16 wings)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup of hot chicken rub (see below)
• 2 cups of hot wing sauce (I used Franks Hot Sauce)
• Lemon zest – This is the key!
• Dipping sauce of your choice (we used Kewpie Mayonnaise but of course you can use ranch, blue cheese or just about anything else you like)

Hot Chicken Rub Ingredients

• 1/2 half cup paprika
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbs black pepper
• 2tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder

Granted this rub is not much different than the one I use however in my research I found that many chicken rubs are very paprika heavy, so that is what I have gone for here….

Equipment

• Pellet smoker
• Smoker pellets (I used Hickory as that is what was in the smoker already)
• Cake grate- for wings
• Basting brush

Check out my: 15 Best BBQ Potluck Ideas

My Results

As above, I cooked my wings for just a touch over 1.5 hours, sauced and then for another 30 minutes. They came out perfectly cooked and the sauce had gone nice and sticky as well. As mentioned above, I just used some Frank’s Hot Sauce which is always a winner.

Which to be honest is a good thing as the rub is a little bland on its own – probably due to the large amount of paprika used – might try the sweeter Hungarian option next time.

The kicker however was the inclusion of the lemon zest that really made the difference here. This is something I have not done before but I remembered reading it somewhere so I thought I would give it a try. My verdict – do it! You will be pleasantly surprised I promise!

Tips for Perfect Smoked Wings

• Wood Choice: Experiment with different wood pellets to find your preferred flavor profile. Fruity woods like apple and cherry add a mild sweetness, while hickory provides a stronger, smoky flavor.
• Dry Brining: For extra flavor, consider letting the wings sit in the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight.
• Crispy Skin: Ensuring the wings are dry before seasoning are key steps to achieving crispy skin.
• Lemon Zest: Add it – Add it now!!

Conclusion

So there you have it, my recipe and cooking guide for some Traeger chicken wings of the hot and sticky variety. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below. I would also love to hear of your own experiences, preferences or suggestions here as well.

Are there any other products you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Until next time

Have fun and get into those Traeger wings!

Paul