Smoked Vampire Wings with Blackberry Chipotle Glaze
These smoked Halloween chicken wings are finished with a sticky blackberry chipotle glaze for a dark, spooky party appetizer. Smoke the wings, brown the skin over higher heat, then glaze just before serving. Includes grill and oven alternatives.
Equipment
- Smoker or pellet grill capable of 400°F, or smoker plus oven for finishing
- Cherry or apple smoking wood or pellets suitable for your cooker
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Large bowl for seasoning raw chicken
- Separate clean bowl for glazing cooked wings
- Small bowl for dry seasonings
- Small saucepan
- Whisk or spoon
- Tongs
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Paper towels
- Small clean bowl for reserved serving sauce
- Oven-safe wire rack and rimmed sheet pan, if using the oven
- Silicone basting brush, optional
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings Thawed, bone-in, skin-on; separated into flats and drumettes, tips removed
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil Or another neutral high-heat oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder For the wings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 6 grams kosher salt About 1 teaspoon Morton or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal
- 1 teaspoon black pepper Freshly ground
- 3/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves For the glaze; seedless blackberry jam also works
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce Preferably not extremely sweet
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo Finely minced; one pepper, not one can
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce From the chipotle can
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder For the glaze
- 1–2 tablespoons water Only as needed to thin the glaze
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing Optional, for serving
- Celery sticks Optional, for serving
- Carrot sticks Optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat the smoker or pellet grill to 275°F with indirect heat. Use cherry or apple wood or pellets suitable for the cooker. If the smoker cannot reach 400°F, prepare to finish in a preheated 425°F oven.
- Dry and season. Pat the thawed chicken wings thoroughly dry. Toss with the oil in a large bowl. Combine the smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, then toss with the wings to coat evenly.
- Smoke. Arrange the wings on the grate in one layer with space between them. Smoke at 275°F for about 30–35 minutes, turning once. Continue straight into the next cooking stage; do not partially cook and refrigerate for later.
- Make the glaze while the wings smoke. Combine the blackberry preserves, BBQ sauce, minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire, Dijon, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a small saucepan. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes, stirring often. Add water a tablespoon at a time only if needed for a brushable glaze.
- Reserve serving sauce. Transfer about 1/3 cup of glaze to a separate clean bowl. Keep this portion away from the chicken and used utensils. Keep the remaining glaze warm over very low heat, stirring as needed.
- Brown the wings. Raise the cooker to 400°F and continue cooking over indirect heat for about 20–30 minutes, turning as needed, until the skin is browned and the thickest meat in several wings reaches about 175°F. Avoid touching bone with the thermometer. Slow temperature changes or large wings may require extra time. If finishing in the oven, transfer directly to an oven-safe rack over a rimmed pan at 425°F and cook to the same doneness.
- Glaze. Move the cooked wings to a separate clean bowl. Toss with about 1/2 cup of warm glaze, adding more only as needed for a thin, even coating. Use clean tongs and keep the reserved serving sauce separate.
- Set the glaze. Return the wings to indirect heat at 400°F for 3–5 minutes, or the finishing oven at 425°F for 3–5 minutes, watching closely to avoid scorching. All wings must reach at least 165°F; a final temperature of about 175–185°F is the texture target for this recipe.
- Rest and serve. Rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve warm with the reserved glaze and optional dressing and vegetables. Discard sauce left in the tossing bowl; store only untouched reserved sauce for later use.
Notes
Difficulty: Easy.
Temperatures: Smoker 275°F, then 400°F; grill 400°F indirect; oven 425°F. All wings must reach 165°F minimum; 175–185°F is the texture target.
Timing: 20 minutes prep, about 65 minutes cooking, and 5 minutes rest. Glaze preparation overlaps smoking. Cook by temperature and browning; wing size and cooker warm-up affect timing.
Portions: 3 pounds after removing tips makes 6 appetizer servings or 3–4 main-course servings. Piece counts vary.
Salt: Use 6 grams kosher salt, about 1 teaspoon Morton or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal. For a commercial rub, replace the dry seasonings and adjust salt to the rub.
Heat: For mild wings, omit the minced chipotle and reduce adobo to 1 teaspoon. For hotter wings, add another minced pepper. Taste before the sauce contacts chicken.
Glaze: Seedless blackberry jam may replace preserves. Color varies from purple-red to burgundy. Fresh berries require a different formulation. Apply a thin coat; extra glaze and holding soften the skin.
Optional drying: Refrigerate raw wings uncovered on a rack over a tray for 4–12 hours at 40°F or below, on the lowest shelf away from ready-to-eat food. This optional time is additional.
Grill: Preheat a two-zone grill to 400°F. Cook seasoned wings over indirect heat, lid closed, about 35–45 minutes, turning occasionally. Briefly crisp unsauced wings over direct heat if needed, watching flare-ups. At about 175°F internally, glaze lightly, return to indirect heat for 3–5 minutes, then rest uncovered for 5 minutes.
Oven: Preheat to 425°F. Arrange seasoned wings on a lightly oiled oven-safe rack over a rimmed pan. Bake about 40–50 minutes, turning halfway, until browned and around 175°F internally. Glaze lightly, bake 3–5 minutes more, then rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Large wings may need longer; all pieces must reach 165°F.
Make ahead: Refrigerate the glaze covered up to 3 days and rewarm gently. Mix dry seasonings ahead. Cook and glaze near serving time. Do not refrigerate partially cooked wings to finish later.
Storage: Hold hot at 140°F or above. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F ambient temperature. Store leftovers in shallow covered containers at 40°F or below for 3–4 days. Reheat at 350°F to 165°F internally; loosely cover if the glaze darkens too quickly.
Allergens: Worcestershire commonly contains fish. Check sauce labels for allergens and gluten; optional dairy dressings add milk.
Estimated nutrition per 1/6 batch: 470 kcal; protein 30 g; carbohydrates 36 g; fat 23 g; saturated fat 6 g; cholesterol 95 mg; sodium 850 mg; fiber 1 g; sugar 30 g. Includes all glaze, excludes bones and optional sides. Values vary with wing yield, rendered fat, brands, and leftover glaze.