How Long to Cook Chicken Wings on a Pellet Grill for Perfectly Crispy, Juicy Wings

People love chicken wings as an appetizer or as a finger food because they have crispy skin, tender meat, and spicy. Traditional cooking is to deep fry food, but using a pellet grill adds a delicious smoky flavor that takes wings to the next level. It’s important to know how long to cook chicken wings on a pellet grill so they get the right texture.

Why Use a Pellet Grill for Chicken Wings

As the name suggests, pellet grills like the Traeger Wood Pellet Grill use 100% natural hardwood pellets to give food a real wood-fired flavor. The pellets burn quickly and evenly cook the food by creating convection heat that wraps around it. Because of this, a pellet grill is the best way to cook chicken wings.

Compared to a traditional charcoal or gas grill a pellet grill offers

• Smoke Flavor – Natural hardwood pellets impart a delicate smoky taste.
• Convection Cooking – The grill surrounds food in consistent heat for crispy skin.
• Versatility – Most pellet grills allow you to smoke, grill, bake, roast, braise and more.
• Set It and Forget It – Once you set the temperature, pellet grills maintain it automatically.

Pellet grills give you oven-like control plus authentic barbecue smoke flavor. This winning combo is perfect for cooking chicken wings with a crispy outside and juicy interior.

How Long to Cook Chicken Wings on a Pellet Grill

The cooking time will depend on the size of the wings and how crispy you want them. Use these guidelines when cooking wings on a pellet grill:

• Small Wings – Cook for 30-40 minutes
• Medium Wings – Cook for 35-45 minutes
• Large Wings – Cook for 40-50 minutes

For the best results, we recommend cooking wings on a pellet grill set to 375°F and flipping the wings halfway through. Total cook time will be around 35 minutes for medium wings.

Always use a meat thermometer to confirm the internal temperature reaches 165°F for food safety. The skin will become crispy when the internal temp hits around 180°F.

Tips for Crispy Chicken Wings on a Pellet Grill

Achieving crispy skin on grill-cooked wings takes a few special tricks:

• Pat the wings dry completely before seasoning to get rid of any extra water. Let wings dry out in the fridge overnight before grilling them.

• Use a dry rub – Sprinkle wings liberally with a dry rub that contains cornstarch or baking powder to draw out moisture.

• Place wings directly on grates – Avoid trays or pans which steam the wings. Direct grill contact improves crispiness.

• Apply sauce at the end – Brush on sauces only during the last few minutes to prevent soggy skin.

• Get an instant read thermometer – This allows you to monitor the internal temp to achieve maximum crispness.

• Give wings a rest – Let wings sit for 5-10 minutes after grilling before serving. This allows moisture to redistribute so wings stay juicy.

How to Keep Chicken Wings Moist

To prevent dried out wings, be sure to:

• Don’t overcook – Pull wings when they reach 180°F internally.

• Use a water pan – The pan catches drippings and adds humidity inside the grill.

• Spritz with apple juice or broth – Mist wings with liquid during grilling for extra moisture.

• Wrap loosely in foil – For a few minutes if wings start overcooking on the outside before the inside is done.

• Brush with sauce at the end – Sauces add last minute moisture while also making wings sticky.

Best Pellet Flavors for Smoky Chicken Wings

Chicken wings pair well with strong wood smoke flavors. The best pellets for wings include:

• Mesquite – Bold, earthy smoke

• Hickory – Robust, bacon-like flavor

• Oak – Strong smoke with slight vanilla tones

• Maple – Sweet, mild smokiness

• Signature Blend – Traeger’s mix of oak, maple, cherry for balanced smoke

Go for a medium or heavy smoke pellet to stand up to intensely seasoned wings. Lighter fruit woods don’t impart enough flavor.

How to Season Chicken Wings

Simple salt and pepper is all you need for basic wings, but spice blends, dry rubs, and sauces take them to the next level. Consider:

• Dry brine – Heavily salt wings then let rest overnight for moisture and flavor.

• Spice rub – Coat wings in a mix of spices, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, etc before grilling.

• Barbecue sauce – Toss cooked wings in thick, sticky sauce for caramelization.

• Butter sauce – Melt butter, stir in hot sauce and coat wings for Buffalo-style.

• Glazes – Brush wings with flavorful glazes like soy-ginger or hoisin during the last 5-10 minutes of grilling.

Get creative mixing herbs, spices, vinegars, mustards, hot sauces and other ingredients for signature flavors.

Pellet Grill Chicken Wing Recipes

These recipes result in finger-licking good wings when cooked on a pellet grill:

• Honey Sriracha – Toss cooked wings in spicy honey sauce.

• Jamaican Jerk – Rub wings with Caribbean jerk seasoning before grilling.

• Maple Barbecue – Brush wings with maple syrup, mustard and barbecue sauce.

• Garlic Parmesan – Toss crispy wings in melted butter, garlic and Parm.

• Lemon Pepper – Season wings with zesty lemon pepper seasoning.

• Teriyaki – Grill wings basted in traditional teriyaki marinade.

• Mango Habanero – Coat wings in habanero-spiked mango sauce.

The smoky heat of a pellet grill pairs perfectly with wings in any flavor profile from sweet to spicy.

Serve Pellet Grill Wings with These Sides

Balance out wings with crunchy, cooling sides like:

• Celery and carrot sticks – The classic dippers for Buffalo wings.

• Blue cheese or ranch dressing – For dipping wings or veggies.

• Coleslaw – Crunchy cabbage cools spicy heat.

• Fries or tater tots – Crispy potatoes complement saucy wings.

• Fried pickles – Double down on the fried flavors.

• Cheesy dip – Queso, smoked gouda or spinach dip offer richness.

• Mac and cheese – Ooey-gooey mac is a crowd pleaser.

Don’t forget to toss the wings in your favorite sauce right before serving for maximum sticky goodness! Properly cooked pellet grill wings result in smoky flavor, tender juicy meat, and an addictively crispy crust.