Smoked Root Beer BBQ Chicken Wings: Sweet, Smoky & Crispy

There are plenty of ways to make chicken wings, but we're going to go ahead and argue that soaking them in root beer, covering them with a sweet-and-spicy dry rub, smoking them low and slow, and finishing them with root beer barbecue sauce is considerably more interesting than throwing a frozen bag into the oven.

These Smoked Root Beer BBQ Chicken Wings start with wings that have already spent several hours marinating in a sweet, aromatic root beer mixture. From there, they get coated with raw sugar, thyme, ginger, Cajun seasoning, and one slightly unexpected ingredient: baking powder.

Then onto the Pit Boss pellet grill they go.

Low heat gives the wings plenty of time to pick up smoky flavor, while the dry seasoning creates a flavorful exterior. A little Twigs Root Beer can be misted over the 

wings during cooking for another touch of sweetness before they're finally tossed or brushed with root beer barbecue sauce.
Sweet. Smoky. Savory. A little spicy.

And extremely dangerous to leave unattended around hungry people.

Start With Root Beer Marinated Wings

The real flavor starts before these wings ever hit the Pit Boss.

For the best results, begin with chicken wings that have been marinated for several hours in root beer. Our Twigs Root Beer Chicken Wing Marinade combines Twigs Root Beer, fresh thyme, ginger, and Up Nort Peppery Seasoning to create a sweet and aromatic foundation.

Once the wings have finished marinating, remove them from the liquid and let the excess marinade drip away.

Don't rinse them.
We're trying to make delicious wings, not undo all the work we just did.
From here, they're ready for the dry rub.

The Secret Ingredient for Better Smoked Wings

Smoking chicken wings can create incredible flavor, but low-and-slow cooking doesn't always produce the crispy skin people expect from a great wing.

​Enter baking powder.
Adding a small amount of baking powder to the dry seasoning mixture helps dry the surface of the chicken and encourages browning and crisping as the wings cook.
You don't need much. For 3–4 pounds of wings, 1–2 teaspoons is plenty.

And make sure you're using baking powder, not baking soda.
Those are two very different containers.
One helps make crispy chicken wings.
The other helps create chicken wings you'll remember for all the wrong reasons.

Smoked Root Beer BBQ Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 3–4 pounds root beer-marinated chicken wings
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1–2 teaspoons baking powder
• Root beer barbecue sauce, for finishing
• Twigs Root Beer, for misting during cooking, optional

Directions

1. Preheat your Pit Boss pellet grill to 250°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the raw sugar, dried thyme, ground ginger, Cajun seasoning, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly so the baking powder and seasonings are evenly distributed.
3. Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade.
4. Allow excess liquid to drip from the wings. Pat them lightly with paper towels if they're especially wet.
5. Sprinkle the dry seasoning mixture over the wings and toss until every wing is evenly coated.
6. Arrange the wings directly on the Pit Boss grill grates, leaving a little space between each wing for smoke and heat to circulate.
7. Smoke at 250°F for approximately 1½–2 hours, turning the wings occasionally for even cooking.
8. If desired, lightly mist the wings with Twigs Root Beer during cooking. Don't soak them—you want a light mist that adds another layer of root beer flavor without washing away the seasoning or making the skin soggy.
9. Continue cooking until the wings reach an internal temperature of approximately 175°F in the thickest portion of the meat without touching the bone.
10. Remove the wings from the grill and immediately toss them with or brush them generously with root beer barbecue sauce.
11. Serve hot with extra sauce for dipping.

Why Take Chicken Wings to 175°F?

The USDA minimum safe internal temperature for chicken is 165°F, so why are we taking these wings to approximately 175°F?
Texture.
Chicken wings contain connective tissue that benefits from a little extra cooking. Taking them beyond the minimum safe temperature helps that tissue break down and can create a more tender bite.

​Because wings are dark meat with plenty of fat and connective tissue, they're much more forgiving than something lean like a boneless chicken breast.
Just don't measure the temperature against the bone. Insert your thermometer into the thickest meaty portion of the wing for the most accurate reading.

Don't Drown the Wings While They're Smoking

Misting the wings with Twigs Root Beer is optional, but it's a fun way to reinforce the root beer flavor.
The important word here is mist.
We're not watering the lawn.

A light spray is enough. Too much liquid can interfere with the crispy exterior we're trying to develop, especially after going through the trouble of adding baking powder to the dry rub.
Give them a quick mist and close the lid.
Every time that Pit Boss lid opens, you're releasing heat and smoke.
We know they're pretty.
Stop staring at them.

Then Comes the Root Beer BBQ Sauce

​Once the wings have finished smoking, it's time for the grand finale.
Root beer barbecue sauce.
Brush it onto the wings or put the wings into a large bowl, pour the sauce over the top, and toss until everything is coated.
For an even stickier finish, brush the wings with sauce during the final few minutes of cooking and let the sauce tighten slightly on the Pit Boss.

Keep an eye on them if you do this. Root beer barbecue sauce contains sugars, and sugar can move from beautifully caramelized to crispy little charcoal nuggets faster than we'd prefer.

Want Them Even Crispier?
If you're a member of Team Crispy Wing, you can increase the temperature of your Pit Boss during the final portion of cooking.
Once the wings are nearly finished, raise the grill temperature and let them cook over higher heat for several minutes, watching closely and turning as necessary.

​Then sauce them right before serving.
This gives you the best of both worlds: plenty of time in the smoke at 250°F followed by a hotter finish to help tighten and crisp the exterior.

What to Serve With Smoked Root Beer Wings

​These wings can handle the starring role at just about any backyard gathering, game-day spread, cookout, or Friday-night excuse to fire up the Pit Boss.

Pile them onto a platter and surround them with:

• Grilled corn
• Coleslaw
• Potato wedges
• Mac and cheese
• Baked beans
• Pickles
• Fresh vegetables and dip
• Grilled potatoes
• Cornbread
• Extra root beer barbecue sauce
• Ranch or blue cheese dressing

Or just put approximately 47 wings on a platter and call it dinner.
Vegetables can try again tomorrow.

Sweet Meets Smoke

​The magic of these wings comes from building flavor in stages.
First, there's the root beer marinade.
Then comes the raw sugar, thyme, ginger, Cajun seasoning, and baking powder dry rub.
Next, the wings spend up to two hours picking up smoky flavor on the Pit Boss pellet grill.
A little mist of Twigs Root Beer adds another layer along the way.
And finally, everything gets finished with sticky root beer barbecue sauce.
That's how you take a basic chicken wing and turn it into something worthy of standing around the grill eating directly off the platter.
Grab the napkins.
Actually, grab more napkins than that.

These are Smoked Root Beer BBQ Chicken Wings. Things are about to get sticky.