Anyone smoked then air fried chicken wings?

Dwight Smokem

Well-known member
Messages
125
Location
Louisville, KY
Grill(s) owned
  1. Bull
  2. Bullseye
So, I feel like my biggest issue with smoking whole chicken or even just the party wings (wing and flats separated), is the SKIN. Yes, I have read people jack the temp up at end or smoked the entire time at 3-375 and achieve crispy skin. Yes, I own a Bullseye and can finish them super hot on there, BUT the top 5 wing spots around me ALL smoke and then finish their wings by deep frying. Every one of them, because in reality this is the key to the smoked flavor that can be achieved deep at lower temps, then the crisp skin.

Now, to the title of the thread. I received a new Vortex Air Fryer by the company that makes insta-pot. Does anyone achieve anything similar to the smoke then deep fry texture by going low and slow on the smoke, then finish in air fryer? If so, for party wings, what temp and time on smoker and then same for air fryer?
 
So, I feel like my biggest issue with smoking whole chicken or even just the party wings (wing and flats separated), is the SKIN. Yes, I have read people jack the temp up at end or smoked the entire time at 3-375 and achieve crispy skin. Yes, I own a Bullseye and can finish them super hot on there, BUT the top 5 wing spots around me ALL smoke and then finish their wings by deep frying. Every one of them, because in reality this is the key to the smoked flavor that can be achieved deep at lower temps, then the crisp skin.

Now, to the title of the thread. I received a new Vortex Air Fryer by the company that makes insta-pot. Does anyone achieve anything similar to the smoke then deep fry texture by going low and slow on the smoke, then finish in air fryer? If so, for party wings, what temp and time on smoker and then same for air fryer?

I've never gotten crispy skin on chicken, wings or turkey. No matter what I've tried, but along with Chad, I like the idea! Sounds very reasonable
 
I've tried it a couple times, basically for the same reasoning you stated. Smoked the wings low (~225 deg) on the 590 until maybe 10 degrees under desired temp, then pulled them and put in the air fryer. I think maybe at 375 or 400 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, if I recall correctly. I hate to admit it, but I still haven't figured out a great balance between the two. Usually my smoked wings come out juicy, but both times I tried it with the combo RT smoke then air fryer, the wings came out dry. The skin definitely crisped up, but it dried out the meat quite a bit, too. To the point where I just prefer them straight off the RT. Maybe a shorter time in the air fryer would do the trick. I hope this helps a bit, and good luck with your experimentation. Let us know if you find a good solution!
 
Maybe a shorter time in the air fryer would do the trick. I hope this helps a bit, and good luck with your experimentation.
Or, maybe pull them from the smoker a little earlier and let the air fryer bring them up to temp during the crisping process? I don’t have an air fryer, so can’t test this theory.
 
I have a propane powered cooker called the big easy. It’s a convection style cooker intended to air fry a turkey, but it is very good at bone in ribeye and any bird. It crips the outside of whatever you put in it seal’s in the juices. It’s got a basket that you can load up and lower into the cooker. It’s pretty much turn it on light it up and let it do it’s thing. I love it.
 
I'm not sure what y'all are doing, but I haven't had any issues getting crispy skin on chicken.

What are you guys using for your finishing temp?
Brother, you are in the minority because for every wing or whole bird smoker I speak to who says there's come out crispy and delicious, I talk to 10 who are still trying to solve the issue of rubbery skin that all comes off in your mouth at once. I even saw an old PBS show where Aaron Franklin was doing thighs in his first competition and even he had no solution on just changing temps bc he removed the thigh skin, scraped it thin, then cooked and replaced. I know it sounds crazy but if anyone has seen that episode you will recall it. JGW, what's your cook look like on time and temps please.
 
I have a propane powered cooker called the big easy. It’s a convection style cooker intended to air fry a turkey, but it is very good at bone in ribeye and any bird. It crips the outside of whatever you put in it seal’s in the juices. It’s got a basket that you can load up and lower into the cooker. It’s pretty much turn it on light it up and let it do it’s thing. I love it.
This intrigues me. The reviews on the Big Easy are great and what I like about it is it could solve my similar issue I experience with whole birds which I could never fit in my air fryer. Going to play with the smoke to air fry method but I also really love an excuse to buy more cooking toys. I do a ton with the Bull, Bullseye, and my Joule sous vide. Adding something called the Big Easy just seems appropriate.
 
Brother, you are in the minority because for every wing or whole bird smoker I speak to who says there's come out crispy and delicious, I talk to 10 who are still trying to solve the issue of rubbery skin that all comes off in your mouth at once. I even saw an old PBS show where Aaron Franklin was doing thighs in his first competition and even he had no solution on just changing temps bc he removed the thigh skin, scraped it thin, then cooked and replaced. I know it sounds crazy but if anyone has seen that episode you will recall it. JGW, what's your cook look like on time and temps please.
Found the episode, great episode all together but if you go to 10:40 mark, you will see his method for "bite through" skin.

https://www.pbs.org/video/bbq-franklin-episode-8-competition/
 
Brother, you are in the minority because for every wing or whole bird smoker I speak to who says there's come out crispy and delicious, I talk to 10 who are still trying to solve the issue of rubbery skin that all comes off in your mouth at once. I even saw an old PBS show where Aaron Franklin was doing thighs in his first competition and even he had no solution on just changing temps bc he removed the thigh skin, scraped it thin, then cooked and replaced. I know it sounds crazy but if anyone has seen that episode you will recall it. JGW, what's your cook look like on time and temps please.
I don't do anything special. I do let the chicken air-dry in the fridge, before grilling if I'm not marinating it, then season and throw it on the grill.

I like my chicken WELL done, so I take it a lot higher than the recommended 160. I'm normally going 180-185. Doesn't seem to affect juiciness. I also tend to cook it at 400-425. If I am smoking it, I still finish at high temp to crisp up the skin.

I wonder if humidity plays a part? It's very dry here, and we're above 5k feet.
 
I don't do anything special. I do let the chicken air-dry in the fridge, before grilling if I'm not marinating it, then season and throw it on the grill.

I like my chicken WELL done, so I take it a lot higher than the recommended 160. I'm normally going 180-185. Doesn't seem to affect juiciness. I also tend to cook it at 400-425. If I am smoking it, I still finish at high temp to crisp up the skin.

I wonder if humidity plays a part? It's very dry here, and we're above 5k feet.
I would say a lot in your cook are "X factors" compared to most. As you said, you're cooking the meat to a temp of 25 degrees over what most are doing, your smoker temp is higher than what most consider to be the optimal temps to produce smoke, I find once I crest 300 on my Bull, there is a significant decline in actual smoke and turns into more of a grill. Surprised to hear you don't see wings dry out when cooked to 185, but as always, if they taste good to you, then you're doing it right. Thanks for sharing. I lived in Denver for 5 years and I will say elevation and humidity do very much effect a cook. Worst two batches of ribs I've ever smoked were the first two I did when I got to Denver.
 
I promise you will not regret getting one. They are so simple but work very well.
Looks like max temp is 575-600, my air fryer maxes out at 400, so it would make sense that I absolutely need the Big Easy, it really takes the decision out of my hands haha. But at that high temp, and being infrared, I can see how it's a good crisper.
 
I would say a lot in your cook are "X factors" compared to most. As you said, you're cooking the meat to a temp of 25 degrees over what most are doing, your smoker temp is higher than what most consider to be the optimal temps to produce smoke, I find once I crest 300 on my Bull, there is a significant decline in actual smoke and turns into more of a grill. Surprised to hear you don't see wings dry out when cooked to 185, but as always, if they taste good to you, then you're doing it right. Thanks for sharing. I lived in Denver for 5 years and I will say elevation and humidity do very much effect a cook. Worst two batches of ribs I've ever smoked were the first two I did when I got to Denver.
To clarify....if I smoke the chicken, I do it at 225-250, then finish it off at a higher temp to crisp up the skin.
 
I have a propane powered cooker called the big easy. It’s a convection style cooker intended to air fry a turkey, but it is very good at bone in ribeye and any bird. It crips the outside of whatever you put in it seal’s in the juices. It’s got a basket that you can load up and lower into the cooker. It’s pretty much turn it on light it up and let it do it’s thing. I love it.
I have one of these as well, and I also love it. But I have only done turkeys in mine. Is there a way to do small parts, like just the wings?
 
Follow-up: I tried 3 methods. First being standard smoke low and then jacked up temp at end. Third place for sure, good smoke flavor but skin not best and dried out more. 2nd, I did air fryer at max (400 degrees) after wings had smoked at 225 degrees for 40 mins. Took air fryer about 15 mins to get skin crisp but as @Mannydog said they were dried out compared to third method. Third method made what I would consider to be competition worthy wings that your buddies would pay for. 45 mins at 230, then finished for about 60-90 seconds in oil at about 360 degrees, shaken dry, sprinkled gently with a little more rub while hot. Pic attached but they were perfect. Flash frying didn't effect smoke flavor at all, still very smoky but skin broke with every bite. So, I think with a higher temp infrared cooker or higher temp air fryer you could avoid the oil, but for now the smoke then oil fry is king.
 

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I have tried it with no luck (rubbery skin). I have turned out chicken with very crispy skin before. The wife and I wanted chicken thighs but they were frozen rock solid. I threw those frozen bricks on the grill and it turned out to be some of the best thighs I have ever cooked.
 
that looks great! you have inspired me to try smoked then battered and fryed shrimp. think i will do a light dust of cayenne pepper also
Try them both ways, battered and unbattered before the fry. I've always been a fan of breaded chicken wings but after the smoke and the frying without any batter/flour, they still tasted amazing. What happened with my wings, I hope does same on shrimp which is the flash fry created like a impermeable seal and locked in the moisture. After I got past crisp skin, the inside was juicy smoke infused meat.
 

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