The Cold Smoking Trick That Makes Air Fryer Wings Taste Insane
Cold Smoke, Then Double Air Fry
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Introduction
Cold-Smoked Wings, Finished in the Air Fryer
What's up BBQ fans! I'm a wing guy, and somehow it's been about 10 months since my last wing video. Recently someone asked, "Jake, have you ever smoked your wings and then finished them in an air fryer?" I hadn't, but it sounded like a great idea. It's a multi-step process, and it comes with a cheat code for making a big batch ahead of game day.
Cold Smoke on the Yoder
On the Yoder YS640s, you can turn on the fan without lighting the fire, and it just circulates smoky air around your food.
Fill a smoke tube just over halfway with Bear Mountain Hickory pellets. A full tube goes upwards of 4 hours.
Light it with a good torch and let it burn for a couple of minutes before blowing it out. If you don't let it go long enough, it flames out and you have to relight it.
Bonus: Smoked Ketchup
While the smoke is rolling, pour ketchup into a shallow container and smoke it for at least an hour. I went an hour and a half, stirring every 15 minutes to work the smoke from the surface into the ketchup. Put it back in the bottle and mark it with an "S."
I laughed when I first saw smoked ketchup on the menu at a BBQ joint in Philly five or six years ago. Then I tried it on fries. It's freaking delicious, and it's great on burgers and in BBQ meatloaf, too.
Smoke the Wings
Spray a rack and lay the wings out with a little gap for the smoke to flow. The rack makes moving a big batch easy instead of flipping wings one by one with tongs.
Dust both sides with seasoned salt. No need to pat them dry. The air moving through the cooker dries out the skin.
Cold smoke for about 2 hours 15 minutes. They came out around 58°F with nice dry skin.
Chill them 30 minutes or more. The colder they go into the air fryer, the longer they have to render the fat and crisp the skin.
Make extra. I'll show you why below.
Double Air Fry
Just like great french fries, we're frying twice.
Coat: mist the wings very lightly with water so the flour sticks, then toss them in about a cup of all-purpose flour with a little more seasoned salt. Shake off the excess. You don't want them heavily coated.
First fry: spray the air fryer basket with avocado oil, lay the wings out without stacking and fry at 250°F for 20 minutes to render the fat. They won't look like much yet.
Chill again: back on a rack in the fridge for 30 minutes, or an hour is even better.
Second fry: preheat to 400°F for 5 minutes, spray the basket and the wings with avocado oil and fry at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking them at the halfway mark.
Pro tip: while they fry, warm your sauce in the microwave at low power for about 45 seconds. You don't want to do all this work and dump cold sauce on your wings.
The Cheat Code
After smoking, the wings will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. When you're ready, just air fry them once at 400°F for 15 to 17 minutes. I had a second batch waiting for the next night, needing only 10 to 12 minutes.
Taste Test
A good wing, but not quite as crispy as I expected. Next time, I'd give the final fry at least another 2 minutes. They also weren't as smoky as I expected after 2 hours in the smoke. There was some, but it wasn't over the top. To be fair, this was my third video of the day, so I'd been around smoke all day.
Final Thoughts
Cold smoke plus a double fry makes a pretty darn good wing, and the make-ahead option is great for game day. Deep fried will always be the best, but this gets you close with an air fryer.
If you're looking to take your pellet grilling game to the next level, check out my Pellet Grill Mastery Bundle. It includes my smoked ketchup recipe.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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