The BEST Crispy Keto Smoked Buffalo Wings Recipe

Easy, crispy, and delicious Smoked Buffalo Wings drenched in a delicious buffalo hot sauce and smoked to perfection. An easy weeknight or weekend meal that has very minimal prep and cleanup, making cooking dinner a breeze!

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Rescue Recipes: Nat’s Notes

This is a brand new recipe that’s part of my 2023 Rescue Recipes Series – aka lifesaving recipes for busy families! View all the Rescue Recipes here.

This rescue recipe is smoked chicken wings two ways! One super easy dry rub wing recipe for the kids, and these Smoked Buffalo Wings for the adults. There’s very minimal prep with the wings, and your smoker really does all the work! With the extra minutes I have, I prepare quick and easy sides, and voila! Dinner is SO SIMPLE. 

These hot wings get so crispy in the smoker, and they have a great subtle flavor of smoke that compliments the buffalo sauce really well. Plus, if you’ve been around here for a while, you know I am not a big fan of heat in my food, and this buffalo sauce I’ve found has the perfect flavor without being too spicy. The BEST wings.

• Rescue Recipes Tips: There’s very little prep that needs to be done with the wings, so I’d spend any extra time throughout the day to prep a side dish like this easy, low-carb house salad. I top it with blue cheese dressing, and ah! It’s delish!  
• Kid-Friendly Tips: For the kids, I make them dry rub wings since they’re not buffalo wing fans yet.
• Keto-Friendly Tips: The wings themselves are keto-friendly, so you’ll just want to make sure whatever side dish or sauce you serve them with is also keto-friendly. Check labels and use my ranch recipe! 

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken Wings: This works for whole chicken wings or wings where the flat and the drumette are separated.
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Hot Sauce: Use your favorite buffalo style hot sauce. My favorite sauce is Noble Made Medium- I love the taste and spice level. Their mild is great if you don’t like spice. Franks is another great option for buffalo wing sauce.
• Butter

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat your Traeger grill or other pellet smoker/electric smoker to 325ºF.
2. Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper and place chicken wings on the grill grates in your smoker.
3. Smoke the wings with the lid closed for 1 hour and 20 minutes—no need to flip or turn the wings while cooking. The internal temperature of the wings will read 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer. I have found that this cooking time and temperature are perfect. 
4. Remove the wings from the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Make the buffalo sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the buffalo sauce and tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.
6. Toss the wings in the buffalo sauce. Add the cooked wings to a large mixing bowl, pour over the warmed buffalo sauce and butter mixture, then toss to coat all the wings.
7. Serve warm, and enjoy immediately while the wings are still crispy on the outside and the juicy meat is warm on the inside. I love them served with ranch dressing.

Expert Tips

• Oven: You can make these in the oven if you don’t have a smoker. Bake at 325ºF for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I’d recommend baking them on a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack so the air can circulate and get crispy. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature (165) if needed.
• Wings: This works for full wings or wings where the flat and the drumette are separated.
• Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce. My favorite is Noble Made Medium. Their mild is great if you don’t like spice. Franks is another great option.
• Pellets: We use Signature wood chips in our pellet grill. I love the smoky flavor it gives. Use your favorite pellets like cherry wood or hickory, or buy a bag of Signature! 

Serving Tips

• Serve your smoked buffalo wings warm with an additional dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese dressing or BBQ sauce. I like to serve immediately for the ultimate crispiness.
• Make your favorite low-carb sides and enjoy! I love this salad. 
• Traditional buffalo chicken wings are served with a side of celery sticks and carrot sticks. This is a super easy side to whip up with them. Just keep in mind that carrots are higher in sugar if you’re keto, so eat according to your macros.

Storage Tips

• Store leftover smoked buffalo wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for at least 6 months. 
• To freeze, let the smoked wings cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. 
• They’re not as good the next day and are tricky to reheat, though you can try the air fryer. I’d recommend eating cold if you can.

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