Smoked Garlic Black Pepper Wings

When I travel to DC for work, one of my favorite places to eat is Founding Farmers.  While I don't order the wings there, one or two of my friends have been known to do so.  They always look delicious.  This is a variation of their garlic black pepper wings recipe which was adapted for the smoker and worked perfectly.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
Marinade
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
½ cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 Tsp. honey
1 Tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds whole chicken wings, wing tips removed

Wing Glaze
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. granulated sugar
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili paste
2 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Place the wings in a sealable plastic bag or container with a lid. Pour the marinade over the wings and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat smoker to 225°F.  Once smoker is ready, place wings directly onto smoker grate.   Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Place the soy sauce and both sugars in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the sugars are dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the garlic, chili paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

When the wings have reached an internal temperature of 165°F, remove them from smoker and place on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack.  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Roast the wings for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the skin is nice and crispy.

Transfer the hot wings to a large bowl and toss them in the glaze. Garnish with the green onion and serve with the lime wedges and plenty of napkins.