When it comes to party recipes, few rival the versatile chicken wing. If you want a wing that comes together in less than an hour, yet is fall-off-the-bone-tender, try my Party Style Wings. These wings are seasoned with my honey-infused Honey Chipotle Rub and sauced with a sticky-sweet pineapple-inspired glaze. 

The wings cook to perfection on the Gateway Drum Smoker, giving them notes of nostalgic charcoal. You’ll fall in love with the wing’s juicy texture and crispy skin! My Party Style Wings are a great addition to any summer barbecue, game day celebration, or pizza night. Let’s dive in and learn how to bring a taste of down-home BBQ to your table! 

Party Style Wings | Heath Riles BBQ

What makes these Party Style Wings so special? A unique blend of spices, sauces, and glaze, that’s what! The dry rub adds a punch of flavor, while a zesty sauce adds moisture to the wings, keeping them melt-in-your-mouth tender. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better Party Style Wing! 

With a delectable texture, aromatic smell, and wonderful taste, these wings are an experience for all the senses. They’ll make every day feel like a celebration. 

The Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make a batch of Party Style Wings on the Gateway Drum Smoker. 

• Whole chicken wings. Whole chicken wings are an excellent option for those who like a hearty wing with a lot of “bite.” These wings also allow you to trim the wings to your liking!
• Extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is an excellent mild binder that helps the chicken wings crisp and the seasoning stick. You can also use avocado or coconut oil. 
• Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. This rub contains the perfect blend of sweet and smoky, with just a little heat on the back end. It adds a beautiful color to roasts, wings, ribs, and more!
• Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce. I created this sauce with good buddies, and it was inspired by the flavors that propelled me to a victory in the Rib category at the 2022 & 2024 Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest. I know it’ll make you feel like a champion, too. 
• Heath Riles BBQ Pineapple Habanero BBQ Glaze. This sweet glaze gives roasts, ribs, and wings a beautiful shine with a pop of flavor. You can use it solo or pair it with one of my sauces for a custom blend. 

The Smoker Setup

Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites can be found in the Equipment and Tools section. 

• Drum smoker. The Party Style Wings cooked to perfection on the Gateway Drum Smoker. This simple setup smokes food hot and fast and is perfect for creating a two-zone fire. You'll love the Gateway Drum if you’re looking for a practical pit with a minimalist approach to grilling. 
• Charcoal. I stoked the drum smoker with Royal Oak Lump Charcoal and Royal Oak Tumbleweeds. This combination creates the best nostalgic flavor. This brand of charcoal contains no fillers, making it ideal for pitmasters who keep things natural. 

The Process for Making Party Style Wings

The video and recipe cards contain an in-depth tutorial, but for now, here’s how I pulled together these Party Style Wings on the Gateway Drum Smoker. 

1. Fire up the grill. I stoked the Gateway Drum Smoker with Royal Oak Lump Charcoal and some Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, then fired it up to 300℉.
2. Prep the chicken wings. To prep the chicken wings, I turned them over and sliced them in half at the joint. I also broke off the wing tips, which is an optional step, as some people love the wing tip. I prefer “super trimmed” wings, so I used my butchering shears to remove any thick skin and pockets of fat. 
3. Add seasoning. Once the wings were trimmed, I placed them in a large aluminum pan, drizzled them with extra-virgin olive oil, and seasoned them on all sides with Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub. I let the wings sweat while the pit fired up.
4. Start smoking. I removed the wings from the pan and evenly spaced them around the Gateway Drum Smoker grates. Then, I seasoned them with Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub and let them smoke for 40 minutes, flipping the wings at the halfway point.
5. Make the sauce. To make the sauce, I combined Heath Riles BBQ Competition BBQ Sauce and Heath Riles BBQ Pineapple Habanero BBQ Glaze in a small saucepan. I set the sauce on the Gateway Drum Smoker to warm while the wings finished cooking. You want your wings to reach an internal temperature of 175℉-200℉. 
6. Sauce the wings. I took the Party Style Wings off the pit, placed them back in the aluminum pan, and sauced them. I tossed the wings to evenly coat them in glaze, seasoned them with Heath Riles BBQ Honey Chipotle Rub and then set them on the pit for 5 minutes to tack up. The only thing left was to take the Party Style Wings off the pit and let them cool before digging in!

The Results

The Party Style Wings were so tender they were falling off the bone. These wings had the perfect balance of sweetness with just a hint of heat on the back end. Combining sauce with glaze gave the wings a delectable sticky-sweet coating. This recipe is one for the books!

Serving Suggestions for Party Style Wings

Party Style Wings are great on their own, but you can serve them with an array of dips, like bleu cheese and ranch. 

Storing Leftovers

You can store leftover Party Wings in the fridge for up to five days or freeze them for up to five months. If reheating from frozen, you may want to make additional sauce to spoon over the top. 

Equipment and Tools

Gateway Drum Smoker, Royal Oak Lump Charcoal, Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, Vortex Chimney, aluminum baking pans, small Lodge cast iron skillet, wire cooling racks, butchering shears, mixing bowls, metal tongs, ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE