Smoked Pastrami Chicken Wings

Made with corned beef brine and pastrami rub, these smoked pastrami chicken wings will be the wings everybody talks about at your party.

What is pastrami?

When people refer to pastrami, they are almost always referring to beef that’s been cured and smoked with bold spices that form an extremely flavorful crust. The most popular cuts include beef brisket and beef navel.

The difference between corned beef brisket and pastrami is that pastrami is smoked and corned beef is usually boiled.

The cool thing is you can create pastrami with any type of meat. Today, we’re making chicken wings.

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• Corned Beef Brine: This recipe uses my recipe for Corned Beef Brine, which includes kosher salt, brown sugar, pickling spice and pink curing salt.
• Chicken Wings: The recipe calls for two pounds of wings. You can either use whole chicken wings or pre-cut party wings.
• Pastrami Rub: My homemade pastrami rub is made with black pepper, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, coconut palm sugar, smoked paprika and garlic.

Thousand Island Dip

• Mayonnaise: Any brand is fine. My favorites are Duke’s and Best Foods.
• Chili Sauce: You’ll find this in the ketchup aisle near the cocktail sauce. It’s like ketchup with a little bit of a kick.
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.

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How to smoke pastrami chicken wings

This recipe starts with a two-day brine, so plan ahead.

1. STEP ONE: Place the chicken wings in a ziploc bag or large mixing bowl. Cover with cooled brine. Refrigerate for two days.

2. STEP TWO: Remove the wings from the brine. Rinse with cool water.

3. STEP THREE: Pat wings dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle on all sides with the pastrami spice rub.

PRO TIP: For the best results, let the wings rest in the fridge uncovered for a few hours or overnight. This will help dry out the skins and add even more flavor to the meat. 

4. STEP FOUR: Heat your grill to 350F degrees with an indirect heat zone.

5. STEP FIVE: Grill over indirect heat until the internal temperature of the wings reaches 195-205F degrees. This will take 30-60 minutes, depending on your grill.

6. STEP SIX: While the wings are smoking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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How to serve pastrami wings

Once the wings are cooked through, remove them from the grill. Transfer to your serving dish or platter and serve right away with the thousand island dip.

The flavors are unlike any other wing you’ve ever tasted. Enjoy!

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Storage

Chicken wings are best enjoyed right away because over time the skin will lose crispiness. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Reheat them in the microwave or an air fryer. You can also freeze cooked chicken wings for up to 4 months, but they won’t be as tasty reheated.

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