Brined Chicken Wings are soaked in flavorful brine made with fresh garlic, apple cider vinegar, spices, herbs and roasted or air fried to perfection. Brining produces juicy, flavorful and succulent chicken wings that you will want to eat over and over again!
I also have these easy Convection Oven Chicken Wings and these Asian-inspired Soy Garlic Wings recipe.
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My favorite way to eat chicken wings Buffalo style, smothered in an absurd amount of Frank’s Red Hot sauce and melted butter with a side of celery and blue cheese dressing. Though that is absolute wing perfection in my mind, it is rather decadent (aka millions of calories) so I reserve this meal for Super Bowl night or some special occasion.
I found that the easiest way to make chicken wings flavorful AND juicy is brining them. Soaking the wings in salty water with all kinds of different spices, herbs and aromatics before cooking produces truly amazing chicken wings that are super tender, perfectly seasoned and, most importantly, NOT dry.
If you like Buffalo chicken wings, you may also like this Buffalo Chicken Thighs recipe. For another easy air fryer chicken recipe, try these Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs.
What is brining
Brining is a way to help tenderize lean meat or fish before cooking so it doesn’t dry out. To make brine, salt is added to water often accompanied with other spices, herbs and sometimes other ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice or sugar. Typically, the salt to water ratio is 1 tablespoon kosher salt to 1 cup of water.
Meat or fish, such as chicken, turkey, pork chops or shrimp, is placed in cold brine and sits in it usually for hours before cooking. The brining process “locks in” the moisture that lean meat typically loses during cooking.
Large cuts of meat, such as whole turkey or chicken need to be brined for several hours or even overnight. Chicken wings are very small so 2-3 hours is enough time for the brine to do its job.
What you will need
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Chicken Wings: good quality chicken will give you best results. I usually buy organic party wings (wings cut into 2 pieces and the tips removed).
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Salt: kosher salt works best for brining.
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Garlic: everything tastes better with fresh garlic!
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Vinegar: I recommend apple cider vinegar but white or red wine vinegar will also work.
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Paprika: sweet Hungarian paprika has the best flavor
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Garlic Powder and Onion Powder: to flavor the brine
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Black Pepper: I use freshly ground or milled black pepper in all of my recipes.
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Dried Thyme: you can also use fresh thyme leaves if you have them. No need to take them off the stem, just throw in 2-3 stems into the brine.
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Bay Leaves: they can be pricey but I use bay leaves so much, I buy them in bulk on Amazon.
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Red Pepper Flakes: for a hint of heat.
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Water: the base of any brine. This recipe starts with boiling hot water but once the salt dissolves, cold water and ice are added to cool it down fast. Kind of like making Jello!
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Ice: it helps cool down the brine so you can place the chicken wings in it faster.
How to make brined chicken wings in the oven
- Step 1: Make the brine. In a large bowl or pot pour in one cup boiling hot water. Add salt, paprika, garlic and onion powder, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir with a spoon or a fork until the salt mostly dissolves. Add apple cider vinegar.
- Step 2: Cool the brine. Add 2 cups of cold water and a cup of ice to the bowl. Stir until the ice mostly dissolves. At this point the brine should be cold.
- Step 3: Brine the wings. Place chicken wings in the brine so they are completely covered. Put a lid on top and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours (no more than 6 hours).
- Step 4: Prep for baking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place a fitted rack in the lined tray and spray with non-stick spray or brush with oil.
- Step 5: Dry the wings. Remove the wings from the brine and place on paper towels to dry. Pat with more paper towels until mostly dry.
- Step 6: Bake. Place the dry chicken wings onto a baking tray fitted with a rack. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes until browned and crispy.
Air fryer & gas grill instructions
Other than baking, you can also cook brined chicken wings in the air fryer or on the grill. Here’s how:
- Air Fryer - To make these wings in the air fryer, I recommend cooking them in two batches. Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket with cooking spray, place the wings in a single layer and air fry at 400 degrees for 22 minutes, flipping the wings after 10 minutes. The wings should be browned and crispy. The exact cooking time will depend on the type of your air fryer. I like this 7qt GoWise air fryer because it holds a lot of wings at once.
- Gas Grill – preheat the grill to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil the grid with a paper towel and place the wings directly on it. Close the lid and grill for about five minutes. Open the lid and flip one or two wings to check the browning level. If it’s already browning or charring, you may need to turn the heat down a bit. Keep cooking while checking and flipping the wings until cooked through, browned and crispy on the outside, about 20-25 minutes total.
What to serve with brined chicken wings
I like to serve these chicken wings with a side of dipping sauce (try this Dill Aioli). Sometimes I go for blue cheese but my favorite pairing with these wings is a super quick homemade garlicky ranch dip (recipe below).
In terms if side dishes, you can pair chicken wings with mac and cheese, roasted veggies, sweet potato fries or any salad. Here are some ideas of sides that go well with brined chicken wings:
How to make Ranch dipping sauce
This is totally optional but if you’ve never made your own ranch dressing or dip, try this recipe! It’s creamy, flavorful, garlicky and way better for you than anything you’d get at a grocery store.
To make it you’ll need:
- Greek yogurt: I like Fage (2% or 5% fat)
- Mayo: my favorite mayo is Sir Kensington’s avocado mayonnaise
- Fresh Garlic: if you don’t have any on hand, use garlic powder instead
- Dried parsley, Dill Weed and Thyme: you can also use fresh herbs, if you prefer
- Salt & Black pepper
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Storage and reheating
- Cooked wings – let the wings cool completely, place in an airtight container and store cooked wings in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in preheated oven on a baking tray for 5-10 minutes or until heated through. You can also reheat cooked wings in the air fryer for a couple minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The latter is my favorite way to reheat chicken because it’s much faster.
- Uncooked wings - if you want, you can brine chicken wings and bake them the next day. Place chicken wings in brine and let them soak in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Remove, dry with paper towels and place in an airtight container in the fridge. Bake, grill or air fry in the next 48 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but you will need to wait for the brine to cool down completely before putting the wings in it. If you don’t have ice, add equal amount of cold water. Place the brine in the fridge for an hour or so until no longer warm. Then add the chicken and let it brine.
Yes it does which is why it’s important not too brine your wings for more than a couple hours or they will become too salty. I recommend 2-3 hours and definitely no more than 6 hours. If you use less salt (for example ½ the amount), you can keep the wings in the brine for longer.
The main difference is that dry brining, unlike wet brining, does not involve any water. To put it simply, dry brining is seasoning the meat with copious amounts of kosher salt (and other spices) and letting it rest for some time. The salt gets absorbed in the meat and this process help the meat produce its own brine on the inside, without the need to soak in water solution.
No. Just remove them from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. The only time I would recommend rinsing the wings would be if you accidentally left them in the brine too long.
More easy chicken ideas
- Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders (No Breading)
- Buffalo Chicken Things (Oven or Air Fryer)
- Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken
- Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Asparagus (Air Fryer or Oven)
- Air Fryer Chicken Kabobs
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Recipe
Brined Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings cut party style (drumettes and wingettes)
- 1 cup boiling hot water
- 1 cup ice
- 2 cups cold water
- 4 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3-4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 bay leaves whole or crushed
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Make the brine. In a large bowl or pot pour in one cup boiling hot water. Add salt, paprika, garlic and onion powder, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir with a spoon or a fork until the salt mostly dissolves. Add apple cider vinegar.
- Add 2 cups of cold water and a cup of ice. Stir until the ice mostly dissolves. At this point the brine should be cold.
- Place chicken wings in the brine so they are completely covered. Put a lid on top and place in the fridge for 2-4 hours (no more than 6 hours).
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place a fitted rack in the lined tray and spray with non-stick spray or brush with oil.
- Remove the wings from the brine and place on paper towels to dry. Pat with more paper towels until mostly dry.
- Place the dry chicken wings onto a baking tray fitted with the rack.
- Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes until browned and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Amanda says
They were so tasty. Thank you for sharing.
Emily says
The brine was so flavorful and made the juiciest wings ever! The edges were crisped to perfection. I am looking forward to making this again soon!
Ramona says
Very tasty recipe. I’ll use this very often. We all enjoyed it 😋
Helen at the lazy gastronome says
I love me some wings!!
Deb says
Made this in air fryer. Was awesome.
Jamie says
Brining gives it so much flavor! These were delicious!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is so easy and delicious dish to make for everyone. I love it!
Amy says
Love these wings. They are easy in the air fryer as well as the oven.
nancy says
easy and tender wings
Kristina says
Delicious recipe!
Sue says
Dekici9ous - what a difference the brine makes!
Stine Mari says
I think brined make everything better! These brined chicken wings are perfect for the weekend, yum!
Amy says
This was so good! Only problem was I didn't make more!
nancy says
I love this brined chicken wings. I use the same brine for my thighs and it is amazing
Giangi Townsend says
Great recipe! Love the flavor that the brine infuses the wing tips
James Strange says
Brining wings is the way to go.
Erin says
Now that I've tried brining my wings I won't have them any other way! So good!