Brining chicken wings is an easy way to infuse them with flavor and keep them incredibly moist and juicy. It only requires a few simple ingredients and steps but makes a huge difference in the final result. If you want your next batch of wings to be the best ever then learning how to properly brine them is a must.
What is Chicken Wing Brining?
Brining involves soaking meat in a saltwater solution, called a brine, before cooking. The salt allows the meat to retain more moisture while also seasoning it throughout. This results in chicken wings that are perfectly seasoned from the inside out and stay tender and juicy even after cooking over high heat.
Brining is especially effective for lean meats like chicken wings that can easily dry out during cooking. The salt in the brine denatures the proteins, allowing the wings to hold onto more moisture. The water also gently plumps up the cells, resulting in a juicier texture.
Why Should You Brine Chicken Wings?
There are a few key benefits to brining chicken wings
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Prevents dryness – The salt and water work together to keep the wings incredibly moist and tender.
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Boosts flavor – Salt penetrates deep into the meat to season it from the inside out. Any other flavorings like spices and herbs also infuse into the chicken.
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Enhances crispiness – Brined wings develop an amazing crispy skin when cooked.
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It’s easy – Brining wings requires minimal effort but yields maximum rewards. The basic ingredients are simple and it just requires time, not skill.
For these reasons, brining is one of the best things you can do to take your wings to the next level. It’s a game changer!
How Long to Brine Chicken Wings
One of the most common brining questions is how long you should soak the wings. The soaking time depends on whether the wings still have skin on them or are skinless.
For bone-in chicken wings with skin, brine them for 4-8 hours. The skin acts as a barrier so they need more time for the brine to fully penetrate into the meat. Overnight is ideal.
For skinless chicken wings, cut back the brining time to just 2-4 hours. Without the skin, the brine can quickly soak into the exposed meat so less time is needed.
Keep the wings submerged in the brine the entire time. Place a plate on top if needed to keep them down. Refrigerate the container while brining.
Simple Chicken Wing Brine Recipe
Brining chicken wings is easy because it requires so few ingredients. Here is an excellent basic brine recipe:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
Instructions:
- Combine all brine ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Place wings in a large container or bag. Pour cooled brine over wings until completely submerged.
- Refrigerate for 4-8 hours for wings with skin, or 2-4 hours for skinless wings.
- Remove wings from brine and pat dry. Discard brine.
- Cook wings as desired. The brined wings can be grilled, baked, fried, or smoked.
The salt and sugar flavor and tenderize the wings. Black peppercorns, thyme, and garlic add extra dimension. Adjust the seasonings to your tastes.
Brining Wing Tips for Best Results
Follow these tips when brining chicken wings for maximum rewards:
- Use a clean brine each time. Don’t reuse old brine.
- Chill the brine before adding wings so it brines effectively.
- Keep wings fully submerged the entire time.
- Pat wings very dry after brining so the skin gets crispy.
- Season additionally after brining if desired.
- Discard used brine, don’t reuse.
Proper technique is important to get properly brined wings.
Can You Dry Brine Chicken Wings?
Dry brining, also called salting, is an alternative method that skips the water. Instead of a wet brine, you directly coat the raw wings with salt and let it sit. Over time, the salt will draw out moisture from the wings, dissolve, and then get reabsorbed along with the seasoning.
To dry brine chicken wings:
- Pat the wings dry and place in a bag or container.
- Generously season all over with kosher salt. About 1 teaspoon per wing.
- Refrigerate for 4-12 hours. The longer time equals more flavor.
- Rinse off the salt or pat dry before cooking.
Dry brining takes more time but requires even less work. The wings don’t have to be submerged in liquid. It’s another excellent brining option.
Alternative Chicken Wing Brine Ideas
Plain salt and water make an effective basic brine, but you can also add lots of other ingredients to impart more flavor. Get creative with your chicken wing brine!
Flavor ideas:
- Whole spices like peppercorns, coriander, cinnamon sticks
- Herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano
- Fruit juices or zest like lemon, lime, orange
- Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or hot sauce
- Beer, wine, vinegar, or liquor
Sweet brine ideas:
- Brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey
- Apple juice, pineapple juice, or cranberry juice
Spicy brine ideas:
- Chili flakes, cayenne, or chipotle powder
- Dried chilies, jalapenos, or habaneros
- Hot sauces like Tabasco, sriracha, or harissa
Let the brine ingredients complement your cooking method and desired flavor profile. Get creative with both sweet and spicy options.
Frequently Asked Brining Questions
Should you rinse wings after brining?
It’s best not to rinse after brining. You don’t want to wash away any of the seasoned salt and spices. Just pat them very dry.
Can you over-brine wings?
It is possible to brine too long, resulting in overly salty wings. Stick to the recommended times of 4-8 hours for skin-on and 2-4 hours for skinless.
Can you reuse brine?
Don’t reuse brine multiple times. The wings release protein and fat into the solution so it’s best to make fresh each time.
Can you bake brined wings?
Absolutely! Brined wings can be baked in the oven and come out incredibly moist and flavorful. They’ll have great crispy skin too.
What’s the best way to cook brined wings?
Brined wings really shine when grilled or smoked to get that nice char. But you can also bake, air fry, or deep fry them. Use your favorite method.
Incredibly Juicy, Tender Wings Await
Learning how to properly brine chicken wings really takes them to new heights. The minimal effort of preparing a simple saltwater brine pays off in wings that are perfectly seasoned, incredibly moist and tender, and full of flavor.
For your next wing night, give brining a try. Follow the tips above for making a top-notch brine and soaking the wings just long enough. We hope these ideas get those flavorful juices flowing and you’ll never go back to unbrined wings again. Now get ready to enjoy the best, juiciest wings ever!
How to Brine Chicken Wings
What’s great about chicken wings is that, as opposed to a giant turkey, they are easy to manage. You can use just about any chicken wing brine you like. Once it’s cooled, simply submerge the wings in it and refrigerate. Drain and dry well and you are good to go. There are many delicious brining recipes, but here are a few of our wing-specific favorites:
- Traeger Dry Rub Wings may be called dry rubbed, but it starts with a wet brine that includes some garlic and red pepper flakes plus brown sugar which can aid in browning.
- Smoked Korean-Style Wings puts a spin on wings with a wet brine that include citrus.
- This roasted take on Buffalo Wings starts with a dry brine featuring Traeger Chicken Rub and cornstarch, which acts similar to baking powder (and some say better when it comes to chicken wings).
Note that even if a recipe does not include a brining step, you can always add that extra step to boost flavor and benefit texture. For more great chicken wing recipes, look here.
How to Dry Brine
For a dry brine, you want to coat the protein all over with a generous seasoning of kosher salt and let it rest on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan in the refrigerator. (The timing guidelines are about the same as for a wet brine.) As the meat sits, the salt draws the moisture out of the meat creating essentially a liquid brine on the surface. The salt dissolves in the liquid and then gets reabsorbed by the meat, denaturing the proteins to make each bite more tender. You will know the process is complete when the surface of the protein once again looks dry. There is no need to rinse the protein, which is especially good news for chicken wings as you want them nice and dry to crisp well.
A secret dry brine ingredient for wings: baking powder or cornstarch. If you plan to dry brine, mix the salt with the same amount of baking powder or cornstarch (about 1 teaspoon of each per pound of chicken wings). This is especially helpful when baking or grilling as opposed to frying. As J. Kenji Lopez-Alt explains on Serious Eats: As the dry brined chicken cooks, the baking powder “forms carbon dioxide gas in the same way that it would in a cookie dough or cake batter, inflating these juices into bubbles, which are then naturally hardened by the heat of the oven. And, as we all know, extra bubbles mean extra surface area, which means extra crunch!”
