Go Back

Pickle Brined Chicken Wings

Most everyone I know throws the pickle jar and brine away once the last pickle has been eaten. However, that leftover brine is liquid gold for creating some of the most delicious chicken wings of all time.
The brine works because of three key components:
Vinegar: Breaks down the proteins to tenderize the meat.
Salt: Deeply seasons the wings while helping them retain moisture.
Aromatics: The garlic, mustard, and dill in the brine absorb into the meat, adding layers of flavor.

Ingredients
  

Pickle Marinade
  • 30 oz Pickle Brine
  • 2 lbs Chicken Party Wings
Dredge
  • 1 cup Corn Starch
  • 0.25 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika
Buffalo Wing Sauce
  • 1 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
  • 1 stick Butter
Additional Ingredients
  • As Needed Neutral Oil For Frying

Method
 

The Brine
  1. 1. Grab an empty pickle jar with approximately 30 oz of brine in it. This can also be done in another container with my brine when scaling up the recipe.
    2. Add in your chicken party wings. Do not cram the wings into the jar, they should be loosely floating around. You won't need the full 2 lbs of wings here.
    3. Cover with the lid and toss in the fridge to marinate overnight, or a minimum of 12 hours.
    Pickle Brined Chicken Wings being place in a jar
The Dredge
  1. 1. Combine all the ingredients for the dredge in a large mixing bowl, and mix to combine.
    2. Remove the wings from the pickle brine, and toss directly into the dredge. There is no need to pat the wings dry here.
    3. Coat all the wings in the dredge and leave in the bowl until your oil is heated.
    Making dredge for Pickle Brined Chicken Wings
The Sauce
  1. 1. Heat 1 cup of Franks Red Hot Sauce until it starts to simmer.
    2. Turn off the heat and gradually whisk in 2-3 tbsp of cubed butter at a time to emulsify it into the sauce.
    3. Once emulsified, set it aside and move on to the cook.
    Buffalo sauce for Pickle Brined Chicken Wings
The Cook
  1. 1. Heat roughly 2 quarts (make sure you use at least a 4qt sauce pot for this step to avoid having the oil pour over the sides) of any neutral oil to 375 F.
    2. Fry your wings in batches of 4-5 until an internal temperature of 165 is reached. Set aside on a wire rack while the rest of the wings get fried.
    3. Pour your buffalo sauce all over your wings and toss to combine.
    4. Serve it up and Enjoy!
    Deep Fried Pickle Brined Chicken Wings

Video

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!