Beer Brined Chicken Wings are crispy, succulent and full of flavor. They are the perfect dish for your next game day party!
When it comes to planning an epic game day celebration or party, chicken wings are always a crowd pleaser. Whether you make them saucy and spicy, or mild and sauceless, they are always a hit with kiddos and adults alike.
There are endless ways to make chicken wings and these Beer Brined Chicken Wings should absolutely be the next version you try.
I mean really, beer and chicken wings? It doesn’t get anymore game day friendly than that!
What is brining?
First things first, let’s talk about brining. It is a technique that many may have heard of but are still a little unsure of what it means.
Remember osmosis that we all learned about in school? That is basically what happens when you brine meat. The meat is submerged a salt water solution for a couple of hours. The meat absorbs the extra liquid and some of the salt resulting in a tender flavorful final product. To learn more about the process, the Kitchn has a great article about the science of brining meat.
Typically a brine is simply a salt water solution. For this brine, I switch things up a bit and use beer, salt, sugar, garlic, dill and peppercorns.
How do you make beer brined chicken wings?
Step 1: Heat water, sugar and salt over medium heat. Whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
Step 2: Add in garlic, dill and peppercorns .
Step 3: Pour in beer cold beer. Allow brine to cool to room temperature.
Step 4: Once the brine has cooled, pour over the chicken wings and brine chicken wings for 2- 4 hours.
Step 5: Once the chicken is done brining, rinse and pat dry.
DES’ TIP: Rinsing the chicken is necessary when brining because otherwise it will be too salty. Take care when rinsing the chicken so water isn’t splashed and be sure to clean your sink afterwards to prevent the spread of any bacteria.
Step 6: Season the chicken with garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.
Step 7: Bake until golden brown and crispy.
A couple notes about making baked chicken wings:
Unlike most chicken wing recipes, these chicken wings are baked. To keep them crispy, I prefer to bake the chicken wings on top of a cooling rack that is set on a baking sheet. This allows the air to circulate around them to make them stay crispy.
Chicken wings will produce a bit of grease while they are cooking which could cause some smoking in your oven. I like to keep my fan on to help with this.
To say these Beer Brined Chicken Wings were a hit is an understatement. I made two batches in as many days. My kiddos were literally sitting in front of the oven waiting for them to finish. Once they were done, they were gone in a flash! Make them once, you’ll see.
Oh and don’t forget the homemade ranch dip. Obviously.
Looking for more chicken wing recipes? I have all the recipes you’ll need! Here are some of my favorites:
Dill Pickle Keto Chicken Wings
If you need more game day appetizer recipes, check these out!
Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 6 cloves garlic
- 12 fl ounces beer such as lager
- 3 pounds chicken party wings
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- non-stick spray
Instructions
- Heat water, sugar and salt over medium heat just until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Add in dill, peppercorns and garlic. Turn off heat, pour in beer and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, pour brine over chicken wings. Cover and refrigerate for 2 - 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cooking rack with non-stick spray and place on top of baking sheet.
- Carefully rinse and pat dry.
- Place chicken in a bowl and top with oil, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss to coat completely.
- Place chicken wings on prepared cooking rack. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for another 20 minutes or until cooked through, brown and crispy.
I hope this recipe can at least come close to your Mother-in-laws in flavor so that it brings back nice memories for you :)
My mother-in-law used to make what she called Drunk Chicken Wings, and I loved them. Unfortunately the recipe died when she did. I know she didn’t have the number of ingredients as yours, but I will copy yours and let you know how it goes. I have been searching for a Drunk Chicken Wing recipe and this looks the best.
These chicken wings sound delicious and flavorful! I can’t wait to try the recipe at home. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome, Karen! Glad you enjoyed it!
I reduced the kosher salt to 1/4 cup and dang!? My husband is a dry rub wing freak, me nor so much—I campaigned for this recipe and won 😂 he said this is it. I think the higher bake temp along with the brine made this a true winner. Our go to from now on, can’t wait to try on the grill. Thank you!
Thanks for your comments, Joan! Hope you can tweak it to suit your personal tastes :)
I’ve never brined wings before so was excited to find and try this recipe. Overall it’s a good recipe but I found the finished product to be way too salty and garlicky flavored even after rinsing off the brine. I will use the recipe again, but cut back on the salt and garlic. I will also eliminate the dill as I’m not a fan of it.
For chicken wings, I think they are too small to leave overnight. If you wanted to brine a whole chicken in this brine though you could leave it overnight!
Can you leave in brine overnight?
The brine is perfection! Have you ever used it other recipes?
These are going to be perfect for game day! I can’t wait to make them!
Beer Brined Chicken Wings would disappear in our house!
That brine looks a-mazing! Totally have to try these – on the meal plan!
I think that that the brine is going to be a game changer! Talk about flavor!
These are my kind of wings! Perfect for Super Bowl Sunday; can’t wait to enjoy these!