Brining chicken wings in pickle juice makes them extra tasty and also juicy. Here we add a touch of baking powder to the brine to help the wings get extra brown and crispy on the outside as they bake.

Why Brine Wings?

I used to think brining wings wasn’t necessary since they’re already juicy and flavorful dark meat. My usual baked wings with baking powder were crispy enough, or so I thought. Then I tried brining them with baking powder mixed into the brine. They came out even crispier and more tender inside.

Brining works to make chicken more juicy because salt helps meat absorb more water. That makes chicken, and therefore chicken wings, juicier and it also seasons them throughout. Adding baking powder changes the pH of the skin, making it crispier, sometimes even bubbling up like fried wings.

After perfecting brined wings, I had to try it out with pickle juice (like in this Pickle-Fried Chicken recipe, inspired by a certain fast-food chicken chain!). And I added baking powder to that, of course. The pickle brine adds flavor and moisture, and the baking powder helps with crispiness. The wings turn out juicy, tangy, and crispy every time!

Note: If you’ve found baking powder too strong in dry rubs before, you might still like it in the brine—it’s much milder. But you can leave it out if you prefer.

What Kind Of Pickle Juice?

I like to use dill pickle juice as the brine liquid. You can use any kind of pickle that you love the taste of, but I recommend staying away from any sweet pickles for this recipe. 

You’ll need 2 cups of pickle juice for the brine. The liquid from a 32 ounce jar of pickles should be perfect. 

Not enough pickle brine? You can make up the difference by mixing up 1 cup of water with one tablespoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon white vinegar. You will want at least half of your brine coming from the actual pickle jar to achieve the flavor we want for our chicken wings.

How To Pickle-Brine Chicken Wings

The brining process is simple and straightforward. You’ll mix a teaspoon of baking powder (not baking soda) into the pickle juice brine and add in the chicken wings.

Make sure the wings are fully submerged in the liquid, and then let them brine in the fridge for 2 hours. If you don’t have 2 hours to spare, 1 hour is alright but they won’t be as good. If you leave them for more than 2 hours, the chicken can start to get too salty.

After brining them, you’ll cook them. Here’s how.

Baking the Brined Chicken Wings

After brining, preheat the oven to 250°F and line a baking pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easier. Lightly grease an oven-safe rack to help prevent the wings from sticking.

Remove the wings from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Arrange the wings in a single layer on the baking rack set over the baking pan, and cook at the low 250°F temperature for 30 minutes. This low temperature helps to thoroughly dry the chicken skin, and it gives the baking powder some extra time to start working its magic.

Then increase the temperature to 425°F, without removing the wings from the oven, and continue to cook at the higher 425°F until brown and crispy, another 30 minutes.

At that point, I do like to pull the wings out of the oven and flip them over. Continue to cook for another 15-30 minutes until the the tops have perfectly browned.

If you’d like, you can garnish your wings with fresh dill and some chopped garlic. And of course, grab some of those pickles to serve alongside your wings.

Frying or Grilling the Wings

If you’d prefer to fry or grill the pickle-brined wings, you absolutely can. You’ll take the wings out of the brine and pat them dry. Then, follow the instructions in these recipes:

• How to Grill Chicken Wings
• How To Deep-Fry Chicken Wings

More Chicken Wing Recipes

Podcast Episode: Pickle Brining Chicken Wings