Brining chicken wings before cooking them can lead to wings with juicier meat and crisper skin. Brining, which involves soaking the wings in a saltwater solution, helps the wings retain moisture and seasons them throughout. There are several good reasons to take the extra time to brine your wings before cooking.
Makes Wings Juicier
One of the main benefits of brining chicken wings is that it helps them retain moisture and prevents the meat from drying out during cooking. The salt in the brineSeasons the meat and helps it hold on to moisture. When meat cooks, the heat causes the muscle proteins to contract and squeeze out moisture. The salt from the brine allows the proteins to retain more of those juices instead of forcing them out. More moisture in the meat means the wings will be juicier and more tender when you go to eat them.
Seasons the Meat
In addition to making the wings juicier, brining also serves to deeply season the meat. The salt, spices, and herbs in the brine get drawn into the chicken as it soaks. This seasons the wings throughout instead of just on the surface. Flavors will penetrate all the way to the bone during brining. The process adds so much flavor that you often don’t need much additional seasoning besides a little pepper or paprika after cooking.
Crisps the Skin
For wings with crispy skin, brining is a must. The salt solution helps dehydrate the skin slightly, while the water content inside the meat stays high. This discrepancy allows the skin to get ultra crispy in the oven or air fryer without overcooking the meat. The skin will become crackly and crunchy as the moisture evaporates during cooking, giving you the perfect contrast of tender, juicy meat and crispy skin.
Allows for Seasoning Flexibility
Since brining provides salt and some background seasoning, you have more flexibility with how to flavor your wings after brining. If you want classic buffalo wings, you can toss the cooked wings in hot sauce. For lemon pepper or garlic parmesan, just add some seasoning after cooking. The brine gives you a blank canvas to work with so you can create any flavor profile.
Makes Wings More Tender
The salt in the brine also helps break down some of the proteins in the meat. This leads to increased tenderness in the finished product. Wings can sometimes end up chewy if they are undercooked. But brining helps ensure they turn out super tender and makes it harder to overcook them. Even after high heat cooking methods like grilling or broiling, brined wings will have a tender texture.
Allows for Faster Cooking
Brined wings can cook more quickly than unbrined wings because the salt speeds up the cooking process a bit. Less time in the oven or air fryer means you can enjoy your wings that much sooner. The brining process does take some extra preparation time up front, but it saves time when actually cooking the wings. Many recipes suggest reducing oven time by 5-10 minutes for brined wings.
Prevents Dry Rub From Falling Off
If you like using dry rubs on your wings, brining helps the seasoning adhere better to the meat. Often dry spices and herbs will fall off wings when cooking. But brining before applying a rub ensures the seasoning sticks and forms a nice crust. The brine helps the spices really bind to the skin so more of that flavor ends up in your finished wings.
Retains Spice Level After Cooking
In addition to helping dry rub stick, brining also allows wings to retain spice flavor even after cooking at high heat. Sometimes flavors can mellow out or change when exposed to extended time in the oven. But brined wings keep all that spicy goodness after baking or frying. Take your wings from mildly spicy to five alarm with brining retaining the heat.
Makes Leftovers Juicier
Brined wings also hold up better as leftovers. Wings are just as good (if not better) the next day after brining. The extra moisture helps prevent them from drying out after refrigeration and reheating. Brined wings often taste just as moist and flavorful after being reheated. The brine keeps them from turning rubbery so your leftover wings maintain that just-cooked texture.
Works for Any Type of Wings
Whether baking whole wings, grilling drumsticks, or frying flats, brining works for all types of chicken wings. Different pieces and cooking methods will all benefit from brining first. The process adds moisture and flavor that balances out crispiness from frying or grilling. Tossing sauced wings on the grill after brining keeps the meat extra juicy. Brining helps no matter how you cut and cook your wings.
Minimizes Shrinkage
Raw chicken shrinks quite a bit when cooked. High heat causes much of the moisture in the meat to evaporate, decreasing overall size. But brining prevents some of that shrinkage by helping wings retain moisture. Although they will still get smaller, brined wings don’t shrink down as much as unbrined wings. Less shrinkage means more meat per wing to enjoy.
Allows for Lower Sodium Options
While brining does increase the sodium content of wings, you can control how much salt is used in the solution. A good brine only requires about 1 tablespoon of salt per cup of water. To lower sodium, cut the salt amount in half. The wings will still benefit from brining but won’t have as much added sodium. Rinse the wings after brining to reduce saltiness.
Simple Process
Brining wings is a fairly simple process that only requires a few ingredients. All you need is water, salt, and spices to create the brine. Submerge the raw wings in the solution and let them soak in the fridge for a few hours. Depending on how much time you have, wings can brine anywhere from two hours to overnight. Then just pull them out and pat dry before cooking as desired.
Enhances Other Flavors
The salt in the brine enhances natural flavors in ingredients like garlic and lemon. Brining wings before cooking with these types of seasonings allows their flavors to really sing. The salt boosts flavor compounds, so aspects like lemony brightness or garlic pungency come through more strongly. Brining improves the overall flavor experience.
Distributes Marinade Evenly
Marinating and brining work great together, with brining ensuring the marinade coats the wings evenly. Often marinade just clings to the outside of meat. But if you brine first, the wings will absorb the marinade deeply and all over. The brining process opens up the proteins so the flavors can penetrate into the meat instead of only clinging to the exterior.
Allows for Lower Temperature Cooking
The extra moisture from brining means you can get away with cooking the wings at a lower temperature. Unbrined wings often need high heat to crisp up and render out fat properly. But brined wings will get crispy and browned at a lower oven temp or Fryer oil temperature. Lower heat cooks the wings more gently, leading to even juicier and more tender meat.
Easy to Adjust Brine Strength
When brining wings, you can easily adjust the brine strength to suit different recipes. For highly spiced or salty wings, use less salt in the brine, like 1/2 tablespoon per cup of water. For milder wings, increase the brine strength to 1 1/2 tablespoons salt per cup of water. The more salt in the brine, the more it will influence the final flavor. Adjust as needed.
Makes Wings Healthier
Although brining does increase sodium content, it can actually make wings a little healthier overall. Brining replaces some natural fats and cholesterol in the wings with water. The added moisture means the meat needs less oil or butter added during cooking. Less oil leads to fewer calories and fat for a healthy wing option.
Conclusion
Brining is a simple and highly effective way to enhance the flavor, juiciness, and crispiness of chicken wings. Just a short soak in a saltwater solution seasons the wings throughout, helps them retain moisture, and facilitates maximum crispness. Brined wings are juicy and tender on the inside with perfectly crispy and seasoned skin on the outside. The process adds very little time and effort while giving your wings an unbeatable texture and flavor. For your next game day spread or anytime you are cooking up wings, take the extra step to brine them first. Your patience will be rewarded with the best wings you have ever tasted.
| Benefits of Brining Chicken Wings |
|---|
| Makes wings juicier |
| Seasons the meat throughout |
| Crisps up the skin |
| Allows for seasoning flexibility |
| Makes wings more tender |
| Allows for faster cooking |
| Helps dry rub stick |
| Retains spice flavor after cooking |
| Makes better leftovers |
| Works for any wing type |
| Minimizes shrinkage |
| Allows for lower sodium |
| Simple process |
| Enhances other flavors |
| Distributes marinade evenly |
| Allows lower temperature cooking |
| Easy to adjust brine strength |
| Makes wings healthier |
FAQ
How long should I brine chicken wings?
For maximum flavor and moisture, brine the wings for at least 2 hours up to overnight. 2-4 hours is ideal for getting the benefits of brining without over-brining.
What is the best brine for chicken wings?
A simple brine of 1 cup salt dissolved in 1 gallon of water makes a great all-purpose wing brine. For more flavor, add spices like garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, herbs, or hot sauce.
Does brining chicken make it salty?
Brining does increase the sodium content of wings, but it does not make them overly salty. Use a balanced brine and rinse the wings after brining to prevent excess saltiness in the finished dish.
Can you over-brine chicken wings?
It is possible to over-brine if wings soak too long, which can lead to an overly salty flavor. Stick within the recommended 2-6 hour brining time to prevent over-brining.
Should I rinse chicken wings after brining?
Rinsing removes excess surface salt after brining, which can help prevent overly salty flavor. Pat the wings dry after rinsing before cooking.
What flavors go well with brined chicken wings?
Brined wings pair well with bold flavors like hot sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic, lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, parmesan, and blue cheese dressing.
Can I make oven baked brined chicken wings?
Yes, brined chicken wings bake up incredibly well in the oven. Brining helps them get crispy skin without overcooking. Bake at 400°F for 40-50 minutes, flipping once.
Should I brine wings before frying?
Brining is highly recommended before frying wings for maximum moisture retention. The brine helps counteract the drying effects of frying.
How do you brine chicken wings for grilling?
After brining 2-6 hours, rinse and pat the wings dry. Coat with oil and season as desired. Grill on medium heat for 15-25 minutes, flipping occasionally.
Can I brine frozen chicken wings?
It’s best to defrost the wings first and pat them dry before brining. Brining works by pulling salt and seasonings into the meat, which works better with fully thawed wings.
Should I brine chicken wings before smoking?
Definitely. Brining adds moisture and flavor that keeps wings juicy inside with crispy skin, even after hours in the smoker.