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The Secret to Perfectly Juicy Wings. A recipe by Mr. Make It Happen
Why Brined Fried Chicken Wings Are a Game-Changer:
The beauty of brining lies in its ability to make a chicken tender and juicy while enhancing the natural flavors. The sugar and salt in the brine help draw moisture into the wings, ensuring they stay juicy during the frying process.
The added herbs, garlic, and pepper provide a subtle but flavorful backdrop, giving the wings a depth of flavor that regular fried wings just can’t match.
The crispy exterior from the seasoned flour coating, combined with the perfectly brined, tender meat inside, makes for an un-forgetable wing.
Whether you’re serving these wings at a game day party, a family dinner, or just because, they’re sure to be the star of the show.
Prepare the Brine:
Start by making your brine. In a medium-sized pot, combine the water, sugar, salt, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and smashed garlic cloves.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt have dissolved completely. Once dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.
If you’re short on time, you can place the pot in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process. The brine should be cool before you add the chicken wings.
Brine the Chicken Wings:
Once the brine is cooled, place the chicken wings in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag. Pour the cooled brine over the wings, making sure they’re completely submerged. If you’re using a bowl, you can cover it with plastic wrap.
Let the wings brine in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but for the best results, brine them overnight. This allows the flavors to fully infuse and the wings to soak up the moisture.
Pouring the brine over ice will cool the liquid faster AND add more volume once the ice melts.
Use a strainer to ensure you’re only getting the brine solution.
Prep the Wings for Frying:
When you’re ready to fry, remove the wings from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. You want to remove any excess liquid to ensure a crispy crust when frying.
In a small bowl, combine the mustard, hot sauce, and your favorite all-purpose seasoning.
Toss the wings in this mixture, making sure they’re evenly coated. This step not only adds flavor but also helps the flour adhere to the wings, giving them that extra crispy texture.
Coat the Wings:
Place the seasoned flour in a shallow dish or large zip-top bag. Working in batches, dredge the wings in the flour, making sure each wing is fully coated. For an extra-crunchy coating, you can dip the wings back into the hot sauce-mustard mixture and coat them with flour a second time.
Mr. Make It Happen
All-Purpose Flour
Fry the Wings:
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C). To test if the oil is ready, drop a small piece of bread or a pinch of flour into the oil—if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough.
Carefully add the wings to the hot oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan (frying in batches is key). Fry the wings for 8-10 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside. You can check for doneness by using a meat thermometer— the internal temperature of the wings should reach 165°F (74°C).
Drain and Serve:
Once fried, transfer the wings to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. While the wings are still hot, feel free to drizzle a bit more hot sauce or toss them in a bowl of your favorite wing sauce for extra flavor. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or serve with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese.
Tips for Perfect Brined Fried Chicken Wings:
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Fry your wings in batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature. This ensures that the wings stay crispy and cook evenly.
- Double Dipping for Extra Crunch: For extra crispy wings, dip the seasoned wings in the flour, then back in the hot sauce-mustard mixture, and coat them in flour again before frying.
- Rest After Frying: Let your wings rest for a few minutes after frying to let the juices redistribute and keep them tender.
- Customize Your Hot Sauce: If you like your wings extra spicy, feel free to add more hot sauce to the mustard mixture or toss the wings in your favorite wing sauce after frying.
Pairing Suggestions:
Serve your brined fried chicken wings with classic sides like coleslaw, pickles, or fries for a delicious, balanced meal. You can also serve them with a cold beer or a tangy lemon-lime soda to refresh your palate between bites of that crispy goodness.
Now, get ready to sink your teeth into the crispiest, juiciest chicken wings you’ve ever made!
Enjoy!
Brined Fried Chicken Wings Print & Download Recipe
Crispy Brined Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the Brine:
- * 4 cups water
- * ¼ cup sugar
- * ¼ cup salt
- * 1 tsp black peppercorns, or freshly cracked black pepper
- * 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- * 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- * 3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
For the Wings:
- * 10-12 chicken wings, drumettes or flats, or a combination of both
- * 2 tbsp mustard, yellow or Dijon
- * 2 tbsp hot sauce, choose your favorite brand
- * 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, etc.
- * 2 cups seasoned flour, for coating
- * Oil for frying, vegetable or peanut oil works best
Instructions
Prepare the Brine:
- In a medium-sized pot, combine the water, sugar, salt, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and smashed garlic cloves.
- Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt have dissolved completely.
- Once dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and let the brine cool to room temperature.
- If you’re short on time, you can place the pot in the fridge or freezer to speed up the cooling process.
- The brine should be cool before you add the chicken wings.
Brine the Chicken Wings:
- Once the brine is cooled, place the chicken wings in a large bowl or a resealable plastic bag.
- Pour the cooled brine over the wings, making sure they’re completely submerged.
- If you’re using a bowl, you can cover it with plastic wrap.
- Let the wings brine in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but for the best results, brine them overnight. This allows the flavors to fully infuse and the wings to soak up the moisture.
- Pouring the brine over ice will cool the liquid faster AND add more volume once the ice melts.
- Use a strainer to ensure you’re only getting the brine solution.
Prep the Wings for Frying:
- When you’re ready to fry, remove the wings from the brine and pat them dry with paper towels. You want to remove any excess liquid to ensure a crispy crust when frying.
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, hot sauce, and your favorite all-purpose seasoning.
- Toss the wings in this mixture, making sure they’re evenly coated.
- This step not only adds flavor but also helps the flour adhere to the wings, giving them that extra crispy texture.
Coat the Wings:
- Place the seasoned flour in a shallow dish or large zip-top bag.
- Working in batches, dredge the wings in the flour, making sure each wing is fully coated.
- For an extra-crunchy coating, you can dip the wings back into the hot sauce-mustard mixture and coat them with flour a second time.
Fry the Wings:
- Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- To test if the oil is ready, drop a small piece of bread or a pinch of flour into the oil—if it sizzles immediately, the oil is hot enough.
- Carefully add the wings to the hot oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan (frying in batches is key).
- Fry the wings for 8-10 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.
- You can check for doneness by using a meat thermometer— the internal temperature of the wings should reach 165°F (74°C).
Drain and Serve:
- Once fried, transfer the wings to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
- While the wings are still hot, feel free to drizzle a bit more hot sauce or toss them in a bowl of your favorite wing sauce for extra flavor.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or serve with your favorite dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese.
Notes
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Fry your wings in batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature. This ensures that the wings stay crispy and cook evenly.
- Double Dipping for Extra Crunch: For extra crispy wings, dip the seasoned wings in the flour, then back in the hot sauce-mustard mixture, and coat them in flour again before frying.
- Rest After Frying: Let your wings rest for a few minutes after frying to let the juices redistribute and keep them tender.
- Customize Your Hot Sauce: If you like your wings extra spicy, feel free to add more hot sauce to the mustard mixture or toss the wings in your favorite wing sauce after frying.
