This beer brine chicken is perfect for snacking on during the next football game but they'd be excellent at a barbecue too!
I'm a big fan of cooking chicken with beer in one way or another because even though I dislike the taste and smells of beer- it does wonderful things to a good cut of meat! Even my Beer Can Chicken Recipe is a favorite around here.
Tenderizing the chicken while infusing flavors throughout the meat. Seriously, try the chicken wing brine, you'll be amazed! It has such a subtle beer taste, it's not overpowering at all in fact you can easily miss it if you aren't looking for it. But the juicy chicken meat is soooo good!
I made these beer brine chicken wings for my husband (a big chicken wing lover) in an attempt to cut down on the deli-made ones he keeps buying from the grocery store.
Unfortunately, I find myself making these beer marinated chicken wings more and more as he keeps asking when the next time I'm going to make wing is. Ha, the irony of doing this to myself.
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken wings
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Beer
- Optional Add-ins like whole peppercorns, whole cloves, fresh herbs.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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- Small saucepot
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Whisk
- Baking sheet
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make beer brine chicken wings with these simple step-by-step instructions:
- Dissolve 1 cup of water with the salt and brown sugar in a small pot.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl with 1 cup of water. Stir to combine.
- Add in the 2 cups of beer along with any flavor add-ins (if desired).
- Place your chicken wings inside the liquid and press down to submerge.
- Cover bowl in plastic wrap and place into the fridge for 3-5 hours.
- When ready to cook, drain liquid and place chicken wings in an even layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes until cooked through. If desired, broil on high for 1-2 minutes to crisp up the chicken skin.
- Serve warm.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Making beer brined chicken is an easy recipe but does require a little planning thanks to the time it takes to marinate. I recommend not letting it rest in the mixture for more than 5 hours as it may become over-brined by that point (yes, that's a thing).
3-4 hours seems to be the best because the meat is perfectly flavored, juicy, and tender.
You should also make sure to use a beer that you actually like as the chicken wings will maintain some beer flavor and leftover chicken wings taste even more like the beer the following day.
💭 FAQs
Brines should be left on chickens for a minimum of 1 hour, but up to 5 hours if needed. 3-4 hours is a good amount of time to let your thawed chicken wings brine.
The beer brined wings work like magic to help break down different things in the chicken meat to tenderize it to perfection. It also adds a subtle flavor and leaves the chicken exra juicy, so make sure to have some napkins handy.
No! Unless otherwise stated you should never try to rinse off a brine before baking. The brine is what makes the end results so good. To rinse it off would be undoing all the work and waiting that you JUST did.
I would recommend not adding any salty flavors to the chicken until after they've finished baking and you can safely taste one first. Then adjust to taste. The brine will leave some saltiness on the chicken already, so it's best to taste and adjust so that your chicken doesn't turn out too salty.
More great appetizer recipes to try
- Pepperoni Pizza Sticks
- How to Make Meat Roses
- Homemade Slider Buns
- Mini Spinach Artichoke Bread Bowls
- Southern Deviled Eggs
- Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
📖 Recipe
Beer Brined Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings, thawed ($4.98)
- ¼ cup salt ($0.40)
- ¼ cup brown sugar ($0.09)
- 2 cups water, divided ($0.00)
- 2 cups beer ($2.00)
Optional Add-ins
- peppercorns, whole
- whole cloves
- fresh herbs
Instructions
- In a pot on the stove dissolve 1 cup of water with salt and brown sugar. Stir as needed.
- Once dissolved, pour the mixture into a bowl with 1 cup of cold water.
- Add in the 2 cups of beer and any add-ins. Stir to combine.
- Place chicken inside bowl, and press down slightly to submerge.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and store in fridge for 3-5 hours.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Remove chicken from bowl, and place on baking sheet in an even layer (or close to it).
- Bake for 45 minutes. If desired, broil on high 1-2 minutes after baking for a crisper skin.
- Serve warm.
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