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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Published: Dec 24, 2020 by Nicole This post may contain affiliate links.

    Beer Brine Chicken Wings

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This beer brine chicken is perfect for snacking on during the next football game but they'd be excellent at a barbecue too!

    baked beer brined wings on platter in front of newcastle bottle

    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.

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🍽 Equipment Needed
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 🍴 Recipe Tips
    • 💭 FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe
    ingredients needed for beer brine wings

    🥘 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

    BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    • Small saucepot
    • Large mixing bowl
    • Measuring cups
    • Whisk
    • Baking sheet
    a collage showing how to make beer brined chicken wings

    🔪 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.
    baked beer brined chicken on baking sheet

    🍴 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

    How long to brine chicken wings?

    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.

    What does beer do to chicken?

    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.

    Do I need to rinse brine off of my chicken?

    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.

    Should I add seasoning salt to brined chicken before baking?

    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.

    beer brined chicken wings on plates near newcastle

    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 Brine Chicken Wings
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Beer Brined Chicken Wings

    This beer brine chicken is perfect for snacking on during the next football game but they'd be excellent at a barbecue too!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 105kcal
    Cost Recipe $7.47 / Serving $1.25
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • Small Saucepan
    • Large Mixing Bowl
    • Measuring Cups
    • Whisk
    • Baking Sheet

    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
    US Customary - Metric

    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.

    Notes

    Recipe Tips

     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. 
    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.
    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 already leave some saltiness on the chicken, so it's best to taste and adjust so that your chicken doesn't turn out too salty.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 4wings | Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.7g | Protein: 12.8g | Fat: 2.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 33.1mg | Sodium: 2412.8mg | Potassium: 122.3mg | Sugar: 7.6g | Vitamin A: 10.4IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 16.8mg | Iron: 0.6mg
    Author NicoleDurham
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @BeeyondCereal on Instagram and hashtag it #BeeyondCereal
    To view how this recipe was calculated you can visit my Pricing Disclosure Page for more information.

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    I'm Nicole and I am the owner and recipe developer here at Beeyond Cereal. I love saving money and one of the best places to trim expenses is in the kitchen. With this site, we are serving up tasty and frugal homemade dishes that the whole family will enjoy.

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