Prepare the chicken wings by separating the wingette from the drumette on a cutting board with a sharp knife, if desired.
2 pounds bone-in chicken wings
In a large Ziplock bag or a sealable container, combine the chicken wing pieces and pickle juice. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag. If you are marinating in a container, place a piece of plastic wrap over it and press it onto the wings, removing as much air as possible, before sealing it.
1½ cups pickle juice
Marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Do not let it marinate for longer than 4 hours.
When ready to cook your chicken wings, lay out a large piece of parchment paper and cover it with paper towels.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat try with paper towels. Place the dried chicken on the parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk the apple cider vinegar, honey, dark brown sugar, dill, and garlic salt together until combined.
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dip the chicken wings, individually, into the sauce and coat well. Allow excess sauce to drip off and then place the wings in an even layer in your air fryer. You do not want your chicken to overlap so if necessary cook in batches.
Cook the wings in your air fryer at 375°F for 10 minutes. Flip the wings over and cook for an additional 8-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165°F.
Plate and serve warm with fresh dill and pickles, optional.
chopped fresh dill, Dill pickle slices
Notes
You can use chicken drumsticks instead of wings, but the cook time will be longer and you may want more juice for the marinade.
Use your favorite brand of dill pickles for the best flavor.
You can use bourbon as a substitute for apple cider vinegar.
You can substitute an extra 1-2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar instead of the honey.
You can substitute light brown sugar or granulated white sugar in place of the dark brown sugar if necessary, though it may affect the flavor slightly.
You can substitute 1 teaspoon of fresh dill in place of the dried.
You can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt instead of garlic salt.
To ensure your chicken gets nice and crispy, place your chicken pieces in a single layer in your air fryer basket. This will give the wings enough room to allow the air to reach every inch, so they’ll cook evenly and you’ll get deliciously crispy chicken wings every time!
If you find your wings are not coming out crispy enough, try adding a sprinkling of baking powder in step 6!
If air frying in batches, keep the chicken warm and crispy on a wire rack set in a baking sheet in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Storage: Store pickle brined chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.