Air Fryer Pickle Brined Chicken Wings Recipe

4.50 from 4 votes

Air Fryer Pickle Brined Chicken Wings Recipe

These air fryer dill pickle chicken wings are tangy, juicy, and perfectly crispy. Brined in leftover pickle juice and tossed in a sweet-savory sauce, they’re a quick, crowd-pleasing recipe for weeknights or game-day snacks.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Marinating Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

6-Qt Air Fryer

Ingredients

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken wing portions *
1½ cups pickle juice from a jar of dill pickles
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Optional Garnishes:

chopped fresh dill
dill pickle slices

Instructions

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, skin-on chicken wing portions
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 cooking time will be longer, and you may want more juice for the marinade.

Tips:

While you can safely cook chicken wings from frozen, I do not recommend it. The wings will release additional liquid as they thaw, causing the skin to become soggy and unappetizing. Allow frozen chicken wings to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before marinating and cooking.
I recommend allowing 2-3 hours for these wings to marinate, but do not leave them for more than 4 hours, or they could become tough!
Do not reuse leftover pickle juice as marinade once raw chicken has been in it.
Use the air fryer basket if possible. Parchment should have holes or be trimmed to avoid blocking airflow.
Leave at least ½ inch between wings in the air fryer basket so air can circulate for maximum crispiness.
Properly cooked chicken wings should read 165°F internally.
If your wings aren’t crispy enough, add 2-3 minutes to cooking time and flip halfway.
If you need to make this recipe in batches, keep the already-cooked chicken warm and crispy in the oven at 200°F. Just set them on a wire rack in a baking sheet until ready to serve.
Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.

Baking Instructions: Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Place the seasoned, sauced chicken wings on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown, crispy, and cooked through to 165°F.

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.

Nutrition