Brined Buffalo Chicken Wings

Danny Palumbo
Danny Palumbo
Danny is a writer living in Los Angeles, California. His work has appeared in the LA Times, LA Magazine, Eater, and The Takeout. Currently, he is a staff writer for the taste test website Sporked. Danny is also a former line cook, having cooked in restaurants since the age of…read more
Jan Valdez
Jan ValdezAssistant Recipe Producer
I cover recipe content on The Kitchn, write and update recipes and recipe roundups, and test recipes for the team. I have 10 years of experience working in R&D test kitchens, testing products and recipes, and at publishers including Serious Eats and EatingWell.
updated Jan 22, 2025
someone dipping brined chicken wings in sauce
Credit: Photo: Linda Xiao; Food Styling: Brett Regot

Brining is a foolproof way to make juicy, tender wings every single time.

Serves4

Prep15 minutes

Cook40 minutes

Jump to Recipe
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someone dipping brined chicken wings in sauce
Credit: Photo: Linda Xiao; Food Styling: Brett Regot

Whether it’s been at a restaurant, a bar, or a friend’s house, there’s one constant over the years that connects all of the great chicken wings I’ve had: They’ve been brined. If you’ve ever had that feeling of biting into a dry, overcooked, chewy wing, it’s completely preventable. Wings should be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. That process, friends, starts with a good brine.

So for this Super Bowl Sunday, I implore you to take the time to brine any homemade wings you think about making. This is the key to providing restaurant-quality wings in the comfort of your home. Not only does the brine create some tender, juicy wing meat, but the flavor from the brine is also wonderful. Aromatics only deepen the flavor of these classic Buffalo wings, and they’ll have your guests trying to guess what that little extra flavor is.

Why You’ll Love It

  • Brining prevents the wings from drying out. Brining chicken is like giving the meat an internal basting, which is ideal for wings which can dry out rather easily.
  • The wings are extra flavorful. The salt and sugar of the brine penetrates the chicken meat in such a way that it evenly seasons every morsel of the wing itself. The bay leaves, garlic, lemon, and peppercorns impart a lovely aromatic flavor that complements the buffalo sauce.
Credit: Photo: Linda Xiao; Food Styling: Brett Regot

Key Ingredients in Brined Buffalo Chicken Wings

  • Chicken wings: You’ll need 2 1/2 pounds of party chicken wings, which are already separated into flats and drumettes. If you have whole chicken wings, you’ll need to cut them into flats and drumettes.
  • Brine: Make a flavorful brine with fresh garlic, lemon, kosher salt, granulated sugar, dried bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns.
  • Sauce: Toss the wings in a classic Buffalo sauce made with Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce and unsalted butter.

How to Make Brined Buffalo Chicken Wings

  1. Make the brine. Place the smashed and peeled garlic, lemon juice (and the juiced lemon) in a large pot. Add half of the cold water, kosher salt, granulated sugar, dried bay leaves, and whole black peppercorns. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Turn off the heat. Add the remaining cold water and let cool to room temperature.
  2. Brine the wings. Add the chicken wings to the brine and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours (the longer they brine, the saltier they will be).
  3. Dry the wings. Drain the chicken wings in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; discard the lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Fit a wire rack onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place the wings on the rack in a single layer and pat until mostly dry with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 2 to 3 hours to dry out the skin.
  4. Bake. Arrange a rack in the top rack of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Bake the wings until the skin is evenly golden brown, the fat is rendering into the baking sheet, and cooked completely. Make the sauce when the wings are almost ready.
  5. Toss in Buffalo sauce. Place Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce and unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sauce is warm. Taste and season with black pepper as needed. Transfer the wings to a large bowl, drizzle with the sauce, and toss until the wings are evenly coated.

Sauces to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Wings

Helpful Tips

  • For extra-crispy wings. Placing the oven rack on the highest possible level inside the oven will give the wings a satisfying crispiness. It’s very difficult to overcook them because the brine makes them incredibly juicy and moist.

Storage Tips

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Credit: Photo: Linda Xiao; Food Styling: Brett Regot

What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Wings

Brined Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe

Brining is a foolproof way to make juicy, tender wings every single time.

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the chicken and brine:

  • 5 cloves

    garlic, smashed and peeled

  • 1

    medium lemon

  • 10 cups

    cold water, divided

  • 1/3 cup

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup

    granulated sugar

  • 4

    dried bay leaves

  • 1 tablespoon

    whole black peppercorns

  • 2 1/2 pounds

    party chicken wings (separated drumettes and flats)

For the sauce:

  • 3/4 cup

    Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Show Images

Make the wings:

  1. Place 5 smashed and peeled garlic cloves in a large pot. Add the juice of 1 lemon, then add the juiced lemon into the pot as well.

  2. Add 5 cups of the cold water, 1/3 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 4 dried bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Turn off the heat. Add the remaining 5 cups cold water and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

  3. Add 2 1/2 pounds party chicken wings to the brine and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 24 hours (the longer they brine, the saltier they will be).

  4. Drain the chicken wings in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water; discard the lemon, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Fit a wire rack onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place the wings on the rack in a single layer and pat until mostly dry with paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered for 2 to 3 hours to dry out the skin.

  5. Arrange a rack in the top rack of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Bake the wings until the skin is evenly golden brown, the fat is rendering into the baking sheet, and the internal temperature is at least 165ºF, 35 to 40 minutes. Make the sauce when the wings are almost ready.

Make the sauce:

  1. Place 3/4 cup Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sauce is warm. Taste and season with black pepper as needed.

  2. Transfer the wings to a large or extra-large bowl (the bigger, the better). Drizzle with the sauce and toss until the wings are evenly coated.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.