Chicken wing fever is here.
With the rise of keto, more people are eating wings. They’re the perfect little keto snack. Crispy, fried chicken wings with ranch or chunky blue cheese dressing can be the ultimate snack when you’re starving.
I’m quite partial to Wing Stop wings. I love their garlic-parmesan and lemon pepper variety, and their ranch is out of the world. There’s also a local wing place my coworkers have turned me on to: Chick N Beer. They’ve got this glorious honey lemon pepper wing that’s phenomenal.
I love wings so much I’ve even made the claim that I could eat 100 wings in one sitting. My coworkers don’t think I can do it. One of these days, I’ll try. I think it’s an easy feat, but I could be wrong.
This recipe was my first attempt at making chicken wings at home. I finally bit the bullet and decided to not waste money at Wing Stop or Chick N Beer. Plus, making your own wings can’t be that hard, can it?
Well, if you make them in the oven like I did, it’s not hard at all. I’m sure frying them is a bit more difficult.
Guys. YOU GUYS. These wings were SUBLIME. They were the most flavorful, juicy, crispy-on-the-outside wings I’ve ever tasted. I was flabbergasted. I was shook. I couldn’t believe my first attempt at oven-baked wings would turn out so well.
I attribute a lot of the taste to the brine. BRINE YOUR WINGS BEFOREHAND. Trust me. The flavor permeates even the deepest pockets of meat. My brine: the all-too-delicious pickle juice. It’s perfect for brining since it’s so salty and dilly. It was a no-brainer for me to use it.
The dry rub on the outside was also insane. It coated the wings in this extra dilly, spicy coating.
Add in the pickle ranch and it’s all over. This is the ultimate chicken wing feast.
I could definitely eat 100 of these wings. There’s no doubt in my mind.
Enjoy!
Dill Pickle Chicken Wings
Pickle juice brined chicken wings that end up wonderfully flavored, tender, juicy and crispy.
Ingredients
For the wings:
- 2 lbs. chicken wings
- 3 cups pickle juice (I used juice from my pickle jars)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp. coarse sea salt
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 TBS. olive oil + more to coat the rack
For the pickle ranch:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup pickle juice
- 1/2 cup chopped pickles
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 a 1 oz. package dry ranch dressing mix
Directions
- Place chicken wings in a large resealable bag (I had to use two). Pour pickle juice on top. Seal and shake to make sure the wings are well coated. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Make the dry rub: in a small bowl, stir together the dill, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place a rack in side a baking sheet. Wipe down with oil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove the wings from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse and then pat REALLY dry.
- In a large bowl, toss wings with olive oil and dry rub. Place wings on prepared rack and bake for 20 minutes. Flip wings and then return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.
- Make the pickle ranch: stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Place chicken wings in a large resealable bag (I had to use two). Pour pickle juice on top. Seal and shake to make sure the wings are well coated. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Make the dry rub: in a small bowl, stir together the dill, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place a rack in side a baking sheet. Wipe down with oil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the wings from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse and then pat REALLY dry. In a large bowl, toss wings with olive oil and dry rub. Place wings on prepared rack and bake for 20 minutes. Flip wings and then return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.
Make the pickle ranch: stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
