Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings

If you love salt and vinegar chips, these salt and vinegar chicken wings are going to wow you. Juicy, brined, crispy chicken wings are tossed in a homemade salt and vinegar seasoning blend to create the most addicting wing flavor. We love them because their vinegar taste is much better than traditional and more interesting than buffalo chicken wings. You’ll love this easy recipe, and what’s better is that you can make them whenever you want. 

What Are Salt And Vinegar Chicken Wings?

Salt and vinegar chicken wings play on the popular salt ‘n vinegar potato chips. I grew up eating the super tangy chips as an after-school snack, and, as an adult, I still love them. The basic recipe is all in the name: chips (or crisps) flavored with tangy vinegar and salt. This wing recipe is a favorite of my entire family, even the one that “hates” the flavor. 

The best part about the homemade salt and vinegar seasoning blend is the various ways you can use it. You can use it on your french fries, homemade potato chips, popcorn, or to season your burgers. 

What Do I Need To Make Salt And Vinegar Chicken Wings?

To make the brine salt and vinegar chicken wings, you need chicken wing pieces, distilled white vinegar, yellow onion, garlic, kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes.

You can replace the distilled white vinegar with malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar to achieve wings with different flavors. I prefer white vinegar because it gives the wings a prominent vinegar flavor without making them too sweet. 

You also need a storage bin to hold the brine. I recommend beginning this recipe the evening before you make the wings so they can absorb as much brine as possible.

What Kind Of Chicken Wings Do I Buy?

I purchase my wings whole, then cut them at home. It’s cheaper, and the wing pieces you get are larger than when you buy “party wings.” You can totally make these with pre-cut chicken, though.

Use a chef’s knife to cut through the first joint of the wing that connects the wing tip to the flapper. Next, cut through the middle of the “V,” where the flapper meets the drumette. Continue cutting the wings into three pieces until they’re all broken down. 

While you can discard the wing tips, I recommend saving them to add to your bone broth or chicken stock. You can store chicken in the freezer for up to 4 months. 

What Does A Brine Do?

Prepare your brine either before cutting up your wings or after. If you make the brine after cutting the chicken, store the wings in the fridge to keep them chilled. Brines infuse proteins with flavor through osmosis. The water in the cells is sucked out by the high quantity of salt and replaced by the brine. This adds flavor to the meat and plumps it up, decreasing the chance of drying out when deep frying.

Add the kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and pepper flakes to a stockpot. Next, add the distilled white vinegar and 3 cups of water to the pot. Stir everything together to begin dissolving the crystals. Finally, add the yellow onion and garlic to the pot.

Bring the liquids up to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt. Continue boiling the brine for 5 minutes to allow some of that water to evaporate, which also concentrates the flavor of the vinegar and aromatics.

Why Do I Have To Cool The Brine?

After 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and allow the brine to cool to room temperature. You can speed this up by sitting the pot in an ice bath, which will cool the brine in about 15 minutes. Cooling the brine to room temperature before proceeding is important because you don’t want to add raw meat to a hot brine. Adding meat to a hot brine will begin the cooking process, which encourages bacterial growth because you’re not completing the cooking.

Add the brine to a food storage container and stir in 4 cups of ice. 

How Long Can I Brine Chicken Wings?

Add the chicken wings to the ice-cold brine and cover the storage container. Put the container into the fridge and brine the chicken wings for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight. 

You can safely brine poultry for 24 hours. I don’t recommend brining poultry longer than 24 hours because the proteins in the meat swell too much and cause it to go mushy. There’s also no added benefit for brining longer than 24 hours. The proteins can only absorb so much of the brine before it just gives up. 

How Do I Make The Salt And Vinegar Seasoning Blend?

To make a salt and vinegar seasoning blend, you need vinegar powder, fine kosher salt, and black pepper. Add a small amount of cayenne pepper to this spice blend if you want a spicy salt and vinegar flavor.

Vinegar powder is a mixture of dehydrated vinegar, maltodextrin (a sweetening agent), and modified food starch, which keeps it from clumping. This powder gives the salt and vinegar chicken wings a bold punch of tangy, vinegary flavor without making them soggy. 

Can I Make These Chicken Wings Without The Vinegar Powder?

You can make a wet salt and vinegar marinade by reducing white vinegar with a small amount of sugar and salted butter, but I don’t think the flavor is as good as when you use powder. I’ll include instructions on how to convert this to a sauce in the recipe card notes.

Add the vinegar powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients well. You can use the salt and vinegar seasoning blend immediately or store it in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 year. I recommend adding a food safe silica gel packet to the seasoning blend to prevent clumping. 

How Long Does It Take To Fry Chicken Wings?

Remove the chicken wings from the brine after 24 hours. Pick or shake off peppercorns stuck to the wings and lay them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Use paper towels to blot the excess moisture from the top of the wings to ensure they are bone-dry. The drier the wings, the crispier they will be after frying. You can toss the wings in 2 teaspoons of baking soda for extra crispiness, but that’s overkill. As is, the wings come out with a perfect crispy texture.

Allow the wings to come to room temperature while you begin heating the frying oil over medium-high heat. 

Once the oil temperature reaches 360°F (182°C), drop in 6-8 wings. Fry the wings, moving them around with a spider or tongs to keep them from sticking together. Depending on how crispy you like your chicken wings, the total frying time can range from 9 minutes for less crispy to 11 minutes for really crispy wings.

How Much Seasoning Do I Add To The Meat?

Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the fried chicken wings from the oil, allowing them to drain slightly over the pot and into a lightweight, metal mixing bowl. Leaving some excess oil on the wings will help the salt and vinegar seasoning blend stick to it. 

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning blend over the wings in the bowl. Depending on how much tang you want, you can add more or less salt and vinegar seasoning to the wings. Toss the chicken in the seasoning blend until each wing is evenly coated. Shake the wings out onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Keep the cooked wings warm in a 170°F (77°C) oven while you fry subsequent batches.

If you can work quickly enough, wait until you’ve seasoned a batch before dropping the next batch of wings into the oil. This allows the oil to return to the proper frying temperature (between 350-375°F or 177-190°C) between batches.

Can I Air Fry or Bake Salt And Vinegar Chicken Wings?

To Make Air-Fryer Wings:

• Heat an air fryer to 375° (190°C) on the air fry for at least 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket (or rack) lightly with non-stick cooking spray and place wings on the rack in a single layer, leaving space between them to allow air to circulate. Air fry the wings for 5 minutes on the first side. 
• Remove the rack from the fryer after 5 minutes and flip the wings over. Return the rack to the air fryer and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
• Add the wings to a metal bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning blend, and toss the seasoning on the wings in the bowl.
• Transfer the wings to a sheetpan and keep them warm in a 170°F (77°C) oven. Continue to air frying the remaining batches of wings.

To Bake Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings:

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F (204°C) and spray a sheetpan with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange the dried wings on the sheetpan in a single layer.
2. Bake the wings for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. 
3. Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer 8 wings from the pan to a mixing bowl and sprinkle over 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning. Work in batches to ensure the wings are coated evenly.
4. Toss the wings in the seasoning to coat evenly. Repeat with the remaining wings, then serve immediately. 

What Recipes Go Well With Chicken Wings?

For a filling main course and entree, serve salt and vinegar chicken wings with a dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks, and/or celery. If you want to make a more substantial meal of these salt and vinegar chicken wings, serve them with one of these recipes:

• Baked Beans Sweetened with Dates
• Black Eyed Pea Salad with Collard Greens
• Hawaiian-Inspired Macaroni Salad
• Homemade Coleslaw

French fries, mashed potatoes, or a garden salad are also great sides to serve with fried chicken wings. 

Be sure to serve the chicken wings while they’re still hot. The longer the chicken wings sit at room temperature, the less crispy the skin will be.

How Do I Store Leftover Wings?

Store leftover salt and vinegar chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

To reheat leftover chicken wings, air fry them at 400°F (204°C) for 4-5 minutes until warmed. You can also reheat salt and vinegar chicken wings in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 10-12 minutes or in a microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. The skin will be soggier if you reheat them in the microwave. 

Can I Freeze Salt And Vinegar Chicken Wings?

You can freeze fried salt and vinegar chicken wings in a resealable plastic bag or container for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the chicken wings before tossing them in the salt and vinegar seasoning blend. If you freeze them after seasoning them, the salt and vinegar blend becomes runny and ruins the crispy exterior. 

These Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings are an easy recipe that your friends and family will love. I can’t get enough of their tangy flavor, and the brining process makes them flavorful and juicy. They make a great recipe for game days like Super Bowl Sunday but convert exceptionally well into a main course when paired with a couple of sides. No matter how you serve them, this version will soon become your favorite way to eat wings. Be sure to pin this recipe to your Pinterest boards and share it with the salt and vinegar lovers in your life!

Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 12 votes

Juicy, brined, crispy chicken wings are tossed in a homemade salt and vinegar seasoning blend to create the most addicting wing flavor.

Begin brining the wings early in the day or the night before for the most flavorful results.

Servings: 5 servings of 6 wings (with a couple left over)

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Brining Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Equipment

• stockpot
• food storage container
• spider or slotted spoon
• metal bowl
• wire rack
• sheet pan

Ingredients

  

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For the Vinegar Brine

• 1/2 cup (120 grams) kosher salt
• 1/4 cup (55 grams) brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (6 grams) black peppercorns
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon (1 gram) crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup (250 milliliters) distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups (500 milliliters) water
• 1 large yellow onion cut in eighths (okay to leave the skin on)
• 1 head garlic cut across the girth
• 4 cups (1 kilogram) ice
• 5 pounds 2.27 kilograms) chicken wings cut into flapper and drumettes

For the Salt and Vinegar Seasoning Blend

• 3 tablespoons (20 grams) vinegar powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) fine kosher salt (I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon (2 grams) black pepper

Instructions 

• Prepare your brine either before cutting up your wings or after.

  If you make the brine after cutting the chicken, store the wings in the fridge to keep them chilled.

Make the Vinegar Brine (2 to 24 hours ahead)

• Add the kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, bay leaves, pepper flakes, distilled white vinegar and water to a 8 quart or larger stockpot.

  Stir everything together to begin dissolving the crystals.
• Finally, add the yellow onion and garlic to the pot.

  Bring the liquids up to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.

  Continue boiling the brine for 5 minutes to allow some of that water to evaporate, concentrating the flavor of the vinegar and aromatics.
• After 5 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and allow the brine to cool to room temperature.

  Add the brine to a food storage container and stir in 4 cups of ice. 
• Add the chicken wings to the ice-cold brine and cover the storage container.

  Put the container into the fridge and brine the chicken wings for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight. 

Mix the Salt and Vinegar Seasoning Blend

• Add the vinegar powder, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small bowl.

  Use a whisk to combine the ingredients well. Set aside until ready to use.

Fry the Chicken Wings

• Place a wire rack set over a sheet pan.

  Heat an oven to 170° (77°C) or put it on the "warm" setting.
• Remove the chicken wings from the brine after 24 hours.

  Pick or shake off peppercorns stuck to the wings and lay them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

  Use paper towels to blot the excess moisture from the top of the wings to ensure they are bone-dry.
• Allow the wings to come to room temperature while you begin heating the frying oil to 360°F (182°C) over medium-high heat. 

  Once the oil reaches temperature drop in 6 to 8 wings.

  Fry the wings, moving them around with a spider or tongs to keep them from sticking together.

  Depending on how crispy you like your chicken wings, the total frying time can range from 9 minutes for less crispy to 11 minutes for really crispy wings.
• Use a spider or slotted spoon to remove the fried chicken wings from the oil, allowing them to drain slightly over the pot and into a lightweight, metal mixing bowl.

Season the Chicken Wings

• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning blend over the wings in the bowl.

  Toss the chicken in the seasoning blend until each wing is evenly coated.
• Shake the wings out onto the rack on the sheet pan.

  Keep the cooked wings warm in a 170°F (77°C) oven while you fry subsequent batches.
• Once all of the wings are fried and seasoned, serve salt and vinegar chicken wings while hot with a dipping sauce like ranch or blue cheese dressing, carrot sticks, and/or celery.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• You can replace the distilled white vinegar with malt vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar to achieve wings with different, albeit sweeter, flavors.
• Add a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend for a spicy salt and vinegar flavor.
• For Salt and Vinegar Sauce:
  1. Melt 1 stick (1/2 cup or 113 grams) of unsalted butter over low heat until melted.
  2. Stir in 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) white distilled vinegar, 2 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. 
  3. Toss the wings in the sauce after frying.
• You can toss the wings in 2 teaspoons (12 grams) of baking soda for extra crispiness after patting them dry for extra crispy wings.
• Depending on how much tang you want, you can add more or less salt and vinegar seasoning to the wings.

Tips and Techniques:

• Speed up cooling the brine by sitting the pot in an ice bath.
• You can use the salt and vinegar seasoning blend immediately or store it in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 1 year.
• Use leftover salt and vinegar seasoning blend on your french fries, homemade potato chips, popcorn, or to season your burgers. 
• The drier the wings, the crispier they will be after frying.
• Leaving some excess oil on the wings will help the salt and vinegar seasoning blend stick to it. 
• If you can work quickly enough, wait until you've seasoned a batch before dropping the next batch of wings into the oil. This allows the oil to return to 350-375°F (177-190°C) between batches.
• The longer the chicken wings sit at room temperature, the less crispy the skin will be. Serve while hot.

Air-Fryer Salt and Vinegar Wings:

1. Heat an air fryer to 375° (190°C) on the air fry for 10 minutes. Spray the air fryer basket (or rack) lightly with non-stick cooking spray and arrange the wings in a single layer with space between.
2. Air fry the wings for 5 minutes on the first side, flip the wings over and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Put the wings in a metal bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning blend, and toss the seasoning on the wings in the bowl.
4. Transfer the wings to a sheetpan and keep them warm in a 170°F (77°C) oven. Continue to air frying the remaining batches of wings.

To Bake Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings:

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F (204°C) and spray a sheetpan with non-stick cooking spray.
   Arrange the wings on the sheetpan in a single layer.
2. Bake the wings for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. Remove the pan from the oven.
3. Transfer 8 wings from the pan to a mixing bowl and sprinkle over 1 tablespoon (5 grams) of the salt and vinegar seasoning. Work in batches to ensure the wings are coated evenly.
   Toss the wings in the seasoning to coat evenly.
4. Repeat with the remaining wings, then serve immediately. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover salt and vinegar chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
• To reheat leftover chicken wings, air fry them at 400°F (204°C) for 4-5 minutes, in a 200°F (93°C) oven for 10-12 minutes or in a microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
  The skin will be soggier if you reheat them in the microwave. 

Freezing Instructions:

• Freeze fried salt and vinegar chicken wings (before tossing them in the salt and vinegar seasoning blend) in a resealable plastic bag or container for up to 3 months.
• If you freeze them after seasoning them, the salt and vinegar blend becomes runny and ruins the crispy exterior. 
• Thaw the wings in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat and toss in the salt and vinegar seasoning blend before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 1028kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 84gFat: 73gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gMonounsaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 349mgSodium: 2083mgPotassium: 781mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 983IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 5mg

Course Appetizer, Entree, lunch

Cuisine African American, British, North American, Soul Food

Keyword chicken, chicken wings, seasoning

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