Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings

Course: Appetizer, Entree, lunch

Cuisine: African American, British, North American, Soul Food

Keyword: chicken, chicken wings, seasoning

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Brining Time: 2

Total Time: 3 10

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

Calories: 1028kcal

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.
Air fry the wings for 5 minutes on the first side, flip the wings over and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
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.
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:

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.
Bake the wings for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. 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.
Toss the wings in the seasoning to coat evenly.
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.