Chicken Wings with KC Style Dry Rub
Why pickle brine?
Have you ever tasted a chicken sandwich and thought to yourself, “What makes this so tasty and tender”? The answer is almost always because it was brined. I love a good buttermilk brine ala fried chicken but for a quick brine to create that tender flavor, it is pickle juice.
My family loves pickles and they know better than to toss that brine away once the pickles are done. I have a huge jar in the back of the fridge where it all goes. Quietly awaiting its turn to be the star of a recipe. Today, pickle juice, is the day.
So why a rub?
Developing a recipe for to represent Kansas City in the Super Bowl should be easy, right? Of course, I was thinking ribs, which I probably will also make for my own party, but wings are a bit more accessible and they can be cooked in doors. I tried to capture a KC style bbq sauces flavors with this dry rub. Adding some baking soda for a gluten free way to crisp up the skin a bit.
What if I don’t have an air fryer?
You can still make this recipe! Using your oven at 400 degrees, you might want to bake them a bit longer. You can also use the convection option on your oven which creates the air fryer effect.
Do I need a dip?
I always enjoy a dip alongside wings. I have included my blue cheese dip for your convenience but you can serve them with ranch dressing or all by themselves
Bon Appetit!
Pickle Brined Chicken Wings with KC Style Dry Rub
A salty-sweet combo dry rub that is crisped up in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of chicken wings, cut into wings and flats, tips cut and removed
- 3 cups of pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- 1 cup mayo, I use Dukes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 TBSP Tarragon Vinegar, you can sub white wine vinegar
- 2 dashes tabasco
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 oz Maytag Blue Cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl, place the chicken wings and cover in pickle juice. Brine for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Remove and dry with a paper towel. Spread on a platter or baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- In a medium size bowl place the granulated sugar, brown sugar, paprika, seasoned salt, celery salt, smoked salt, onion powder, chili powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper and baking soda. Stir until blended.
- Sprinkle the rub onto the chicken and toss to make sure throughly coated.6
- Place into the air fryer. Cook for 12 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for another 5-8 minutes until cooked through.
Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Add salt to taste. You can thin out with a bit of milk or heavy cream if you prefer a thinner dressing.