Up the flavor of your wings — and cut down on food waste

Cooktop Cove: Up the flavor of your wings — and cut down on food waste — with pickle brine

By Emily Monaco

When you finish a jar of dill pickles, the leftover brine usually goes right down the drain. And it's such a shame, considering how much flavor is still left in the jar! In the recipe below, that savory liquid is used as a brine to flavor something else entirely: chicken wings.

Pickle brine adds moisture and tons of flavor to the chicken, so you'll need very little by way of additional seasonings. Depending on how salty your brine is, you might or might not need a pinch of added salt. All you really need is a dill pickle-infused mayonnaise dip on the side to make this dish a new party favorite.

Dill pickle chicken wings

3 hours

45 minutes

3 hours 20 minutes

2 pounds chicken wings

3 cups dill pickle juice

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

In a large zip-top bag, combine the chicken wings and the pickle juice. Make sure all of the wings are submerged in juice, and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Drain the wings and pat dry. Season with pepper, and arrange on a metal rack set over an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, then flip and bake 20 more minutes, or until crispy.

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickles and dill. Serve the wings with the sauce on the side.