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Beer Brined Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings

Tender and juicy beer brined grilled buffalo chicken wings are all you need for your next backyard BBQ. Chicken wings brine in a mix of seasonings and beer overnight to make for the perfect, tender, and juicy bite of chicken. Grilling the buffalo wings gives them that added crisp and crunch without all the deep frying and breading.

Ingredients

FOR THE BRINE:

  • 16oz Beer of your choice
  • 1/2 cup juice from pickled jalapeños
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

FOR THE WINGS:

  • 2lbs chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats, tips discarded or saved for stock
  • 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp black strap molasses
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

FOR THE BRINE:

  1. Add wings into a large container with a lid.
  2. Pour in the beer, jalapeño juice, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, and garlic powder.
  3. Stir and make sure the wings are fully submerged in the brine.
  4. Cover the bowl with lid and chill in fridge for 8-12 hours.

FOR THE WINGS:

  1. Remove wings from brine. Transfer wings to paper towel lined baking sheets. Pat wings dry of brine.
  2. Season wings with salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. let wings sit out at room temp, while heating grill.
  3. Preheat your gas grill to high heat for 10 minutes.
  4. While grill is heating up, add the buffalo sauce, molasses, and butter to a small heatproof bowl. Microwave the bowl for 40-50 seconds until the butter is completely melted, stirring every 20 seconds.
  5. Reduce heat on the grill to medium.
  6. Divide warm sauce between two containers. One for brushing raw chicken and one for the cooked chicken. IMPORTANT: Make sure to wash your tongs and brush in between too as to not cross contaminate.
  7. Using a pastry brush, brush the skin side of the wings with a little bit of sauce. Place them skin/sauce side down. Close the grill lid and cook them for 10-12 minutes. open the lid, flip the chicken, and brush more sauce on the wings. Close the lid and cook for 12-15 more minutes. Please note: The internal temperature of the wings should be 165 degrees F.
  8. Transfer cooked wings to a serving dish. Top with remaining sauce and serve with blue cheese and/or ranch dip on the side.

Originally by: Stefanie

(Grabbed from: https://www.sarcasticcooking.com/2019/06/26/beer-brined-grilled-buffalo-chicken-wings/)