Pickle-Brined, Grilled Wings with White Alabama BBQ Sauce

Imagine your favorite wings, only first soaked in pickle brine, then rubbed in blackening spice and grilled, and finally topped off with a tangy, sweet, spicy Alabama white sauce. Although it might sound too good to be true, it’s easier than you think to make these Pickle-Brined, Grilled Wings with White Alabama BBQ Sauce.

Directions for Wings

Brining Wings

1. Place wings in a container and cover with pickle juice and water. (If you have leftover pickles, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.)
2. Move wings around to ensure all of them are submerged in the liquid.
3. Store in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to marinate.

Grilling Wings

1. Remove wings from the brine and drain off excess liquid.
2. Place them in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with blackening spice. Toss to coat the wings evenly with spice.
3. Place spiced wings on a grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, and continue grilling for 2-3 more minutes.
4. Transfer wings to a baking sheet and cook in a 400-degree oven for 4-5 additional minutes or until fully cooked. 
5. Remove from the oven and place in a clean mixing bowl.
6. Add White Alabama BBQ Sauce and toss to coat each wing with sauce.  
7. Pile wings in a bowl or on a plate.
8. Sprinkle with pickled onion slices and chopped chives (optional) and serve. 
   

Directions for White Alabama BBQ Sauce

1. Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Transfer to a container, cover, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. slightly heat before adding to cooked wings.

Tips

• No wings? You can still brine, grill, and sauce other cuts of chicken you have on hand, you just might have to increase the amount of brine (and the time you allow for the brining process). Be sure to cook any thicker cuts of chicken longer — until a meat thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. 
• Cajun seasoning makes a good substitution for blackening seasoning but it can be a bit spicier. Or, skip using the blackening seasoning all together and just use a simple salt-and-pepper preparation before grilling, letting the sauce deliver most of the flavor 
• Don’t worry if you’re short on ingredients or time, store-bought is perfectly okay (bottled Alabama white sauce is terrific)! And, while we love the layers of flavor from pickled red onions and chopped chives, they are totally optional.