A game day favorite taken to the next level! These Beer and Pretzel Chicken Wings are baked to perfection and the texture is utterly superb. Simple to make, these are perfect for parties, movie nights or… any time!
If you want an ultra crunchy coating for your baked chicken wings – go with crushed pretzels. The crust stays crispy, while the chicken inside stays moist and tender. The fact they are baked means there’s just really no need for lots of oil clogging the coating and taking away from the crunchy, salty pretzel taste. The dark beer adds a lovely depth of flavor and richness to each bit of these pretzel chicken wings, everyone will be coming back for more!
How To Make Beer And Pretzel Chicken Wings
Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with the Guinness/ molasses and let marinade for at least 6 hours.
Then evenly space the chicken pieces on a baking tray in the middle of the oven for 30 mins, then dip each piece in half of the Guinness/molasses mixture.
While chicken cooks, whisk together the remaining beer, molasses,teaspoon salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Reserve half of the glaze for serving.
Remove the chicken, then roll and press each chicken piece in the crushed pretzels and set the chicken back on the baking rack.Bake the chicken an additional 20-30 minutes or until crispy, golden brown and baked throughout.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with the reserved Guinness/Molasses sauce.
Enjoy!
What To Serve With Chicken Wings
These wings make for a great party snack or an appetizer, they also work great with a variety of sides:
How Long Do Chicken Wings Keep For?
Assuming they are not munched immediately (highly likely!), refrigerated within two hours in temperatures of 40 degrees F and above and within an hour at temperatures of 90 degrees F and above, cooked chicken wings keep for up to four days. Although refrigeration does not kill any bacteria growing on the cooked chicken wings, it does slow bacterial growth over the four day period, keeping it safe to eat.
Can I Use Frozen Chicken?
Yes, but never thaw frozen, previously-cooked chicken wings out on the counter. The safest place to thaw is in the refrigerator — transferring the chicken from freezer to refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it. Thawing in the microwave is a quicker method, but requires you to continue heating until the internal temperature of the wings reach 165 F, eliminating the risk of foodborne illness. Insert a meat thermometer into the chicken to test the internal temperature.
Top Tips For Beer and Pretzel Chicken Wings
- If you can’t get hold of Guinness, use a dark beer.
- Make sure Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- Chicken wings should marinade for at least 6 hours.
- An instant-read digital thermometer will come in handy for checking if the wings are properly cooked.
Check Out These Other Delicious Chicken Wing Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
marinade: 6 hours
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 people
- 2 pounds chicken wingettes and drumettes trimmed of extra fat
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1 12 ounce bottle Guinness or Dark Beer, divided
- 1 cup mild molasses divided
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup crushed pretzels
Trim the chicken of excess skin/fat and pat dry with paper towels. Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Combine ½ bottle Guinness, ¼ cup molasses and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl or zipper-style plastic bag.
Add the chicken and mix to evenly coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate, covered, 6-24 hours.
Refrigerate the remaining ½ bottle of Guinness until ready to use.
When ready to cook the wings, remove the chicken from the fridge and heat the oven to 425°F. Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and top the tray with a metal cooking rack. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.
Shake any excess marinade off the chicken pieces and evenly space the chicken pieces on the rack. Set the chicken on the middle rack of the oven and bake 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F.
In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ bottle of beer, ¾ cup molasses, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Reserve half of the glaze for serving.
Remove the chicken from the oven and dip each piece in half of the Guinness/molasses mixture.
Roll and press each chicken piece in the crushed pretzels and set the chicken back on the baking rack.
Bake the chicken an additional 20-30 minutes or until crispy, golden brown and baked throughout. The chicken temperature should register 170°F when tested in the middle of one of the middle pieces of chicken.
Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with the reserved Guinness/Molasses sauce.
Enjoy!
