Sweet tea is my husband’s favorite drink. Same as most southerners I know. When I found this recipe for Sweet Tea Brined Chicken in Southern Living Magazine, I thought that Wes would like it, dog-eared it, and promptly forgot about it. I kept bumping into this recipe and finally almost a year later, I got around to making it. I am kicking myself that it took me so long. It was incredible. Moist, tender, and perfect for a summer barbecue. You know how I feel about brining, and the idea of brining it in a drink intrigues me, what other drinks can we turn into brine? While this is really easy to make, it does require some planning, the brine needs 24 hours before you grill it. It is worth it entirely.
As I write this it is still Father’s Day, and I want to wish my husband a very Happy Father’s Day. We all think that he is the best dad around, and we love him very much. He starts his new job in the morning, and we will miss seeing him every day. We were so lucky to have a year of amazing family time, and we all got used to having him around so much. We were lucky to do a lot of things as a family that we ordinarily would not have, and it is going to be hard to get back to the real world tomorrow. Have a great first day!
2 family sized tea bags
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves
2 sprigs rosemary
1 Tablespoon crushed black pepper
2 cups ice cubes
3-4 pounds chicken pieces (I used bone in breasts)
Boil 4 cups of water, add tea bags, and steep for 10 minutes.
Stir in sugar and salt. Stir until completely dissolved.
Add onion, lemon, garlic, and rosemary.
Add ice and cool completely.
Put the chicken into plastic bags and let sit in the brine for 24 hours.
Take the chicken out of the brine, and throw the brine away. Dry the chicken off with paper towels. Heat the grill to medium, but only on one side. Put the chicken skin side down, on the side that is not lit. Weird, but it works. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until cooked through.
About 10 minutes before the chicken is ready to come off, throw on some lemons that have been cut in half and asparagus. I like to squeeze the grilled lemon over my asparagus, so good. I served this a small salad, and it was delicious. This recipe comes from Southern Living.
3-4 pounds chicken pieces (I used bone in breasts)
Instructions
Boil 4 cups of water, add tea bags, and steep for 10 minutes.
Stir in sugar and salt until completely dissolved. Add onion, lemon, garlic, and rosemary. Add ice and cool completely. Put the chicken into plastic bags and let sit in the brine for 24 hours.
Take the chicken out of the brine, and throw the brine away. Dry the chicken off with paper towels. Heat the to medium, but only on one side. Put the chicken skin side down, on the side that is not lit. Weird, but it works. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until cooked through.
About 10 minutes before the chicken is ready to come off, throw on some lemons that have been cut in half and asparagus. I served this a small salad, and it was delicious. This recipe comes from Southern Living.
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I made this many times last summer, and it was an instant favorite. My magazine copy is now a total mess! Now I know what to put on the menu this week…
Anything sweet tea draws me in, but the fact that you used Luzianne knows you mean business. As a southern transplant to Maine, I keep boxes of tea bags handy and now I have another great use for them. Thank you! Think I’ll have to try freezing most out of the brine since we make very small portion around here. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sweet tea is my husband’s favorite too. I am excited to see this recipe. I always love new chicken recipes and I think this will be a hit. Definitely adding this to my dinner menu soon.
Bree, the sweet tea brined Chicken looks like a great success :-)Truly a mouth watering and a dish I would love to try it! When you are brining the chicken, do you keep it in the fridge for 24 hours?
I’ve brined foods in tea before, but have never tried sweet tea… it sounds like it would be good, I’ll have to try it in the future. Beautiful photo with the lemons, matches your new logo! 🙂
Bree, do you think this recipe would still taste good with skinless chicken? Or is it important to have the skin in the brine for flavor? Thanks for all of your yummy recipes!
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My husband LOVES sweet tea as well, so I”ll definitely be making this for him! Thanks for sharing!
He will love this Melissa!
Anyone ever made this in the oven??
You can just roast it. 400 degrees for maybe 35 to 45 minutes.
Yes! I put it in a skillet and put it in the oven.
Best grilled chicken recipe I’ve had in a long time and so easy!
SO easy, glad that I am not the only one that loves it so much.
Looks fabulous!
thanks Bree, it totally is fabulous.
I made this many times last summer, and it was an instant favorite. My magazine copy is now a total mess! Now I know what to put on the menu this week…
Well, now you have a fresh new copy! It was so good and so easy!
This is SO inviting! It seriously jumped off the screen at me. Wish I could have some right now.
Thank you Rachel!
Sweet tea is one of my favorite drinks too! I cannot explain how good I think this looks! I cannot wait to try it!!!! 😀
I am so glad Carla! It was so juicy and flavorful.
Anything sweet tea draws me in, but the fact that you used Luzianne knows you mean business. As a southern transplant to Maine, I keep boxes of tea bags handy and now I have another great use for them. Thank you! Think I’ll have to try freezing most out of the brine since we make very small portion around here. Thanks so much for sharing!
My husband is Southern, and I have been scolded for using Lipton in the past! I know better now.
Sweet tea is my husband’s favorite too. I am excited to see this recipe. I always love new chicken recipes and I think this will be a hit. Definitely adding this to my dinner menu soon.
This recipe is really easy, with a huge payout. Hope that you love it too.
This is a lovely post!! I am definitely giving this chicken a try tonight. Your photography is also stunning 🙂 Thank you!!
Thank you so much Geneva!
great new BBQ recipe to try out!
It is Anita! You will love it.
Bree, the sweet tea brined Chicken looks like a great success :-)Truly a mouth watering and a dish I would love to try it! When you are brining the chicken, do you keep it in the fridge for 24 hours?
Looks sooooo delicious. I am definitely trying this out, plus I love asparagus!
Me too! On the grill is my favorite way to eat it too!
Thanks for your nice instruction. I’ll try it for my joy and hope for success.
You are very welcome Daniel!
Okay, dumb question… could this work on a grill pan as well?? We recently moved into a house and have yet to purchase a grill.
Of course! You could also bake it.
HOLY COW! I’m all over this, as my family of three are sweet tea lovers as well. And, wow, all of your kiddos look just like each other. Super cute!
I know, they really do. I hope that you like it!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was pure deliciousness. Thanks!
Glad that you liked it Kena!
I’ve brined foods in tea before, but have never tried sweet tea… it sounds like it would be good, I’ll have to try it in the future. Beautiful photo with the lemons, matches your new logo! 🙂
Thank you Brandon!
This may be a stupid question but what is “sweet tea”?
A Southern staple, tea that has been sweetened. It is not sort of sweet, it is really sweet and something that people in the South adore.
It doesn’t say when to add the black pepper… is that for the brine or the chicken? A tablespoon seems like a lot for the brine?
Yes it is, and there is a link to reference the original recipe if you would like to check yourself.
If you don’t have family-sized tea bags, what’s the equivalent # of regular bags to use? 4? 6?
Thx.
4.
Has anyone tried this on a gas grill? Everything seems to cook so quickly in this grill, in under ten minutes, I am worried about drying it out.
Me! I use gas.
Bree, do you think this recipe would still taste good with skinless chicken? Or is it important to have the skin in the brine for flavor? Thanks for all of your yummy recipes!
Thank you Amy! I think in this case, it will taste good, but it will not be worth the trouble to brine it. The brine sticks to the skin.
Bree, Have you ever used boneless chicken breast for this recipe. And if so, how long did you brine it for?
I haven’t. I’d brine it for an hour or so.