Forget Salt Water: A Better Way To Brine Chicken Adds Sweet Southern Flavor

If you've tried your hand at any of the best grilled chicken recipes, you've probably tried brining the poultry in salt water. Essentially, brining chicken in water with a high saline content adds moisture to the meat while tenderizing its proteins, so it doesn't dry out or become tough during cooking. While a simple brine formula made of salt and water is indeed effective, there's another tasty (and depending on who you ask, better) way to give your chicken the brining treatment. For a sweet and satisfying twist, you can brine chicken in a quintessential Southern beverage: sweet tea.

Made by steeping bags of black tea with water and sugar, then cooling the mixture and serving over ice, sweet tea balances bitter tannins with pleasant sweetness. Similar to how some home cooks like to brine chicken in other sweet beverages like apple juice, brining chicken in sweet tea adds flavor depth and sweetness. Just submerge the chicken in a mixture of sweet tea, salt, and herbs or citrus, similar to the method for a saltwater brine. Then, let the meat sit in the refrigerator for eight to 12 hours.  If it's a larger cut or the whole bird, you can let it sit for up to 24 hours.

When used to brine chicken, sweet tea keeps chicken tender and moist while imparting it with Southern flavor and charm. To make the brine, mix about ¼ cup of salt with 4 cups of cooled brewed sweet tea. You can even buy bottled sweet tea for the brine (though making your own is relatively easy). Brine a whole chicken by placing it in a large container with sweet tea brine and storing it in the fridge. Or submerge smaller cuts of chicken, such as chicken breasts or thighs, in the brine in sealed plastic storage bags or containers and refrigerate. 

To give your brining liquid a flavor boost, get creative and add rosemary, lemon, and garlic to the sweet tea and salt mixture on the stovetop, prior to cooling. You can even add a bit of brown sugar to your sweet tea chicken brine for extra sweetness, if desired. The sweet tea flavor complements a variety of grilling rubs — from spicy or smoky rubs to ones made with brown sugar. The subtle sweetness from the brine is also perfect for fried chicken, where the sweetness nicely complements other ingredients like buttermilk and crisp outer coatings. 

For more of the sweet, tannic hints from sweet tea, you can even coat roasted or grilled chicken in a glaze made with sweet tea, butter, sugar, and citrus. It's Southern, sweet, and simply delicious.