sweet tea brine

On a farm in..., GA
Updated on Sep 11, 2013

This is fantastic for grilled chicken and turkey!

prep time 1 Hr
cook time
method Grill
yield Marinade for up to 4# chicken

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds chicken
  • 2 - of your favorite family-sized tea bags
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups ice
  • 1/8 - 1/4 cup salt (i use kosher or sea salt) you can safely use 1/8 cup of salt if watching your sodium
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 - fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 6 - garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large lemon, thinly sliced

How To Make sweet tea brine

  • Step 1
    Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
  • Step 2
    Remove tea bags. Add sugar and salt to tea, stir until dissolved.
  • Step 3
    Add rosemary, pepper, garlic, onion, and lemon to tea, mixing well. Cool completely. When completely cooled, stir in 2 cups of ice until melted - brine should be cold.
  • Step 4
    Transfer cold brine to plastic bowl(with lid) or heavy duty zip locking freezer bag. Completely submerge chicken in brine. Place in fridge 24 hours before cooking. *If you use a freezer bag, do yourself a favor and put the bag in a large bowl in case of leakage.
  • Step 5
    Before grilling, drain and discard brine and then pat chicken dry before grilling. Do not rinse chicken.

Discover More

Category: Marinades
Keyword: #overnight
Keyword: #Poultry
Keyword: #grilling
Keyword: #brine
Method: Grill
Culture: Southern

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