Best Coffee Brined Chicken Breasts Recipes

DRY-BRINED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In a spice grinder, blitz the bay leaf pieces and peppercorns until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt, brown sugar and garlic powder, and rub it all together with your fingers.
• Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise into two pieces of equal weight, creating one shorter, thicker piece and one longer, thinner piece. Place the four chicken pieces on a large plate or sheet pan and sprinkle generously on all sides with the spice mixture, moving the chicken around to catch any fallen spices. Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (any shorter and the osmotic brining process won't complete; any longer and you'll end up with deli meat).
• When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a large skillet with a lid over high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Carefully add the chicken pieces, smooth sides down, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bottoms are browned but not burnt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover the pan and cook until the other sides are browned and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 155 degrees, another 5 to 7 minutes. You may want to pull the longer, thinner pieces off the heat a minute or two sooner, as they may cook faster.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. The meat will continue to cook as it sits and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can also check for doneness by cutting into the chicken; it should look white and juicy and no longer pink. Slice the chicken against the grain (that is, perpendicular to the parallel fibers that run within the breast) and serve with lime wedges if you'd like. You can also keep the meat whole and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 4 days.

SIMPLE CHICKEN BRINE

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into a container that is twice the volume of the water. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
• To use, place chicken in the brine, cover, and refrigerate two hours for skinless breasts, 4 hours for bone-in pieces, and 4 hours to overnight for whole chickens. Drain and pat the chicken dry before cooking. One gallon of brine is enough for 6 pounds of whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces, and up to 10 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

PERFECT CHICKEN BRINE

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, white sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid. Cool brine at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating to cool completely.

COFFEE-BRINED CHICKEN WITH REDEYE SAUCE #3

Steps:

• For chicken:
• 1. Place the espresso, salt, and brown sugar in a large nonreactive mixing bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 3 cups of cool water and the lemon slices, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seed and stir to mix. Let the brine cool to room temperature.
• 2. If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any excess fat or sinews off the chicken breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Remove the tenders from the chicken breasts and set aside for kebabs or satés. Add the chicken breasts to the brine and place a weight, such as a pot lid of plate, on top to keep them submerged. Or plate the breasts in a large resealable plastic bag and add the brine, let the chicken breasts brine in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, turning them twice so they brine evenly.
• 3. When ready to cook, drain the chicken breasts, discarding the brine. Blot the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Lightly brush each breast on both sides with the butter.
• 4. Arrange the chicken breasts on the grill on a diagonal to the ridges and cook the chicken, until cooked through, following the instructions for any of the grills below, until cooked through. Use the poke test to check for doneness: the chicken should feel firm when pressed. Or insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the thick part if a breast through one end: The internal temperature should be about 160°F.
• 5. Transfer chicken to a platter or plates and serve at once with the Redeye Sauce #3 on the side.
• For redeye sauce:
• 1. Place the bacon in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook until the fat begins to melt, about 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the shallot and continue cooking until it and the bacon are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 2. Add the espresso and cider vinegar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the mustard, brown sugar, cream, and Worcestershire sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer gently until the sauce is thick and flavorful, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• If you have a . . .
• CONTACT GRILL: Preheat the grill; if your contact grill has a temperature control, preheat the grill to high. Place the drip pan under the front of the grill. When ready to cook, lightly oil the grill surface. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill, then close the lid. The chicken will be done after 3 to 4 minutes.
• GRILL PAN: Place the grill pan on the stove and oreheat it to medium-high over medium heat. When the grill pan is hot a drop of water will skitter in the pan. When ready to cook, lightly oil the ridges of the grill pan. Place the chicken breasts in the hot grill pan. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
• BUILT-IN GRILL: Preheat the grill to high, then, if it does not have a nonstick surface, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.
• FREESTANDING GRILL: Preheat the grill to high; there's no need to oil the grate. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grill. They will be done after cooking 5 to 7 minutes per side.
• FIREPLACE GRILL: Rake red hot embers under the gridiron and preheat it for 3 to 5 minutes; you want a hot, 2 to 3 Mississippi fire. When ready to cook, brush and oil the gridiron. Place the chicken breasts on the hot grate. They will be done after cooking 4 to 6 minutes per side.