SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN

SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN image

Categories Chicken

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 11

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4 cups water
2 family-sized tea bags
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 (6-inch) fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper
2 cups ice cubes
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) cut-up whole chicken

Steps:

From Southern Living, May 2011 BRING water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. STIR IN sugar, salt, onion, lemon, garlic, rosemary and pepper. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. Stir in ice. Mixture should be cold before adding chicken. PLACE tea mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish and chill 24 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels. LIGHT one side of grill, heating to 300 to 350 degrees; leave other side unlit. Place chicken, skin side down, over unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 40 to 50 minutes until done. Transfer chicken, skin side down, to lit side of grill, and grill 2 to 3 minutes or until skin is crispy. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.