Best Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Recipes

SWEET TEA BRINED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the brine: Zest, then quarter the lemon. Put the lemon zest and quarters in a saucepan. Add the tea, sugar, and salt. Simmer the mixture over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add 1 quart of ice water and the chicken. Brine the chicken in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Drain the chicken and blot dry.
• Combine 2 cups flour, the masa harina, crab boil seasoning, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the 8 eggs with the buttermilk. Put the remaining 2 cups of flour in a third bowl.
• Prepare a breading station by lining up the bowl of flour, then the bowl containing the egg and buttermilk mixture, and finally the bowl of seasoned crust mixture. Roll the chicken in the flour, then the egg mixture, and then the crust then put the legs and thighs in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Fill a large deep pan with enough oil to completely submerge the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 300 degrees F. Add the chicken and cook until it is golden and the juices run clear, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain the chicken on a rack then serve.

SWEET TEA-BRINED FRIED CHICKEN ON A "BISCONE"

Steps:

• For the brine:
• Bring the cold water to a hard boil and remove from the heat. Add the tea bags and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the sugar; stir until dissolved. Add the lemons and kosher salt; stir to dissolve. Put in a nonreactive bowl and refrigerate to chill for 8 to 12 hours.
• Put the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours. Drain the chicken.
• In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 350 degrees F.
• Put the flour into a shallow bowl. Add the cornstarch, black pepper, if using, and House Seasoning. Add the buttermilk and the hot sauce to a second dish. Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk, and then the flour mixture. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry until golden and fully cooked. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm until ready to serve.
• In a small bowl add the egg and stir, then add the milk and salt and mix well to combine.
• For the biscone:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the butter is the size of peas and some larger pieces. Gradually add in the cold buttermilk until it is just combined. Stir in the cheese. Do not overwork the dough.
• In the same bowl, pat down dough and dust the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Using an ice cream scooper, arrange scoops of the biscone mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake, turning halfway through, until the tops are golden brown about 18 to 20 minutes.
• For the butter:
• In a small bowl add the butter and scallions. Using a hand-held electric mixer, combine until well incorporated.
• To assemble:
• Split the biscones in half and smear with scallion butter. Serve as a sandwich with the chicken breasts.
• Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Sweeten the tea to taste, then add the canola oil, pickling spice, garlic, onion, kosher salt, celery salt and black pepper while it's still hot. Refrigerate until cool, then add the chicken breasts to the brine. Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
• When ready to cook the chicken, preheat a grill to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle registers 165 degrees F, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Let the chicken cool, then dice it.
• Add the diced chicken, mayonnaise, pecans, honey and apple to a bowl and toss to combine. Put a large scoop of chicken salad on each croissant bottom, then top with lettuce, tomato, red onion and the croissant tops.

SWEET TEA BRINED CORNBREAD CRUSTED CHICKEN BISCUIT

Steps:

• 1. Sweet Tea Brined Chicken Heat water and tea bags to boiling in the microwave. Pour into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add ice to quickly cool. Add chicken breasts and allow to soak for 1 hour. Honey Cornbread Chicken: Remove chicken from sweet tea brine. Dredge chicken breasts in Jiffy Cornbread mix (dry). Heat 1 inch oil in a skillet. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Drizzle each chicken with honey.
• 2. Biscuits Combine flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Pour flour into a large bowl. Add milk and stir to combine. Turn out onto a floured surface. Press dough to about ½" thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut 10-12 biscuits. Place biscuit rounds onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with butter again. Allow to cool before serving.
• 3. Fried Collard Greens Heat oil in a skillet or deep fryer to 350 degrees. Flash fry raw, cut collard greens for 1 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
• 4. Peppered Sawmill Gravy: Heat bacon grease in a small pot. Add 1-2 TBSP flour and cook for a minute (make a roux). Add 2 cups milk, salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Whisk over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Move to warming area.
• 5. Fried Eggs: Heat a small amount of oil or bacon grease in a non-stick skillet. Fry eggs over medium heat to over easy. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.
• 6. Assembly: Split biscuits. Spread bottom half of biscuit with pepper jelly. Top with one piece of chicken, 2 slices of crispy bacon, spoonful of gravy, a handful of fried collard greens, and a fried egg. Top with biscuit and secure with a toothpick.

SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN WITH MAPLE GLAZE

Steps:

• PREPARE chicken.
• STEEP tea bag in water in a large bowl for 5 minutes, covered. Remove tea bag and discard.
• WHISK in sugar and salt until dissolved. Add ice, lime juice, lime halves, and mint; stir. Place the chicken in brine and refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours.
• BLEND all the dry spices for the rub together. Remove chicken from brine and massage both sides with the rub before grilling.
• Place the chicken skin side down on the grill and set 2, which have been wrapped in heavy duty foil, on top of chicken. Cover and cook (over medium heat) until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over, replace the brick and grill 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.
• Glazing: Remove the bricks and glaze every 2 - 3 minutes until 16o degrees. Then take the bird off the grill and let it rest.

SWEET TEA-BRINED 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.

SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
• Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring 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° (medium) heat; leave other side unlit. Place chicken, skin side down, over unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 20 minutes. Turn chicken, and grill, covered with grill lid, 40 to 50 minutes or 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.

SWEET TEA-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
• Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring 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° (medium) heat; leave other side unlit. Place chicken, skin side down, over unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 20 minutes. Turn chicken, and grill, covered with grill lid, 40 to 50 minutes or 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.