Quick Look at these Pickle Brine Chicken Thighs
- Ready In: about 2 1/2 hours
- Brine Time: at least 2 hours or overnight
- Serves: 4
- Main Ingredients: chicken thighs and pickle juice
- Dietary Info: Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, & Gluten-Free
- Why You’ll Love It: In the heat of summer, I love nothing more than tossing some chicken thighs on the grill for dinner. After experimenting with a variety of different chicken marinades, I’m here to tell you that this pickle brined chicken is the most tender, juicy, flavorful chicken I have EVER had!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Pickle Juice – for best results, use the juice from our refrigerator dill pickles or another refrigerated dill pickle (like Claussen’s pickles). The acid will tenderize the meat, while the salt will penetrate the chicken.
- Chicken Thighs – love the flavor of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs but any cut of chicken would work here!
Pro Tips for the BEST Pickle Brine Chicken
There are four basic pro tips to give you the best pickle brined chicken every time:
- Pat the chicken dry after brining. This will help achieve a crispy skin and prevent flare ups on the grill.
- Do not rinse! There is no need to rinse off the chicken, just pat it dry.
- Use dill pickle juice! The salt and vinegar are at perfect ratios for tenderizing the chicken and the dill and spices provide great flavor.
- Do NOT over-brine. Brining for 2-24 hours with pickle juice is perfect, longer than that and the meat will lose its texture.
How To Make Pickle Brine Chicken Thighs
Step 1 – Put chicken thighs in a bowl and pour pickle juice over them.
Step 2 – Let the chicken brine for at least 2 hours or overnight.
How Long to Brine Chicken in Pickle Juice?
A minimum of two hours is preferred. However, if you have the time, brining overnight will result the richest flavor. Do not exceed 24 hours in the brine or it will change the texture of the meat.
Step 3 – Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Step 4 – Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Step 5 – Grill over direct heat for 3-5 minutes per side until fully cooked.
Other Cooking Techniques
Grilling will result in a nice, crispy skin and that wonderful char flavoring, but you can also make:
- Stove Top: cast iron chicken thighs
- Air Fryer: air fryer chicken thighs
- Smoker: crispy smoked chicken thighs
What To Pair With Pickle Brine Chicken
We love grilling up a batch of these for a crowd with a crisp veggie side dish like grilled corn on the cob, grilled green beans, or easy grilled broccoli. And if you’re looking for something a bit heartier, try your hand at smoked baked beans or these yummy smoked potatoes.
Pickle Brine Chicken FAQs
Refrigerated dill pickle juice is the best because it won’t turn the chicken a yellow color, it has a very light and refreshing flavor, and the salt to vinegar ratio will help tenderize the chicken perfectly.
Any cut of chicken will work – chicken thighs, chicken breasts, chicken wings, chicken legs, or a whole chicken. Be sure to adjust the pickle juice amount in order to fully submerge the cut of chicken being used.
Other Grilled Chicken Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 cup pickle juice, use the juice from Refrigerator Dill Pickles or any store-bought pickles*
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Brine: Place 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in a medium bowl or large storage bag. Pour 1 cup pickle juice over top. Cover and place in the refrigerator a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
- Season: Remove chicken from brine (discard brine) and place on a plate. Pat dry with clean paper towel. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Grill Chicken: Bring grill up to high heat (about 450℉) and ensure the grill grates are clean. Place chicken skin-side down on the grill grates over direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-5 minutes and then flip. Cook on other side until internal temperature reaches 165℉ (use a meat thermometer).
- Rest + Serve: Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- *Pickle Juice: the pickle juice you pick will greatly impact the flavor here. I like the pickle juice from these Refrigerator Dill Pickles because it is clean and light tasting. Claussen refrigerated pickles is an excellent store-bought option. I wouldn’t recommend a pickle juice that is yellow in color with lots of extra ingredients.
- Chicken Breasts: you can also use chicken breasts, boneless chicken thighs, etc. – this will work with any cut of chicken, but I prefer using bone-in chicken thighs.
- Whole30/Paleo: if you use the Refrigerator Pickle juice these will be Paleo/Whole30 – check your ingredients if using store-bought pickles.
Erin says
This looks so good! I’m guessing this would work on chicken drumsticks too?
Erin says
Yes! It definitely would!
Erin says
So yum!!! It turned out great!!
Erin says
Yay!! So happy to hear that!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review – I really appreciate it!