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A pickle brined chicken thigh on a plate next to a pickle.

Pickle Brine Chicken

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Erin Jensen
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Brine Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Pickle Brine Chicken – a simple, easy pickle brine chicken recipe that is SO GOOD! The chicken turns out so juicy and delicious!


Ingredients

Scale
  • Approx. 1 cup pickle juice* (I recommend the juice from these Refrigerator Pickles)
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place chicken thighs in a medium bowl. 
  2. Pour pickle juice over top. 
  3. Cover and place in the refrigerator a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. 
  4. Remove chicken from brine (discard brine) and place on plate.
  5. Pat dry with clean paper towel. 
  6. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. 
  7. Bring grill up to high heat (about 450 degrees F.).
  8. Place chicken skin-side down on the grill grates over direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-5 minutes and then flip.
  9. Cook on other side until internal temp reaches 165 degrees F. (use a meat thermometer).
  10. Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • *Pickle Juice: the pickle juice you pick will greatly impact of the flavor here. I like the pickle juice from these Refrigerator Dill Pickles because it is clean and light tasting – I wouldn’t recommend a pickle juice that is particularly yellow with lots of extra ingredients.  I also like the juice from these Refrigerator Dill Pickles because it has garlic and onions in it that also are great to brine with the chicken. 
  • Chicken Breasts: you can also use chicken breasts, boneless chicken thigh, etc. – this will work with any cut of chicken, but I prefer using with with 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.