Grilling season has officially arrived here in NJ (well at least at my house…I don’t like to use the outside grill unless it’s above 60 degrees!) and I couldn’t wait to try out some new grilled chicken recipes. The first one I experimented with was a basic brine marinade like I’ve used in the past on pork, and came up with this Lemon-Thyme Brined Grilled Chicken.
I’ve said it before that brining makes your meat incredibly moist and this was no exception. I especially like to use a brine when grilling as I tend to overcook things on the grill, especially chicken. This chicken was so light and flavorful, though I don’t recommend letting it sit in the marinade for more than 8 hours or it may taste too salty. I let mine sit for about 4 hours and it was perfect; then served it with a baked potato and tossed salad.
- 4-4oz. Chicken Breasts, boneless and skinless
- 3/4 c. Water
- 2 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp. Sea Salt
- 1 Lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp. Fresh Thyme, removed from stem
- Combine the water, sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice and fresh thyme in a bowl and whisk together.
- Add the chicken to a resealable plastic bag; then add in the liquid. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator 15 minutes prior to grilling, discard the liquid and grill the chicken to the proper internal temperature (minimum 165 degrees).
Carrie,
Your chicken looks great! Before he left, my spouse set me up with a large propane tank, so I intend to get my grill on this summer. At least a little bit! I tend to over or under cook things, so I’m glad to learn this brining trick.
Thanks!
It definitely helps. I used to overcook everything on the grill, but have gotten much better at it over the last few years.