Brined Grilled Chicken Recipes

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, white sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid. Cool brine at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating to cool completely.

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into a container that is twice the volume of the water. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
• To use, place chicken in the brine, cover, and refrigerate two hours for skinless breasts, 4 hours for bone-in pieces, and 4 hours to overnight for whole chickens. Drain and pat the chicken dry before cooking. One gallon of brine is enough for 6 pounds of whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces, and up to 10 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

Steps:

• Combine the water, salt, and sugar together in a large deep bowl or plastic tub.
• Stir until salt and sugar are dissolved.
• Add the chicken and fully submerge; refrigerate for 2-4 hours to brine.
• Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse and pat dry.
• Grill chicken on direct heat for 5-7 min, turning once or twice until chicken is golden and well-marked from the grill.
• Move the chicken over to the side of the grill to indirect heat and continue to cook until juices run clear, about another 5-7 minute.

Steps:

• Stir the maple syrup, garlic, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, a generous grind of pepper and 3 cups of water together in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved. Add the chicken, making sure it's completely covered by the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Prepare an outdoor grill or grill pan for high heat.
• Drain the chicken and pat very dry. Lightly oil the grill grates and grill the chicken, flipping occasionally, until no longer pink near the bone, 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken pieces). Serve with a salad, wedges of cornbread and/or your favorite barbecue sauce on the side.

Steps:

• For the brine, in a mixing bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic, and thyme. Transfer the brine to a 2-gallon sized re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken, close the bag and refrigerate 2 hours (if you've only got 15 minutes, that's fine) to allow the salt and seasonings to penetrate the chicken.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the bunch of thyme and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and cook slowly 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low. Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Once the sauce is done cooking, remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce and reserve for serving along side the chicken at the table. The rest of the barbecue sauce will be used for basing the legs.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
• Preheat a grill pan or an outdoor gas or charcoal barbecue to a medium heat. Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square. Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Take the chicken out of the brine, pat it dry on paper towels. Arrange the chicken pieces on the preheated grill and cook, turn once mid-way, and cook for a total of 10 minutes. Transfer the grill marked chicken to a cookie sheet and then place in the oven. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and then brush liberally, coating every inch of the legs with the barbecue sauce and then return to the oven for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting the chicken for a second time half way through remaining cooking time. Serve with extra sauce.

Steps:

• Brine chicken and make vinaigrette:
• Bring water, sugar, and 1/2 cup salt to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes. Cool brine completely, then add chicken and soak, covered and chilled, 6 hours.
• Remove chicken and pat dry.
• Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, mint, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and remaining teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add oil in a stream, whisking until combined.
• To cook chicken using a charcoal grill:
• Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney starter of charcoal (80 to 100 briquettes). Leaving about one quarter of grill free of charcoal, bank lit charcoal across rest of grill so that coals are about three times higher on the opposite side.
• When charcoal turns grayish white (after 15 to 20 minutes), check fire temperature and grill chicken parts according to instructions in accompanying article. Transfer chicken as cooked to bowl with vinaigrette and turn to coat, then transfer to a serving platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• When chicken is almost done, grill lime halves, cut sides down, uncovered, over coals until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes, then transfer to platter with chicken. Serve limes with chicken and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.
• To cook chicken using a gas grill:
• Preheat all burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then adjust heat to moderately high.
• For drumsticks, thighs, and wings (cooking time is longer than cooking times for charcoal grilling):
• Sear chicken in 2 batches on lightly oiled grill rack, covered with lid, turning over once, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes total. Turn off 1 burner (middle burner if there are 3) and arrange all seared chicken on rack above shut-off burner.
• Cook seared chicken, covered with lid, moving chicken around grill (to avoid flare-ups) and turning over occasionally, until cooked through, 12 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken as cooked to bowl with vinaigrette and turn to coat, then transfer to a serving platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• For breast halves:
• Sear chicken (in 2 batches if necessary to avoid crowding), starting with skin sides down, on grill, covered with lid, turning over once, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes total. Turn off 1 burner (middle burner if there are 3) and arrange all breasts on rack over shut-off burner.
• Cook seared chicken, covered with lid, turning over once, until cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to bowl with vinaigrette and turn to coat, then transfer to platter to keep warm, loosely covered with foil.
• When chicken is almost done, grill lime halves, cut sides down, uncovered, over lit burner until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes, then transfer to platter with chicken. Serve limes with chicken and serve remaining vinaigrette on the side.

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and pat dry, trim off excess fat.
• In an 11x16-inch roasting pan, stir wine, shallots, tarragon, salt and sugar until salt and sugar are dissolved; add chicken quarters and turn to coat, cover and chill for 24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Lift chicken from brine; discard brine; rinse quarters and pat dry.
• Lay chicken quarters on a barbecue grill over medium-hot coals or medium heat on a gas grill; close lid on gas grill.
• Cook, turning frequently, until browned on both sides and no longer pink at the bone, about 35 minutes.