Sweet Tea Grilled Chicken is flavored like a southern summer. Cut-up chicken is brined in a sweet tea mixture with lemon and then grilled until nicely charred. So juicy and flavorful!
The sugars in the sweet tea cause the chicken to get wonderfully golden and caramelized.
It’s not summer in the south without a tall glass of sweet tea. How could you get through a hot southern summer without it? But why just drink your sweet tea? That awesome sweet tea flavor can be infused into all kinds of foods- even muffins.
Tips for making Sweet Tea Grilled Chicken:
- You’ll want to begin this recipe a day in advance for maximum flavor. Steep the tea and then bring the tea mixture to room temperature before adding the chicken.
- Brining the chicken not only gives it tons of flavor but helps it stay moist and tender. Be sure to let it marinate a full 24 hours so that the sweet tea really has a chance to permeate and tenderize the chicken.
- You can use a whole cut-up chicken or all chicken thighs, legs, or breasts. My store was out of cut-up chickens so I used a combo of chicken thighs and legs.
Whether it’s for a weeknight meal or a summer cookout this grilled chicken flavored with sweet tea will be a huge hit.
Serve Sweet Tea Grilled Chicken with:
Sweet Tea Grilled Chicken
Sweet Tea Grilled Chicken is flavored like a southern summer. Cut-up chicken is brined in a sweet tea mixture with lemon and then grilled until nicely charred. So juicy and flavorful!
SERVINGS: 6
Ingredients
- 2 family-sized tea bags
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 chicken, cut up
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add tea bags and remove from heat. Let steep 10 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags.
- Stir in brown sugar, salt, lemon, sweet onion, garlic, rosemary, and black pepper. Let cool for 45 minutes.
- Add ice cubes. Check to make sure mixture is cool. Pour into a large zip top bag with chicken. Seal and place inside a bowl or baking dish in case any leaks. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium. Place chicken on skin side down. Cover and grill 10 minutes. Flip over and grill 10 more minutes. Flip one more time and grill 10 minutes or until cooked through.
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Recipe adapted from Southern Living
Thank you so much! Both my kids gobbled this down and asked for more! Such an awesome recipe!
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Can I bake this in the oven or or fryer?
I was thinking the same thing, Rita. Can this be made on the stove top and/or oven? If so, for how long do we cook it?
You can bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.