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Friday, September 23, 2022

Pickle Chicken!

Pickle Chicken! Tender and juicy chicken thighs have never been easier! This two-ingredient recipe is delicious!


Inspired by Dollywood!

Our daughter was telling us about the famous chicken sandwiches at Dollywood. And while none of us has ever been, apparently they sell thousands of these chicken sandwiches daily. To be made into a sandwich, I am sure it is dredged in seasoned flour and deep fried. And by gosh that would be delicious, without a doubt! But the real discovery here is that the pickle juice not only flavors the meat, but the salt in the brine also keeps your chicken juicy. 

Brining meat for juicy tenderness only takes salt and water. So I am pretty sure you could use any pickle brine and get good results. We had just finished a jar of pickled Green Beans. Making it the perfect time to give Pickle Chicken a try. And we were glad we did, this is so good! And so easy to put together in the morning or the night before.


I love grilling season, and depending where you live, it may be all year long.

Fortunately, fall's nice weather extends outdoor grilling time. And what with going back to school, busy after-school sports schedules, or just the never-ending fall of leaves needing to be raked, outdoor grilling is important, for one very good reason...having your husband grill the meat for dinner gets dinner on the table fast! With a grill cook outside, and a prep cook inside dinner gets done quickly and everyone eats together. 

Don't be concerned about overdoing it with the brine, because chicken thighs are a bit resistant to the salt, the thighs when cooked will not be too salty. We let our chicken marinate all day and it was just right, tender, and juicy but not over-salted. You can put the chicken and pickle brine together in the morning and get on with your day knowing dinner will not take long once you get home. 

PS you can certainly broil these thighs if the weather is not to your liking.   

Ingredients needed for this recipe:
  • skinless chicken thighs
  • pickle brine
You will also need the following:
  • large freezer bag or covered container 
  • outdoor grill
Now we are ready to begin!

Pickle Chicken

Pickle Chicken

adapted from: a story about the food from Dollywood!

leftover pickle brine, about 1 cup
chicken thighs, skinless so the meat takes in the brine


Combine brine and chicken, making sure the chicken is coated all over. You want enough brine that each piece is in contact with the brine and not another piece of chicken. 

Let marinate overnight for frozen chicken thighs, or all day for thawed and/or fresh with skin removed. 



Grill the drained thighs until golden and cooked thoroughly. I usually "temp" with a meat thermometer.
 

Storage options for Pickle Chicken. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days, I do not recommend freezing this dish. 

UPDATE:  For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Pickle Chicken has been included below.

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Printable "copy and paste" version:

Pickle Chicken
adapted from: a story about the food from Dollywood!

leftover pickle brine, about 1 cup
chicken thighs, skinless so the meat takes in the brine

Combine brine and chicken, making sure the chicken is coated all over. You want enough brine that each piece is in contact with the brine and not another piece of chicken. 

Let marinate overnight for frozen chicken thighs, or all day for thawed and/or fresh with skin removed. 

Grill the drained thighs until golden and cooked thoroughly. I usually "temp" with a meat thermometer. 

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Would you like to comment?

  1. Oh this is brilliant! We buy huge jars of pickled peperoncini, and always hate throwing out that much brine. This is a perfect use for it! Can't wait to try it - thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Barbara! Any brine will work, I loved it with the pickled green bean brine. We have used standard pickle brine and brine from pickled green tomatoes. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

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  2. We've been to Dollywood, I guess we missed the sandwiches. Sounds good though. Thanks so much for linking up at the Unlimited Link Party 83. Shared.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Dee, it is fun to share and be inspired by others at your party!

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

      Delete
  4. This sounds so easy and so delicious! Thanks for linking up with Weekend Cooking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pickle chicken! Sounds crazy to me!
    Don’t knock it til you try it, they say! I have a friend who loves pickles in everything, and this sounds up her alley!

    Thank you for sharing this recipe at the Homestead Blog Hop!

    Laurie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Visiting again to say thanks so much for linking up at #FoodFriday 27 for Grilling Recipes. Pinned.

    ReplyDelete

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