Pickle Brine Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Marinating Time: 2

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: people

Calories: 294kcal

Put leftover pickle juice to use in this Pickle Juice Brined Chicken recipe! Chicken breasts are brined in pickle juice, then cooked to perfection!

Place the chicken breasts in a medium bowl.
Whisk together the pickle juice and sugar.
Pour the pickle juice mixture over the top of the chicken.
Cover and place in the refrigerator a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
Remove chicken from brine (discard brine) and place on a plate.
Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
Season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
Preheat a grill to high heat (about 450 degrees).
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes. Flip, then continue cooking 3-5 minutes longer, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer.
Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Storing

Store the leftover cooked and cooled dill pickle chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It also freezes well for 3 to 4 months. Let the leftovers defrost before reheating in the microwave or oven.

Tips and tricks

Large, thick chicken breasts will take longer to cook. If you want to speed up the cooking time, feel free to slice each breast in half before brining and cooking.
No matter what cooking method you use, use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches its safe-to-eat internal temperature of 165°F.
Allow the cooked chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to soak back into the meat, making it more moist and flavorful.

Alternate cooking methods

While grilled chicken breasts are always a treat, you can achieve the same great-tasting results using one of these cooking methods:

Air fryer – Place the brined chicken in the air fryer basket and cook at 370ºF for 10 minutes (you may need to cook them in batches). Flip, and cook for an additional 4 to 8 minutes.
Oven baked – Bake the brined chicken on a lightly greased baking sheet at 400ºF for 20 to 25 minutes.
Sous vide – Vacuum seal the pickle juice marinated chicken and submerge it in a 145ºF water bath for 1 hour.
Instant Pot – Place the trivet in the Instant Pot with 1 cup of water. Place the brined chicken on the trivet and pressure cook for 5 minutes with 8 minutes of natural pressure release.