Citrus Brined Chicken Thighs

We never ate chicken thighs growing up.  Or drumsticks.  Or basically anything but chicken breast.   Which I love, but I had no idea what I was missing out on with the thighs.  I still cook with chicken breast a lot more than thighs (you know, better for you, blah blah blah) but I definitely love to throw some great thigh recipes in the mix here or there.  And this chicken...oh, this chicken.  So tender, so flavorful.  You brine it in a citrus-y concoction for several hours, then pop it on the grill to cook and oh boy does that create some beautiful flavor.  And the smell!  The bright, fresh citrus smell that you get while these are cooking is positively mouth-watering.  And when you grill the fruit and squeeze the juice over top at the last minute, it is practically nirvana.  But don't take my word for it--try it yourself!

Citrus Brined Chicken Thighs

Number of Servings: 3-4 (or 2....you're not going to want to stop eating this)
Time to Prepare: 6 hours 20 minutes

• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup lemonade
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• zest from 1 orange
• zest from 2 lemons
• zest from 2 limes
• 1 Tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 orange, 2 lemons, 2 limes (the ones you used for the zest) halved

Combine hot water, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup salt in a 1-quart saucepan.  Bring to a boil and stir until the salt is dissolved, then remove from heat.

Stir cold water, orange juice, lemonade, lime juice, zests, and peppercorns into the salt water mixture.  Let cool for a few minutes.

Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, then pour the brine mixture over the chicken. Seal and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.

Heat grill to medium-high.  Remove the chicken thighs from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with a paper towel.  Brush with olive oil and season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper.   Grill until it reaches 165 degrees in the center (about 10 minutes), flipping halfway through.

Near the end of the cooking time for the chicken, place the halved citrus, cut-side down, on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly, then squeeze the juice of the fruit over the chicken and serve immediately.

Source:  adapted from Our Best Bites
Produce Used: Orange, lemon, lime