Jalapeño-Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken

Grilled chicken is one of my favorite foods to eat, however, some people make a huge mistake of overcooking it. There is nothing worse than chewy/dry chicken. This chicken is none of the above. It sits in a brine for 24-48 hours and is then grilled. It is so moist and flavorful. This will not be last time we make this chicken. It was o.m.g. good. I had something else prepared to share with you today, but this chicken could not wait.

This is one of my favorite meals to prepare, because you do all of the work at least 24 hours ahead of time. It takes {almost} no time to grill and then you can prepare a few sides. It is perfect for a week-night meal.

I really encourage you to use chicken thighs, they were bursting with flavor and took less time to cook than a chicken breast. Do not be scared of the jalapeño, if you do not like spice. It infused flavor, but it was not too spicy, at all. The chicken is also basted with a simple syrup in the last few minutes of cooking, that gives the chicken a sweet flavor to counterbalance with the spiciness.
Source: My Invisible Crown

Ingredients:
1 cup of Cold Water
3 cups of Buttermilk
3/4 cup of Light Brown Sugar, packed
4 tablespoons of Salt
1 tablespoon of Black Pepper
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire
5-10 dashes of Hot Sauce, Tabasco or Louisiana/Frank's Hot Sauce
1 medium Onion, sliced
1 Lemon, thinly sliced
3 large Jalapeños, sliced {seeds and stems removed to make it less spicy, or leave them in for more heat}
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
3 1/2 to 4 lbs. of Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless

For Simple Syrup:
1 cup of Water
1 cup of Sugar

Directions:
First, in a large bowl, stir together the water, buttermilk, sugar, hot sauce, worcestershire, hot sauce, salt and pepper, just until the sugar has dissolved.

Now, place the chicken in a 2 gallon ziplock bag and pour the buttermilk mixture over the chicken. Add the onion, jalapeño, lemon, and garlic to the bag. Zip the bag and place in the refrigerator for 24- to 48 hours.

Next, when you are ready to cook. Make your simple syrup first, bring the water and sugar to a boil until the sugar has dissolved.

Now, heat your grill to medium-high heat. Oil the grates with canola oil. Place the chicken thighs on the grill and discard the brine. Grill for 3-5 minutes on each side until the thickest part of the chicken registers to 165 degrees, when a meat thermometer is inserted. In the last few minutes of cooking, baste the chicken with the simple syrup. Remove the chicken to a plate when they are done.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
The Barbee Housewife