The Secret Ingredient for Juicy, Flavorful, Never Ever Dry Grilled Chicken Breast
If cottage cheese and 90s celebrity-endorsed sandwiches can make a comeback, why not chicken breast? This boneless cut of chicken is often seen as the black sheep of chicken varieties because it is in many instances dry and tasteless. As the sun continues to shine and we dive deeper into more barbecues and cookouts, the summer season calls for easy, inventive and flavor-packed meat the whole party can enjoy. And believe it or not, chicken breast can be all of those things.
To perk up chicken breast for summer you could consider any number of seasonings or one of many seemingly endless recipes—or you could try a simple yet surprising one-ingredient trick that we just discovered: marinate the chicken in feta cheese brine.
Related: PSA: Stop What You're Doing and Make the Viral Extra-Crispy Feta Fried Eggs
Why You Should Marinate Chicken Breast in Feta Brine
If you're unfamiliar with feta brine, as the name suggests, it's the liquid that feta cheese often comes packaged in when you buy it at the grocery store. To get feta with brine, be sure to pick up a block of feta instead of the container of feta crumbles.
The brine is certainly a supporting character to feta, but it has a lot going for it. The mixture of water and salt, plus the creamy, umami flavors from the cheese, is packed with concentrated flavor (much like a salt brine you'd make on your own at home). It's also chock-full of lactic acid, which changes the shape of the protein strands in the chicken and as a result, tenderizes the meat. Marinating chicken in this liquid gold before the meat hits the grill makes sure you'll have tender, flavor-packed chicken instead of dry planks of white meat.
Related: Baked Feta Pasta Recipe
How to Marinate Chicken Breast in Feta Brine
Pick up a container of feta cheese in brine. When you're at the store, look for blocks of feta packed in boxes (Whole Foods carries several options), which will have the most brine. Look for a 14-ounce container of feta, which should have enough liquid for this recipe. Pour about 1/2 cup of brine into a large resealable plastic bag, then add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken breast. Seal the bag well, then transfer the bag to the fridge and let the chicken marinate for 8 to 24 hours. Once that's done, remove the chicken from the bag, pat it dry with a paper towel and stick it on the grill.
Got feta brine to spare? Add some to your martini for a quick and easy cocktail that tastes like it came from a fancy hotel bar.
