Brine Your Way to Juicier Meat

Updated: May 21, 2015
We're taking the brine way past your holiday turkey! Get the juiciest, most succulent bite of meat from your grill with these recipes that begin with a good brine.
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Clinched and Planked Chicken Thighs

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Clinched and Planked Chicken Thighs Recipe
The basic brine for these chicken thighs includes plenty of spices and lemon for added flavor.
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B-Side Brown Sugar Smoked Brisket

Photo: Thomas J. Story
B-Side Brown Sugar Smoked Brisket Recipe
The bourbon in this brown sugar brine adds flavor and helps tenderize the meat.

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Grilled Pork Chops with Brown-sugar Brine and Onion-Peach Marmalade

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Dan Becker
Grilled Pork Chops with Brown-sugar Brine and Onion-Peach Marmalade Recipe
Because modern pork is very lean, the meat can easily dry out when cooked. Using a brine adds moisture and flavor to the chops.
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Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Sweet Tea-Brined Chicken Recipe
For the tastiest chicken ever, brine a whole cut-up chicken in the South's signature beverage—sweet tea with lemon.

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Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Apples

Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Grilled Apples Recipe
Grilled pork chops benefit dramatically from a hard cider brine that penetrates right to the middle of the meat and an apple-brandy glaze that coats the outside of the pork with a tangy sweetness.

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Grilled Shrimp with Sangrita

Photo: France Ruffenach
Grilled Shrimp with Sangrita Recipe
Marinating shrimp in a seafood brine ensures moisture retention and enhances the flavors of this exquisite hors d'oeuvre.
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Barbecued Chicken

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy
Barbecued Chicken Recipe
From chef Tyler Florence, everything you could want in a piece of barbecued chicken: moist meat, crisp skin, and tangy sauce. See his step-by-step tutorial on brining chicken at the end of the gallery.

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Coffee and Molasses-Brined Pork Chops

Karry Hosford
Coffee and Molasses-Brined Pork Chops Recipe
Coffee adds a background flavor that helps bring out the sweet yet bitter undertone of the molasses. This brine is also excellent with chicken thighs and drumsticks, and pork or beef ribs.

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Chai-Brined Shrimp Skewers

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
Chai-Brined Shrimp Skewers Recipe
A brine made with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves is infused with black tea leaves before hitting the shrimp.
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Charcoal-grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic

Photo: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Randy Mon
Charcoal-grilled Pork Shoulder with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic Recipe
Brining the pork shoulder for at least one day prior to cooking on the charcoal grill gives the meat a melt-in-your-mouth tender finish.

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Brown Sugar-Brined Chicken

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Brown Sugar-Brined Chicken Recipe
This brown sugar brine is enough to season 12 chicken breasts. Pair it off with some fresh vegetables for the perfect meal.

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Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Food Styling: Amy Wilson
Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken Recipe
Buttermilk-Brined Grilled Chicken is soaked in a mixture of buttermilk, brown sugar, and hot sauce to ensure flavor and juiciness.
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Mackerel with Herb Salad

Photo: Marcus Nilsson; Styling: Victoria Granof
Mackerel with Herb Salad Recipe
Brining the fish in water with salt and sugar heightens its natural flavor, but it also provides a little added insurance that the fish will remain moist.

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Video: How to Brine Chicken

Video: How to Brine Chicken
Learn how to make a brine for grilled chicken with Food Network star Tyler Florence.
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