Sweet Tea Braised Chicken Thighs

By Kristin Irani Myruski • February 14, 2013 • 6 Comments

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Author Notes: Part of a tailgate contest win! I came up with this recipe as part of a Southern cuisine-themed tailgate contest menu at the Montpelier Horse Races in Virginia this past fall. We won Chef's Choice from Chef Jason Alley of Comfort and Pasture Restaurants. - Kristin Irani Myruski

Serves 4 - 6

4 English Breakfast tea bags
2 lemons, juiced
1 orange, juiced
1/3 cup sorghum molasses (or other molasses)
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless (or with skin and bone)
salt and pepper

in a sauce pan bring 6 cups of water to a boil, add tea bags and simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to steep 3 - 5 minutes until the brew is quite strong and dark
remove tea bags and add lemon juice, orange juice, molasses and honey, whisking until dissolved; set aside
in a large, deep skillet heat the oil over high heat
generously season both sides of the chicken thighs and once the pan is smoking, place the side that had the skin down into the pan and allow to sear 3-4 minutes
once the thighs have a golden brown sear turn them over to sear the other side
once the second side is seared, turn the thighs over again and pour the steeped tea mixture over top
allow to come to a boil and then reduce to barely a simmer for about 5-8 minutes or until thighs are cooked through
remove thighs to a serving platter, tent with foil and keep remaining cooking liquid over high heat to reduce to sauce consistency, about 12-15 minutes
pour sauce over top of the thighs and serve

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe with Tea

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2 months ago foxeslovelemons

I was one of the recipe testers for this, and figured I would leave my head note here:

Kristin's sweet tea chicken was simple to prepare, and it simmered while I made the rest of my dinner. While my experience drinking sweet tea is limited, this chicken had just the right amount of sweetness and tea flavor - not overpowering at all, but enough tea, molasses and honey notes to make it different from any other braised chicken I've tried. This chicken was delicious on it's own, and I also think it would be a good base cooking method for other dishes that use chicken, like salads, sandwiches and pastas.