This Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs recipe is sponsored by Milo’s Tea Company. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Flavor Mosaic possible!
These Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs are smoky, sweet and delicious! Brined in sweet tea, smothered with Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce and grilled to perfection, this BBQ Chicken will be the hit of your summer BBQ or picnic!
Sweet Tea And BBQ Chicken In The Summer
Sweet, cool, and refreshing, it is no wonder that tea, especially sweet tea, is so popular during the summer, and in the South, people drink it all year round. It is so popular that we love to include it with our other favorite Southern foods, such as BBQ chicken. It is natural to combine the two.
When we are celebrating summer holidays, parties, or graduations, and we are grilling outdoors, and tea is a beverage of choice for these gatherings, just as BBQ is the food of choice. BBQ chicken is one of our favorites and is usually at almost every outdoor gathering.
In the South, and all over the country, everyone will argue their BBQ chicken is the best. However, I’m telling you right now, this Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs recipe will put the others to shame. Yes, it’s that good. My husband took one bite of this Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken and said he would marry me all over again just for this chicken!
So when we celebrated the nice weather with an outdoor BBQ, I made these Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs and they were a hit.
What Makes This BBQ Chicken Recipe Work
The key to success with this BBQ Chicken recipe is the quality ingredients and the brining. The brining adds moisture and flavor and helps the chicken stay tender and juicy while grilling, which can have a tendency to dry out the chicken. In addition, using chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts also helps get a more tender and juicy BBQ chicken.
However, what really distinguishes this BBQ Chicken recipe from the rest is that we use Milo’s Tea, the #1 brand of tea in the Southeast, to brine the chicken, and as well as add it to the BBQ sauce. The quality of the ingredients used really does make a difference in the recipe.
Milo’s Tea is already the ideal beverage for the summer, and it is ideal choice when brining the chicken. All of Milo’s beverages are all natural with no preservatives or added acids. In addition, it is fresh brewed from real tea leaves and has a clean ingredient list. It is the same recipe as founder, Milo Carlton, brewed in 1946 when he started Milo’s in Birmingham, Alabama, with his wife, Bea. Milo’s is a 3rd generation family-owned business as his granddaughter, Tricia Wallwork, is the CEO today, making Milo’s a Certified Women-owned business. I love to support family owned as well as women-owned businesses.
In this recipe, I used Milo’s Sweet Tea, made with pure cane sugar. However, they also have no calorie tea sweetened with Sucralose, in addition to Unsweet Tea, Decaf Sweet Tea, Tea and Lemonade, Peach Tea, and Lemonade. Look for Milo’s in the refrigerated juice section of your local retailer. Use their product locator to find a store near you.
How To Brine Chicken Using Tea
Brining chicken is easy to do but takes time and requires that you plan ahead. Start the day before you plan to serve.
- In a deep pan or dish, pour in 4 cups of Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea.
- Add about 4 or 5 slices of lemon.
- Add 3 or 4 slices of orange.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt,1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Add the chicken.
- Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
How To Make Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce
- To make a homemade sauce, make Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce. The recipe is on Milo’s website.
- The 2nd option is to use my shortcut method, which is to combine 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce with 1/4 cup Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea and stir together. Set aside until ready to use.
How To Grill Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian Seasoning.
- Remove chicken from the brine, and sprinkle with the seasoning mix that was made in step #2.
- Brush all chicken pieces with the Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce (See above for instructions on how to make the sauce.)
- Place chicken pieces on the grill and cook for about 7 – 8 minutes.
- Turn the chicken, brush the other side with the Sweet Tea BBQ sauce, and let cook for another 6 or 7 minutes until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
What To Serve With Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken
- Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea – a big, tall, cool, refreshing glass of Milo’s Famous Sweet Tea is the ideal beverage for your summer bbq.
- Mexican Street Corn Salad – This sweet Mexican Street Corn Salad with its Chili-Lime Cream Sauce and Cotija cheese is a perfect side dish for a BBQ.
- Cucumber Tomato Salad – is a cool and refreshing summer side salad.
- Mexican 3-Bean Salad – is a quick and easy make-ahead salad to serve at a summer BBQ.
- Shrimp Boil Pasta Salad – is an easy, creamy, and packed full of amazing flavor for the best shrimp pasta salad ever!
- Classic Potato Salad – the classic American potato salad that complements the BBQ chicken perfectly.
- Cajun Honey Jalapeno Slaw – a light and refreshing vinegar-based cole slaw, with no mayonnaise, but sweetened with honey, and spiced with cajun seasoning, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Makes a great side dish for a barbecue, picnic, or pot luck.
- Tomato Cracker Salad – an easy Southern side dish salad.
- Cowboy Baked Beans – a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and a whole lot delicious.
- Pasta Salad With Creamy Parmesan Dressing – a creamy and cheesy pasta salad side dish that is perfect for a bbq.
- Old Fashioned Chess Pie – for a sweet Southern dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can this recipe be made with other pieces of chicken, such as chicken breasts, chicken legs, etc?
- The answer is Yes! Use any type of chicken pieces you have. You may have to adjust the cooking time as bone-in pieces of chicken typically take longer than boneless chicken.
- Can I brine the chicken for a shorter time?
- The answer is Yes, but the longer the chicken brines the better the taste and more tender and juicy the chicken. However, if you only have 2 hours or 4 hours to brine the chicken that would be ok. Go ahead and brine.
- Can I bake these Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs in the oven instead of cooking on the grill?
- Yes! Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes and turn and brush with more sauce. Then cook for 10 more minutes. To get the charred chicken, place chicken under the broiler for about 3 minutes.
Other Similar Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other BBQ recipes and Chicken recipes.
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Recipe
Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Sweet Tea Brine
- 4 cups Milo's Famous Sweet Tea
- 5 slices lemon
- 4 slices orange
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite)
- 1/4 cup Milo's Famous Sweet Tea (See Note below)
BBQ Chicken Thighs
- 2-1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Instructions
Sweet Tea Brine
- In a deep pan or dish, pour in 4 cups of Milo's Famous Sweet Tea.
- Add about 4 or 5 slices of lemon.
- Add 3 or 4 slices of orange.
- Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Add the chicken.
- Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce
- Stir together 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce with 1/4 cup Milo's Famous Sweet Tea. Set aside until ready to use.
Sweet Tea BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian Seasoning.
- Remove chicken from the brine, and sprinkle with the seasoning mix that was made in step #2.
- Brush all chicken pieces with the Sweet Tea BBQ Sauce (See above for instructions on how to make the sauce.)
- Place chicken pieces on the grill and cook for about 7 - 8 minutes.
- Turn the chicken, brush the other side with the Sweet Tea BBQ sauce, and let cook for another 6 or 7 minutes until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This makes me so excited for summer grilling! Can’t wait to try it!
Michele says
It is so good. You will be glad you did!