Have you ever had an Arnold Palmer? It’s a drink comprised of half iced tea and half lemonade – and it’s delicious!
This lovely chicken dish is marinated in a brining mixture that pays homage to this classic beverage. It’s filled with brewed tea and plenty of lemon, and the chicken is pan friend and then finished in the oven with additional lemon slices and a brush of honey.
And while so often marinades fail to fully flavor the final dish, you will absolutely notice the tea and lemon flavors here! In addition, the soak in brine results in chicken that is super tender and juicy too!
Arnold Palmer Chicken:
- 3 – 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, then cut the breasts in half
- 4 lemons
- 4 black tea bags
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Black pepper
- 2 – 4 tablespoons honey
Place the chicken pieces in a large Ziploc bag; set aside.
Take 2 of the lemons, peel strips using a vegetable peeler, then juice the lemons (keep the peels and juice separated).
Place 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the tea bags and lemon peels, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Uncover, discard the tea bags, stir in the sugar and salt and let cool to room temperature.
Pour the tea and lemon juice over the chicken and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to overnight).
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season with black pepper. Slice the remaining 2 lemons.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and chicken pieces. Flip the chicken pieces in the skillet so that they are skin-side up, and return the reserved chicken, along with the lemon slices.
Place the skillet in the oven and cook till the chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes (cover loosely with foil if it starts to get too brown before it’s finished cooking). Brush the chicken with the honey and continue cooking for another 3 – 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
