Next time you polish off a jar of pickles, don’t just pour the pickle juice down the drain. That pickle juice is still valuable, and we have found the perfect way to use it.
Pickle juice (aka brine) is often infused with flavors such dill and garlic, making it a surprisingly incredible brining marinade for chicken.
Since we all love a good sheet pan dinner (hey fewer dishes!), we wanted to create a dill-infused recipe that put that pickle juice to use, not waste, with a recipe that’s easy and can feed a family of 4 in no time.
With the addition of 3 different potato types as a side, this is a complete meal that will have everyone well-fed and satisfied, and perhaps wondering just exactly how did you get that incredible flavor into your chicken?
Ingredients
- 1 jar leftover dill pickle juice/brine (minimum 1 cup)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 large potatoes, baking, purple and sweet variety (or whichever you choose!)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped dill, divided into two 1/4 cup portions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Pickle slices/spears as garnish (optional)
Method
- In a bowl or large freezer bag, place your 4 chicken breasts and pour dill pickle juice over them. Cover and set aside for 1-24 hours.
- After chicken is successfully brined long enough, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash your potatoes, and slice lengthwise to make large wedges. Leave the skins on.
- Drizzle your sheet pan with olive oil, and place the potato wedges down. Sprinkle on 1/4 cup of fresh chopped dill and salt & pepper to taste. Toss with your hands, then spread out to make room for the chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts amongst the potatoes on the sheet pan, then brush them with a mixture of olive oil and the remaining 1/4 cup of fresh dill. Sprinkle salt & pepper over the chicken.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through, as well as the potatoes.
- Optionally, you can garnish the tops of the chicken with a skewered dill pickle slice, and serve immediately.
