Cassie’s Ruminations

Tea Soaked Chicken Thighs

This recipe is inspired by one from Rachel Ray. I omitted the star anise, and used skinless boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts. The flavor here was subtle, almost more of an aroma, but nice, and I’d definitely consider doing this again. I only marinated for 1 hour, and the flavor would be stronger with a longer time in the fridge. I served this with some roasted asparagus, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt.

Tea Soaked Chicken Thighs
Serves 4

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs

For the marinade:
1 “family sized” or 3 regular sized black tea bags of your choice – I used Lipton iced tea blend
2 cups water
2 cups ice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the tea bags. Let steep for 5 minutes. Pour into a large zip top bag and add the ice to cool the mixture down. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well. Add the chicken to the bag and seal, squishing out as much of the air as possible. Marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Preheat the broiler to high with a rack about 8 inches from the heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a broiler pan or a cooling rack nested in a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 6 minutes then flip all the pieces and broil for another 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve warm.