by James Coulter
Have an empty jar of pickles? Don’t toss that pickle juice out! You can actually use it to marinade chicken.
That’s right. That leftover pickle juice makes for an excellent marinade and brine. I should know, because I recently tried out the recipe for myself. If you like chicken, and if you like pickles, then you’ll surely love this dish.
The preparation is quite simple. Take your leftover pickle juice, and depending on the size of your pickle jar, either empty the juice in a large bowl with sliced chicken breast or place the chicken inside the jar if it’s big enough.
Recently, I learned that the best way to marinade chicken is to poke holes into the meat with a fork before placing it in the marinade. Doing so will allow the chicken to better absorb the juices, and thus the flavor.
Then, all you have to do is let the chicken marinade in the pickle juice overnight, over several nights, or preferably over the weekend. The longer, the better.
Once you’re ready to cook your chicken, cover it with dry ranch seasoning and mix it all together with the juice. Then place the meat on an aluminum foil-lined tray, along with some chopped broccoli and red potatoes, drizzle the veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook it all in the oven.
Overall, while it wasn’t as flavorful as the Butter Chicken or as loaded with cheesy goodness as the Stuffed Doritos Chicken, the Pickle Ranch Chicken certainly had a tangy flavor to it, which can be expected from soaking chicken in pickle juice overnight.
It’s simple, it’s sweet, it’s great to eat, and it’s an easy way to recycle old pickle juice that can’t be beat. Honestly, if there’s a better use for pickle juice, please let me know.
Ingredients
1 lb. chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced
1 large jar of leftover pickle juice
1 oz. packet ranch dressing mix
1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
24 oz. red potatoes, chopped and halved
Olive oil
Directions
1. Cut your chicken however you prefer. Poke holes into meat with a fork. Place into a bowl or jar with pickle juice. Let marinade in the fridge for as long as desired.
2. Sprinkle with a packet of ranch dressing and combine with chicken and juice until mixed.
3. Chop broccoli into florets and red potatoes into small, bite-sized pieces. Place chicken, potatoes, and broccoli on a tray. Drizzle veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. You want your chicken done and your veggies to look like they were in a tanning bed.
