Apple Juice Brined Chicken Legs with Carolina BBQ Sauce

These apple juice brined chicken legs are soaked in apple juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and a little kosher salt before they’re cooked with tangy Carolina style barbecue sauce.

This is one of those chicken recipes I like when I want that sweet and tangy barbecue flavor. My husband and I are from the Carolinas, so Carolina Style BBQ sauce is a favorite in our house. The apple juice gives the chicken a mild sweetness, and softens that vinegar bite just enough without taking away what makes the sauce good in the first place.

IS THIS A BRINE OR MARINADE?

This recipe sits somewhere between a simple brine and a marinade. I originally called it a brine because the chicken soaks in apple juice with salt, but it also has vinegar and garlic, which gives it more of a marinade feel.

The easiest way to think of it: adding the salt helps to both season and tenderize the chicken, while the apple juice, vinegar and garlic add more flavor. It is not a heavy, salty brine, and it is not a thick marinade. It is a simple apple juice soak that gives chicken legs a better base before they are roasted or grilled.

THE INGREDIENTS

• Carolina style barbecue sauce is what gives this recipe its extra spunk and a more savory finish. It is usually thinner and more vinegar based than the thick sweet barbecue sauces some people are used to. You can use your favorite BBQ sauce if that’s what you have, but the flavor will be different.
• The apple juice is the main flavor builder. Use a regular apple juice you like drinking because the flavor does come through lightly after the chicken cooks.
• Apple cider vinegar keeps the brine from tasting flat or too sweet. The vinegar keeps the flavor sharp enough to work with a vinegar based BBQ sauce to keep the right amount of tanginess present.
• Garlic gives the brine more savory flavor. I use several cloves because chicken legs can handle it, especially with the sweetness from the apple juice and the bold sauce at the end.

HOW LONG TO BRINE

For this recipe, I like to marinate the chicken legs for 2 to 8 hours. Two hours gives the chicken some flavor, but the longer end of that window gives the apple juice, garlic, and vinegar more time to work.

Because this mixture has vinegar in it, I would not push it too far past the planned marinating time. You want the chicken seasoned and flavorful, not a soft or odd texture.

If you are prepping ahead, mix the brine and add the chicken earlier in the day, then cook the chicken that evening.

BEFORE YOU COOK THEM

Score the chicken legs before they go into the brine. Those small cuts help the apple juice mixture and seasoning reach more of the surface area, especially since chicken legs have skin and thicker sections.

When the chicken comes out of the brine, let the extra liquid drip off before seasoning and brushing with sauce. If the chicken is too wet, the BBQ sauce can slide around instead of clinging to the outside.

OVEN METHOD

The oven method is the easiest option when you don’t feel like dealing with the grill. A hot oven helps the chicken cook through while giving the sauce a chance to darken and turn glossy in spots.

This is also where a rack makes a difference. When the chicken sits on a rack over the baking pan, the heat can move around the pieces better and the chicken doesn’t cook in a puddle of liquid. That helps the outside look more roasted instead of steamed.

After the chicken is seasoned and brushed with sauce, bake it on the rack and flip the pieces halfway through. Toward the end, brush on the rest of the sauce so it can warm through and cling to the chicken instead of burning too early.

You’re looking for chicken that is cooked through, glossy, and a little darker around the edges. If the sauce still looks wet or pale, give it a few more minutes. If it’s browning too fast, pull it before the sugars in the sauce go too dark.

GRILLING ADVICE

If you want to grill these, wait until the charcoal has grayed over or your grill is holding a steady medium heat. Oil the grill rack first so the sauced chicken is less likely to stick.

I like to start the chicken with seasoning, then baste with part of the BBQ sauce while it cooks. Save the rest of the sauce for the end so the finished chicken gets that fresh coating without the sauce burning the whole time.

The chicken is done when it reaches 165°F internally.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

• If the chicken tastes too salty: The brine may have gone too long or the BBQ sauce may have been saltier than expected. Next time, keep the soak closer to the shorter end.
• If the chicken does not have enough flavor: Score the legs a little deeper next time and let them marinate closer to 8 hours.
• If the sauce burns too fast: Add more of the sauce near the end of cooking instead of coating too heavily at the beginning.
• If the chicken looks wet in the oven: Make sure it is on a rack and not sitting directly in the pan juices.

A FEW FLAVOR CHANGES

• For a sweeter BBQ flavor: Use your favorite thicker barbecue sauce instead of Carolina style sauce. The apple juice brine and sweeter BBQ sauce will make it more sweet than tangy.
• For a spicier version: Use a peppery or spicy Carolina style sauce, or add heat to the sauce you already like. I would adjust the sauce instead of adding too much to the brine, because the sauce is what gives the final coating its punch.

WAYS TO SERVE THEM

These chicken legs work well with simple cookout style sides because the sauce already brings a lot of flavor. Try them with baked beans, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, cornbread, or grilled vegetables.

If you want to keep the Carolina BBQ feel going, serve them with a tangy slaw or something creamy to balance the vinegar in the sauce.

STORAGE AND REHEATING

Store leftover chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through at 350 degrees, this keeps the chicken from drying out.

You can also reheat them in the microwave, but the outside will be softer. If you have extra sauce, brush on a little before reheating to freshen the flavor with any way you choose to reheat.

FAQs

MORE MARINATED CHICKEN RECIPES

For another sweet and tangy chicken recipe, try this One Pan Roasted Balsamic Chicken with juicy roasted tomatoes.

Looking for another savory chicken recipe with fruit and vinegar, try this Roasted Black Cherry Balsamic Chicken with a bold and sweet balsamic finish.

If you’re craving a richer marinated chicken dinner, try this Roasted Chicken in Wine Cream Mushroom Sauce with Kalamata Olives that has a delicious creamy white wine sauce.

NEED TO USE A SUBSTITUE?

Use AI to help you use alternative ingredients for this one!

MADE THIS RECIPE?

♥♥♥ Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below to let me know if you enjoyed it. And follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more delicious inspiration! ♥♥♥