Recipe Roundup

15 Dinners That Are Worth the Wait

From brines to marinades, the best way to eat dinner is when you overnight it.

By The Epicurious Editors

March 2, 2016

Spatchcocked barbecue spicebrined turkey on a black serving dish.

Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott
1/15
Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken
The best fried chicken of the year doesn't soak in buttermilk, it soaks in pickle juice. The salty solution—based on apple cider vinegar—acts as a tenderizer.
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Photo by Christopher Testani
2/15
Barbecue Spice-Brined Grilled Turkey
Not all brines have to be liquid. Using a dry spice mixture and salt works to tenderize this spatchcocked turkey. After it's brined, this turkey cooks in less than a hour.
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Photo by Romulo Yanes
3/15
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The sweetest incentive for advance planning is a pan of bread pudding. With pumpkin.
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Photo by Ture Lillegraven
4/15
Brined and Roasted Rosemary-Chile Almonds
Thought brines were only for meat? Think again. Soaking these almonds overnight with herbs gives them flavor from the inside-out.
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Julian Broad
5/15
Citrus-Brined Pork Loin with Peach Mustard
This pork loin needs at least 8 hours for the citrus-thyme brine to infiltrate every bite. After brining the pork, give it a coat of coriander and fennel seeds.
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Levi Brown
6/15
Cannellini Beans with Garlic and Sage
Save the soaking liquid from these beans—it makes for a flavorful soup base.
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Peter Frank Edwards
7/15
Tea-Brined Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Gravy
Sweet tea is a good beverage but makes a surprise turn as a fried chicken marinade. Bonus points if you save the chicken skins for rendering—they'll make a killer gravy.
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Hirsheimer & Hamilton
8/15
Citrus-Marinated Chicken Thighs
Chicken thighs have everything going for them. They're richly flavored, inexpensive, and cook quickly. But if you have a little bit of time to plan, an overnight citrus marinade will greatly give them just a little bit more.
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9/15
Gigante Beans
Bigger beans=bigger flavor. Soak these gigante beans before tossing them with tomato and oregano in this Greek-inspired side.
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Todd Coleman
10/15
Squid with Ginger-Soy Sauce Marinade
Does grilling squid seem tough? That could be because the thick skin needs some marination overnight. This soy sauce-soaked squid caramelizes on the grill and maxes out in the richness department.
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Photo by Andrew Purcell, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian
11/15
Hot Chocolate Baked French Toast
Soak French toast in hot chocolate (like where this is going?) for a decadent make-ahead breakfast. Add a scoop of ice cream, and it just became dinner's dessert.
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Ditte Isager
12/15
Pan-Seared Pork Blade Chop
No need to be a chemist with your marinades here—this tenderizing version is only four ingredients. Let the pork soak for 8 hours in the fridge and then 30 minutes at room temperature before searing the juicy result.
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Gina Homolka
13/15
Buttermilk Oven "Fried" Chicken
Looks like fried chicken. Crunches like fried chicken. Soaks in buttermilk like fried chicken. But this bird is baked, and it's just right for weeknight dinners.
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14/15
Brothy Beans
These beans take a little advance planning but not a lot of effort. Soaking them before a long cook lets nature do most of the work.
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Peden + Munk
15/15
Herb Grilled Chicken Wings
You could let these herb-rich chicken wings soak for just an hour in an olive oil marinade, but for maximum flavor, this recipe gets better overnight.
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