Chicken Brine
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Brining
1 d
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Total Time
1 d 1 hr 15 mins
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Servings
5 - 6
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Calories
432 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Chicken Brine
Description
The Chicken Brine recipe combines a mix of kosher salt, lemon quarters, fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and rosemary, honey, smashed garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns dissolved in water. The brine is boiled briefly then cooled completely before submerging the whole chicken, which rests in the refrigerated brine for 12 to 24 hours. After brining, the chicken is patted dry, buttered, seasoned lightly, then roasted on a rack for even cooking and crisp skin.
The brining technique infuses the chicken with moisture and seasoning, helping the cooked meat remain juicy and tender. The butter beneath the skin adds richness and browning. Roasting times depend on weight; roughly 20 minutes per 500 grams plus a base 20 minutes is recommended. The recipe also includes a method to make pan gravy using the salty pan juices tempered with low-sodium broth.
This method suits home cooks aiming to improve their roast chicken with a well-balanced brine to boost flavor and texture without overwhelming saltiness. The included herbs and aromatics give an herbal citrus aroma, while honey adds mild sweetness to the brine. It is important to cool the brine fully before adding the chicken to prevent bacterial growth, and not to overbrine to avoid excess salt.
Practical tips include adjustments for salt types, substitutions for herbs and lemon, and storage guidance. Partially thawed frozen chickens can be brined as they finish thawing. After brining, letting the chicken rest at room temperature before cooking ensures more even roasting.
Ingredients
Brine
- 2 litres / 2 quarts water , cold tap water
- 1/3 cup kosher salt Note 1, or cooking salt, NOT table salt
- 2 lemon quartered, plural
- 10 parsley fresh, sprigs
- 7 thyme sprigs
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 5 bay leaf or 3 dried, fresh
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 6 garlic smashed (Note 3, cloves
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Roast Chicken
- 1.5 - 2 kg / 3-4lb chicken , whole
- 3 tbsp / 40g butter , melted
- salt to season
- black pepper to season
Instructions
Brining
- Pour about 1/3 of the water into a large pot (large enough for the brine and submerged chicken) with remaining Brine ingredients. Bring to boil boil 1 minute, stir to dissolve salt.
- Remove from heat, pour in remaining water. Cool completely before using (I cool about 30 min then refrigerate 1 1/2 hours). DO NOT put chicken in before full cool, this is a health hazard (Note 4).
- Flip chicken upside down (so legs and breast are on underside. Submerge chicken in brine, cover and refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours (Note 5). Don't worry if underside of chicken doesn't stay under water - the the breast side is, that is what matters.
Roasting Brined Chicken:
- Remove chicken from brine and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
- Tie legs with string (if desired), tuck wings under. Drizzle/brush with most of the butter all over, including underside (butter will firm up on contact).
- Sprinkle with pepper and the TINIEST pinch of salt, place chicken on a rack in a heavy based roasting tray. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Preheat fan forced oven to 220°C/430°F.
- Turn down the oven to 180°C/350°F, then roast chicken for 50 minutes to 1 hour (Note 7) or until the internal temperature at the joint between the leg and thigh is 75°C/165°F, or until juices run clear.
- Check at 45 minutes, rotate the pan if not browning evenly, and brush top with remaining melted butter.
- Remove chicken from the roasting tray, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Chicken is so juicy, it needs little more than a tiny drizzle of the juices in the pan (go easy, it's salty). Otherwise, make a gravy while the chicken is resting - see Note 8.
Notes
- Use kosher or cooking salt due to its coarse grains; reduce quantity if using fine table salt to avoid oversalting.
- Fully chill the brine before adding the chicken to prevent bacterial growth hazards.
- Brine for 12-24 hours; longer times increase saltiness and may affect texture.
- After brining, pat chicken very dry to ensure crisp roasting.
- Roasting time is about 20 minutes plus 10 minutes per 500g of chicken weight; brined chicken cooks faster than unbrined.
- Use reduced-sodium broth for gravy to offset salty pan juices.
- Frozen chicken can go into the brine partially thawed and will thaw fully while brining.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5- 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 432 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 432cal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 63g | 126% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 188mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 189mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 644mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 198IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 26mg | 29% |
| Calcium | 49mg | 5% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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