Chicken Brine Recipe

Name: Chicken Brine Recipe
Prep time: 1 d
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 d 1 h
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: 1 gallon water; 3/4 cup coarse Kosher salt*; 2/3 cup sugar; 3 dried bay leaves; 5 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns; 3 sprigs fresh rosemary; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 3 lemons; 4-5 pound roaster chicken; ½ cup butter; 1 teaspoon fresh basil; 1 teaspoon fresh oregano; 1 teaspoon fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

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4.7

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Prep Time
1 d
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 d 1 hr
Servings
4
Calories
372 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
American

Chicken Brine Recipe

Iris Warren

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This step-by-step guide will show you how to brine chicken, tips for a juicy chicken, how to get crispy chicken skin and, of course, the best chicken brine recipe!

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Ingredients

Servings

Chicken Brine:

1 gallon water
3/4 cup coarse Kosher salt*
2/3 cup sugar
3 dried bay leaves
5 cloves garlic , peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 lemons , sliced
4-5 pound roaster chicken

Basic Roasted Chicken:

½ cup butter , room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

To Brine Chicken:

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, combine the water, Kosher salt, sugar, bay leaves, smashed garlic cloves, black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and slices lemons.
Bring the brine solution to a low simmer, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully.
Add the chicken to the cooled brine. If there is room, you can add to the stock pot, just make sure it is fully submerged in liquid. If you need to add 1-2 additional cups of water to make this happen, go for it! You can also use a brining bag.
Cover, if you using a pot, and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Do not over brine, as meat can start to turn rubbery if brined for too long.
Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse with cold water. Continue with your favorite chicken recipe.
Discard the brine.

To Cook Brined Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, combine the butter, herbs, Kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Loosen the skin from meat and rub butter under the skin evenly. Use your fingers to loosen skin from the meat and for hard to reach places, you can use the back of a spoon to get down in there with the butter. If there is extra butter, just place it in the cavity.
Place the chicken breast side down. Truss the chicken by loosely tying the legs together using cooking twine.
Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, remove from oven. Stick a pair of tongs inside the cavity of the chicken to flip the bird to breast side up.
Continue roasting the chicken breast side up for another 30-40 minutes or until a digital thermometer registers at 165 degrees when inserted into the thigh.
Remove the chicken from the oven. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving or serving.If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!

Equipments used:

Notes

Do NOT use table salt.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 372kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 45g (15%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Cholesterol 61mg (20%) Sodium 22055mg (919%) Potassium 176mg (5%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 35g (70%) Vitamin A 745IU (15%) Vitamin C 44.1mg (49%) Calcium 93mg (9%) Iron 1.1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 372 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	372kcal	19%
Carbohydrates	45g	15%
Protein	2g	4%
Fat	23g	35%
Saturated Fat	15g	75%
Cholesterol	61mg	20%
Sodium	22055mg	919%
Potassium	176mg	4%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	35g	70%
Vitamin A	745IU	15%
Vitamin C	44.1mg	49%
Calcium	93mg	9%
Iron	1.1mg	6%