Servings
Font
Back
0 from 93 votes

David Leite’s Best Brined Roast Chicken

This best brined roast chicken is the best method for brining your chicken, as far as I know. It blends aromatic vegetables and herbs to the brining solution before adding your chicken. The meat gets infused with lush flavors and juiciness beyond the average brined chicken.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Additional Time
1 d
Total Time
1 d 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 274 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the brine
  • 11 cups cold water
  • 1 1/2 cups Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR a heaping 3/4 cup Morton's kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 medium yellow onions coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium leeks cleaned and coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots scrubbed well and coarsely chopped
  • 2 ribs celery coarsely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Leaves from 6 stems thyme
  • Leaves from 6 sprigs rosemary
  • 9 cups Ice cubes
  • One (4-to-5-pound) chicken giblet/gizzard packet removed
For the roast brined chicken
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the brine
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add 3 cups of the cold water to a large Dutch oven or pasta pot. Pour in the salt, sugar, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve, and then turn off the heat.
  2. Meanwhile, add 2 cups of the water to a high-powered blender or food processor. Working in batches as needed, add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary.
  3. Purée until liquefied.
  4. Add the ice to the pot along with the remaining 6 cups of cold water. Stir until the ice cubes melt and the water is cold. Add the puréed ingredients. Submerge the chicken, cover the pot, and refrigerate overnight (8 to 12 hours).
Roast the brined chicken
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Place a rack in a roasting pan.
  2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Discard the brine.
  3. Place the bird on the rack in the pan and tie the legs together with kitchen twine, if desired. Brush with the melted butter and season generously with pepper. Roast (middle rack) for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh meat (away from the bone) registers 165°F (74°C). The skin should be brown and crisp. If it starts to overbrown, loosely cover with a large sheet of aluminum foil.
  4. Let the chicken sit, loosely tented with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

  • Salt–If you’re uncertain about the brand of your kosher salt, weigh it. You want to use 7.5 ounces or 215 g of kosher salt in your brine.
  • Leeks–Clean the cut leeks by letting them sit in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes so the grit can settle. Lift the leeks out, letting the grit remain in the water.
  • Pot options–If you don’t have a pot large enough to accommodate the chicken and brine, use a strong, good-quality resealable 2.5-gallon bag. Stash the filled and sealed bag inside a large pot or bowl, just in case it springs a leak.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 274kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 0.01g (0%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0.3g Cholesterol 93mg (31%) Sodium 74mg (3%) Sugar 0.01g (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 274

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 274kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 0.01g 0%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Sugar 0.01g 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.