Chicken Brine – for the juiciest roast chicken of your life!
November 29, 2023 • 0 comments
This is a chicken brine that will yield the most succulent, juiciest roast chicken you will EVER have in your life! Brining injects flavor and moisture as well as tenderizing – you will be blown away how juicy the chicken breast is!
Once you learn how to brine chicken and taste the incredible results, you will never look back!
Directions
What you need for Chicken Brine
To make chicken brine, all you need is water and salt. Everything else is for flavor so it’s optional and customizable – see below for substitutions for each.
- Salt and water – the only two ingredients that are non negotiable, they are the brine!
- Honey – for a touch of sweet, sub with sugar
- Parsley, thyme and rosemary – 100% optional, switch with other herbs, or use dried
- Peppercorns – use ground instead
- Lemons, garlic and bay leaves – for flavor, optional
How to brine chicken
It’s as easy as this:
- Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil with a bit of water – just to bring out flavor a bit and dissolve the salt;
- Add cold water to bring the temperature down, then refrigerate until fully chilled;
- Submerge chicken upside down (ie, drumsticks and breast facing down) and brine for 24 hours in the fridge (even 12 hours is terrific); pat dry, brush with butter and roast!
How long does it take to roast a 4lb brined chicken?
60 minutes at 350°F or until the internal temperature is 165°F or until juices run clear.
The formula is: About 15 minutes for every 1 lb. So a 4 lb. chicken will take 60 minutes, and a 2 lb. chicken will take 45 minutes (give or take 5 – 10 minutes, also smaller chickens will take about 20 minutes per 1lb).
Brined chicken roasts about 20% faster than chicken that is not brined. A 4 lb. chicken that is not brined takes 1 hour 25 minutes.
