brine (for chicken) January 31, 2008
Posted by hapafood in brine, chicken.trackback
i’m not a fan of white meat (chicken) because it usually comes out very dry. jenny and charlie roasted a chicken for me once, and the breast was so succulent and juicy, i couldn’t believe it. i asked for the recipe, and they said they had brined the chicken. i searched the web, and i found this brine recipe. when i used this recipe to roast a chicken, it came out so delicious. because of this recipe, i actually will roast split chicken breasts by themselves! 
recipe is for 1 whole chicken. quarter the recipe for 2 split chicken breasts.
1 1/4 gallons cold water (20 cups)
3/4 – 1 cups kosher salt, use 1 cup if you like a saltier chicken
1/2 cup sugar
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh thyme, or 2 tbsp dried
1/2 head of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- combine all the ingredients into a large pot.
- add one whole chicken. refrigerate for at least 12 hours. i usually brine it for 24 hours.
- remove the chicken and pat dry. drizzle the skin with a little olive oil.
- roast chicken until done. i usually roast it at 375 for 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on the size of the chicken.
I used this brine on some stringy young roosters that we just butchered. My oh my! So tender and flavorful. This will become a staple at our house. I have another batch brining today! Thanks!
no problem janelle! i’m glad that you enjoyed it!
how long do you brine chicken breasts?
i usually brine them overnight as well. i think that it might be fine if you just brined it in the morning and cooked it in the evening.
Does the chicken need to be thawed before I put it in the brine?
i usually thaw the chicken.