once you learn how to brine chicken and taste the incredible results, you will never look back !
Chicken Brine
Brining is the procedure whereby chicken ( or other kernel ) is submerged in a salty liquid ( “ seawater ” ) and left to marinate to add flavour, tender AND add moisture so the chicken stays juicier when roasted.
It injects flavour and seasoning right into the flesh of a whole chicken in a manner that no other method can, even by slathering liberally with herb and garlic butter under the bark which is my favored non-brining way to roast chicken .
It ’ s a technique widely used by chefs. In Sydney, there are a handful of restaurants celebrated for their roast chicken – such as Glebe Point Diner, Boronia Kitchen and Restaurant Hubert – and they are all brined !
This brine recipe is adapted from a recipe by Thomas Kellar, one of the greatest culinary masters of the world .
What does brined chicken taste like?
The chicken is seasoned with salt all the way through the human body, with a hint of the flavourings of the brine. The brine flavourings are not intended to be dominant allele – it ’ s more of a elusive perfume rather than a hard flavor. You don ’ t need potent flavours when the flesh of chicken is seasoned this way because you ’ ll taste chicken spirit in a way you never have ahead !
The juiciest chicken breast EVER!
here ’ s an up close and personal of the breast of brined ridicule chicken – LOOK HOW JUICY IT IS ! It ’ second hard to believe your eyes but it ’ s truthful, it IS potential to make wimp breast this succulent – but lone with a chicken seawater !
What you need for Chicken Brine
To make chicken brine, all you need is body of water and salt. Everything else is for flavor so it ’ sulfur optional and customisable – see below for substitutions for each .
- Salt and water – the only two ingredients that are not assignable, they are the brine !
- Honey – for a touch of sweet, substitute with sugar
- Parsley, thyme and rosemary – 100 % optional, switch with other herbs, or use dried
- Peppercorns – practice grind rather
- Lemons, garlic and bay leaves – for flavor, optional
How to brine chicken
It ’ s deoxyadenosine monophosphate easy as this :
- Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil with a morsel of body of water – just to bring out flavor a sting and dissolve the strategic arms limitation talks ;
- Add cold water to bring the temperature down, then refrigerate until amply chilled ;
- Submerge chicken upside down ( i drumsticks and breast facing down ) and brine for 24 hours in the electric refrigerator ( even 12 hours is terrific ) ;
- pat dry, brush with butter and roast !
How long does it take to roast a 2 kg / 4lb brined chicken?
60 minutes at 180°C/350°F or until the internal temperature is 75°C/165°F or until juices run pass .
The formula is: About 15 minutes for every 500g/1 pound. So a 2 kilogram / 4 pound chicken will take 60 minutes, and a 1.5kg / 2 pound chicken will take 45 minutes ( give or take 5 – 10 minutes, besides smaller chickens will take about 20 minutes per 500g/1lb ) .
Brined chicken roasts about 20% faster than chicken that is not brined. A 2 kilogram / 4 pound chicken that is not brined takes 1 hour 25 minutes ( see classic Roast Chicken recipe ) .
Can you use this for other meats?
absolutely. I use this for pork, turkey breast and small whole turkey. For large whole turkey, the better way is using a Turkey Dry Brine – more convenient, better result .
Difference between brining and marinating?
Brining is different to marinating in that there is a much higher liquid to meat proportion – a wholly chicken is wholly submerged in the chicken brine. Marinades normally have far less liquid and the chicken is largely coated in it, rather than submerged ( examples : my darling Everyday Chicken Marinade, Greek Marinade, vietnamese Lemongrass Marinade ) .
What to serve with roast chicken
Something carby and something green ! here are a few suggestions :
Potato and Bread sides for roast chicken
Side salad options for roast chicken
The chicken is so damp, you can serve it as is with a bantam drizzle of the pan juices ( which are quite salty, so don ’ thymine go overboard ! ). If you ’ d like a gravy, make it while the chicken is resting – the recipe is in the notes .
I ’ ve besides been known to drizzle with a touch of melted butter and compress of fresh lemon juice – it ’ s divine ! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chicken Brine
Prep:
15
mins
Cook:
1
hr
Brining:
1
d
Total:
1
d
1
hr
15
mins
Mains
Western
from
votes
Servings
5
– 6
Tap or brood to scale
Print
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3
Recipe video above. BRINING is the secret to the most succulent, tender roast chicken you will EVER have in your life! Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller, one of the great masters of the culinary world. The flesh is seasoned all the way through with a hint of the brine flavourings (herbs, lemon, garlic).
Ingredients
Brine
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▢
2 litres / 2 quarts body of water , cold pat water system
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▢
1/3 cup kosher or cook salt, NOT table salt ( Note 1 )
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2 lemons , quartered
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▢
10 sprigs parsley , fresh
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▢
7 sprigs thyme
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▢
2 sprigs rosemary
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▢
5 bay leaves, fresh ( or 3 dried )
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▢
1⁄4 cup honey
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▢
6 garlic cloves, smashed ( Note 3 )
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▢
1 tbsp black peppercorns
Roast Chicken
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▢
1.5 – 2 kilogram / 3-4lb chicken , solid
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▢
3 tbsp / 40g
Read more : Smoked Pork Shoulder
butter , melted
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▢
Salt and 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.
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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).
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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:
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Remove chicken from brine and pat dry to remove excess moisture.
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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).
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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.
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Preheat fan forced oven to 220°C/430°F.
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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.
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Check at 45 minutes, rotate the pan if not browning evenly, and brush top with remaining melted butter.
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Remove chicken from the roasting tray, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
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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.
Recipe Notes:
1. SALT – important!! Must use kosher salt or cook salt ( like thing, different name in different countries ) which are larger grains than table salt .
If using table salt ( ie the fine grains of salt served at the postpone that you put on your food ), decrease by 2 tablespoons .
2. Brine flavourings substitutions:
- Honey – sub same amount maple syrup, or 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Fresh herbs – use more of one of them, switch out with sage leaves or other fresh herbs of choice. OR use 1 tbsp dried herbs of choice
- lemons – lime, or oranges, or leave out
- Peppercorns – sub 1/2 tsp ground pepper
3. Garlic, smashed – slap decoration of hand down on side of knife to make garlic explosion open but largely stay in one patch. Can sub 2 tsp jar paste, in emergency .
4. Warm brine = cozy environment for bacteria to start forming in chicken = health venture ! Brine must be completely chilled before putting chicken in .
5. Brining time – 12 hours is enough, 18 to 24 hours is ideal. Don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate go longer than 24 hours because the chicken starts getting excessively salty. Can take wimp out, pat dry and refrigerate for a while until cooking .
6. Taking chicken out of fridge a while before cooking helps it cook more evenly .
7. Cook times: 20 minutes plus 10 minutes for every 500g/1 pound. So a 2 kilogram / 4 pound chicken will take 60 minutes, and a 1 kilogram / 2 pound chicken will take 40 minutes .
note : Brined chicken cooks faster than unbrined chicken by approximately 15 to 20 minutes .
8. GRAVY option: Pan juices are very salty so gravy needs to be made with salt reduced broth plus water (gravy for “normal” : pan juices are identical salty so gravy needs to be made with salt reduced broth plus water ( gravy for “ normal ” knock chicken uses only chicken broth/stock )
50g / 3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp / 40g flour ( any white )
All liquid from pan topped up with LOW SODIUM / Reduced Salt chicken broth to make up 1 cup
1 cup / 250ml water
Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1 moment. Add half the fluent while whisking. once incorpoated and ball free, add remaining melted & body of water. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens. Season with pepper – I highly doubt you will need salt !
9. Frozen chicken can be put in the seawater once it ’ randomness partially thawed. It will finish thaw in the chicken while it brines .
10. Source: Brine based on a recipe by Thomas Keller, one of the great masters of the culinary world! Known for high end iconic restaurants such as Brine based on a recipe by Thomas Keller, one of the great masters of the culinary global ! Known for high end iconic restaurants such as Per Se in New York and the french Laundry in the Napa Valley .
11. Nutrition per serve, chicken entirely .
Nutrition Information:
Calories:
432
cal
(22%)
Carbohydrates:
5
g
(2%)
Protein:
63
g
(126%)
Fat:
17
g
(26%)
Saturated Fat:
5
g
(31%)
Cholesterol:
188
mg
(63%)
Sodium:
189
mg
(8%)
Potassium:
644
mg
(18%)
Fiber:
1
g
(4%)
Sugar:
1
g
(1%)
Vitamin A:
198
IU
(4%)
Vitamin C:
26
mg
(32%)
Calcium:
49
mg
(5%)
Iron:
4
mg
(22%)
in the first place published May 2014, updated November 2019 with bracing photos, television and most importantly, Life of Dozer added !
Read more : Smoked Pork Shoulder
Life of Dozer
Dozer taking me for a walk in Melbourne ’ s Bourke Street Mall !
Staying in an Air BNB for a week, cramming in meetings and broadly pretending to be a Melbourne-ite for a workweek. first clock time I ’ ve compulsive down – it ’ s a long 10 hour drive – but I REALLY wanted to bring Dozer down with me this time and I ’ m so glad I did. He ’ s having a gust, more photos to follow – he ’ sulfur causing a riot down hera !
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