Should I Brine My Chicken Before Grilling?

Grilling juicy flavorful chicken can be a challenge. Lean chicken breast is prone to drying out over high heat. While slathering on barbecue sauce may seem like an easy fix it often results in burnt, sticky messes. For consistently moist and delicious grilled chicken, the solution is simple – brining. But what exactly is brining, and why should you bother? Here’s a complete guide on how brining works and why you should be doing it before firing up the grill.

What Is Brining?

Soaking meat or poultry in a saltwater solution before cooking is called brining. Salt, sugar, and aromatics like spices, herbs, and citrus fruits are usually mixed into water to make the brine.

As the meat soaks, the brine penetrates deep into the muscle fibers. The salt acts to break down proteins allowing the meat to retain more moisture during cooking. The sugar balances out the saltiness while also helping with browning. The aromatics infuse tons of flavor.

Benefits of Brining Chicken Before Grilling

Brining offers several major benefits that lead to better grilled chicken

• Increased Moisture – The salt in the brine allows chicken to hold onto more moisture and juices during grilling. This results in incredibly tender and juicy meat.

• Enhanced Flavor – Not only does brining make chicken juicier, but it also deeply seasons the meat. The salt, sugar, and aromatics get absorbed, giving you well-flavored chicken.

• To make the texture more tender, brining helps break down the muscle fibers in chicken through osmosis. This makes the meat tender, even in cuts that aren’t very thick, like breasts.

• Faster Cooking – With brined chicken better able to retain moisture, it requires less time over direct heat. This means you spend less time worrying about dried out chicken.

• More Forgiving – Brining provides a buffer against overcooking. Even if you go slightly past the ideal internal temp, a brined chicken will be more forgivingly moist.

How Long to Brine Chicken Before Grilling

Brining times vary based on the size and cut of chicken:

• Boneless chicken breasts – 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Bone-in chicken breasts – 1 to 2 hours
• Chicken thighs – 1 to 3 hours
• Chicken wings – 30 minutes to 1 hour
• Whole chicken – 4 to 12 hours

For boneless, skinless breasts, a quick 30 minute brine is sufficient to impart big flavor and moisture, without getting too salty. Larger cuts need more time for the brine to fully penetrate and tenderize.

Keep brining times on the shorter side if using very salty brines. It’s easy to add more saltiness later. But you can’t take it away once the brine has been absorbed.

Simple Brine Recipe for Chicken

An easy go-to brine recipe for chicken requires just a few ingredients:

Ingredients

• 1 gallon water
• 1⁄2 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• (Optional) citrus slices, fresh herbs

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large pot. Heat until salt and sugar fully dissolve.
2. Allow brine to fully cool before adding raw chicken. Refrigerate if needed to speed up cooling.
3. Place chicken in a container and pour cooled brine over to submerge. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Soak chicken for 30 minutes to 12 hours depending on size of cuts.
5. Remove chicken from brine. Rinse if needed and pat dry.
6. Grill as desired, until fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

The great thing about brines is you can play around with the flavors. Try using citrus juice, soy sauce, wine, beer, or your favorite herbs and spices. Just keep the basic salt-to-water ratio intact.

Grilling Tips for Brined Chicken

Once your chicken is brined, follow these tips for the best results on the grill:

• Let chicken rest at room temperature after brining. This allows the surface to dry for better searing.

• Pat chicken very dry with paper towels before grilling. The drier the surface, the better it will brown.

• Use a light coat of oil on the grill grates. This prevents sticking from brined chicken which has a tacky surface.

• Grill over direct medium-high heat. Resist flipping too early. Let it sear and release before the first flip.

• Rotate chicken every few minutes to prevent hot spots. Carefully flip only once during cooking.

• Brined chicken cooks faster. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for 165°F.

• Let chicken rest 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows juices to redistribute evenly.

Should You Brine Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts?

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are likely the most popular cut for grilling. But they’re also the most prone to drying out, especially when cooked over direct high heat on a grill. This makes them an ideal candidate for brining.

Deep into the thick breast meat, the brine will soak in and season it while keeping the moisture in. It only takes 30 to 60 minutes to make a big difference in how juicy it is. The breasts will cook up juicy and tender, and every bite will taste like they were seasoned.

So if chicken breasts are your go-to for the grill, do yourself a favor and start brining. Your family will thank you when they sink their teeth into a super juicy grilled chicken breast that’s bursting with flavor.

Should You Brine Bone-In Chicken Pieces?

Besides breasts, bone-in cuts like legs, thighs, and wings also benefit greatly from brining before hitting the grill. These parts often have more innate flavor thanks to the skin, fat, and bones. But brining takes it to the next level.

The main advantage of brining bone-in chicken is it seasons the meat thoroughly and evenly. The salt penetrates deep into the thicker pieces of meat. Without brining, it’s hard to season beyond the surface.

Brining also helps retain moisture in bone-in chicken, especially for leaner cuts like breasts and wings. For juicy, well-seasoned chicken that looks great on the platter, take the time to brine your bone-in chicken before grilling.

Should You Brine a Whole Chicken?

Brining a whole chicken may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth the effort. A brine bath is the perfect way to evenly season a whole bird for the grill. The salt will penetrate all the way to the bone, seasoning the breast, legs, thighs, and wings at the same time.

Whole chickens also have a mix of white and dark meat, each with a different fat and moisture content. Brining helps even out the inconsistencies. The white meat ends up moister, while the dark meat gets thoroughly seasoned.

Plan ahead when brining a whole bird. You’ll need a large enough container to fully submerge the chicken. And leave at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, for the brine to work its way deep into the meat. Your patience will pay off with the most flavorful, juicy grilled chicken imaginable.

Should You Brine Chicken Wings?

Chicken wings have a great flavor and texture already when grilled. But brining can take them to new heights. The salt will get absorbed between the skin and meat, seasoning the wings perfectly. Brining also helps retain moisture in the lean wing meat, keeping them juicier as they cook over the hot grill.

Just 30-60 minutes is sufficient brining time for wings. You’ll be able to season and grill them the same day without much planning. Toss the brined wings in your favorite sauce or dry rub too. Brining creates the ideal canvas to layer on more flavor.

Do You Need to Brine Chicken Thighs?

With their rich flavor and juicy dark meat, chicken thighs seem like a perfect candidate to throw directly on the grill. But even well-marbled thighs can benefit from brining. It provides an opportunity to layer seasoning throughout, not just on the exterior.

Brining also helps prevent overcooking, a common issue with bone-in thighs. The added moisture gives you more wiggle room to get them perfectly charred on the outside without drying out.

For flavor and insurance against overcooking, a quick 1-3 hour brine makes sense for chicken thighs. Go longer if you want thighs with exceptionally plump, seasoned meat.

Brining chicken before grilling results in meat that’s seasoned all the way through, incredibly juicy and moist, and packed with tons of flavor. While it does require some advance planning, the benefits are huge, especially for typically dry cuts like boneless breasts.

It’s easy to customize a brine to complement whatever flavors you’ll be using on your chicken. Brined chicken also gives you more flexibility during grilling. You’ll need to spend less time worrying about drying it out.

For your next cookout, allow enough time to brine your chicken first. Your guests will be amazed at how succulent and delicious even simple grilled chicken can be. Once you see how well it works, brining will likely become your go-to way to prepare chicken for the grill.

Yes, brining chicken before grilling is generally recommended to enhance moisture and flavor.