I’ve done a series of experiments to find out how best to brine a whole chicken. What kind of salt should you use? Do you boil the water first? And, most importantly, how long does a whole chicken need to brine for? I’ve tested it all and have the answers for you here!.
There won’t be any dry, bland roast chicken here! I’ve already tested it, so you can make the best chicken dinner ever! Brining a chicken is quicker and easier than you think. Once you’ve experienced it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start doing this sooner!.
To find out more about how it all works, scroll down or click here. Now you can go straight to the recipe.
Brining chicken is a simple but powerful technique to make your poultry incredibly moist, flavorful, and tender But what exactly is a brine, and why does it have such a transformative effect on chicken? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about brining chicken, including the science behind it, different brining methods, flavor variations, and foolproof tips for brining success
What is Chicken Brining?
Soaking chicken in a saltwater solution before cooking it is called brining. When salt and sugar are mixed with water and aromatics like herbs, spices, and citrus fruits, the brine is usually made.
As the chicken soaks, the brine penetrates the muscle fibers, altering the protein structure. This allows the chicken to retain more moisture during cooking, resulting in a juicier interior. The salt also seasons the chicken and enhances its natural flavor. Any additional aromatics infuse the poultry with extra dimensions of flavor.
The Science Behind Chicken Brining
The technical principles behind brining chicken relate to osmosis and diffusion. Here’s a quick look at the science:
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Salt is a hygroscopic compound, which means it binds to and attracts water molecules. When the chicken is soaked in the brine, the salt uses osmosis to pull water into the muscle fibers.
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At the same time, the salt ions get into the meat through diffusion, temporarily bending or denaturing the protein chains.
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This denaturation prevents the proteins from tightening and squeezing out as much moisture during cooking. It allows them to better retain the water absorbed during brining.
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Sugars in the brine also help retain moisture, enhance browning, and balance out saltiness.
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Aromatics like spices and herbs diffuse their flavors into the chicken during the soak.
Types of Chicken Brines
There are two main methods for brining chicken: wet brining and dry brining.
Wet Brining
This technique involves submerging chicken in a water-based brine solution. A basic wet brine contains:
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar (optional)
- Aromatics like herbs, spices, garlic, citrus, etc. (optional)
For an effective brine that properly seasons without over-salting, use a ratio of:
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1/2 cup kosher salt per gallon of water
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1/4 to 1/3 cup table salt per gallon of water
Brining times depend on the size and cut of the chicken:
- Whole chicken: 12-24 hours
- Boneless breasts: 2-4 hours
- Bone-in pieces: 4-6 hours
After wet brining, it’s essential to rinse off any excess salt and pat the chicken dry before cooking. This prevents over-salting and allows for proper browning.
Dry Brining
Dry brining, which is also called “salting,” is when you rub salt right on the skin of the chicken. At first, osmosis will pull water out of the skin, and then the salt will dissolve into a concentrated brine.
The benefits of dry brining include:
- Excellent flavor infusion into the meat
- Improved skin crisping due to moisture loss
- No need to rinse off salt before cooking
Use a ratio of 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 3/4 teaspoon table salt) per pound of chicken. Let sit uncovered in the fridge for 10-48 hours depending on chicken size. Pat away any beads of moisture prior to cooking.
Chicken Brining Tips for Best Results
Follow these tips for safe and effective brining every time:
- Use kosher or sea salt, avoiding iodized salt which can impart off-flavors.
- Chill brine before adding chicken to prevent bacteria growth.
- Brine in the fridge in a nonreactive container like glass or plastic.
- Keep chicken fully submerged in the brine. Weigh it down if needed.
- Discard used brine; don’t reuse.
- Rinse and pat dry chicken after wet brining to prevent over-salting.
- Brine frozen chicken as it thaws in the fridge for time efficiency.
- Adjust brine quantity and time as needed based on chicken size and personal taste preferences.
Flavoring Your Chicken Brine
Plain salt and sugar brines effectively increase moisture and flavor. But you can take your brine to the next level by adding aromatics. Get creative with unique flavor combinations like:
- Citrus – Lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit juice and zest
- Herbs – Rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram
- Spices – Pepper, cinnamon, cloves, mustard seeds, chilies
- Alliums – Garlic, onion, shallots, leeks
- Vinegars – Wine, champagne, sherry, rice wine, balsamic
- Sweeteners – Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
- Warm spices – Nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cardamom
Match the aromatics to the chicken dish you ultimately plan to make. Citrus pairs wonderfully with grilled or roasted chicken. Hearty herbs like rosemary are fantastic for roasted whole chickens. Spicy chilies add excitement to fried chicken.
Why Should You Brine Chicken?
Brining chicken may take a bit more time up front, but the benefits are immense:
Increased Moisture
Brined chicken stays succulent and juicy even when roasted or grilled at high temperatures.
Enhanced Flavor
Brining infuses chicken with seasoned salt and aromatic flavors throughout the meat.
Tender Texture
By unwinding muscle proteins, brining leaves chicken more tender and easy to chew.
Improved Browning
Dry brining in particular really crisps up the chicken skin when roasted.
Cooking Insurance
Brining prevents overcooking issues like dried out meat.
Versatility
Brined chicken works for roasting, frying, grilling, smoking, sautéing, and more cooking methods.
So don’t be afraid to take the plunge into brining for outrageously juicy, flavorful chicken every time! With the science, fundamentals and tips above, you’ll be brining like a pro.
Do You Boil The Chicken Brine?
The short answer is NO. Do not boil the water for the brine.
For a lot of whole chicken and turkey brines, you have to boil the water and then add the salt to break it up. They’ll often add other ingredients to the water before boiling it as well. Then those ingredients steep in the water as it heats and then cools. The chicken is added once the water has cooled fully.
I’ve tried this method and I find the added extra time of boiling and then cooling the bring to be completely unnecessary. And then, the flavors steeped into the water don’t really penetrate the chicken very much. So it’s a lot of time to spend for not a long of effect.
I promise that the amount of salt given in the recipe will dissolve in the amount of water listed, even if the water is fridge cold. And so, I tend to just use the cool tap water or filtered water, dissolve in the salt, and then add some garlic powder and/or onion powder for extra flavor. Those powders do really seem to penetrate. Note that you should add these powders after dissolving the salt. If you add them first, the water gets cloudy, and it’s hard to tell if the salt is gone or not.
How Does Brining Work?
Brining is simply soaking your meat in a salt water solution before cooking it. In the culinary literature, people have different ideas about what is going on here, and scientific terms like osmosis and diffusion are used a lot. But what we do know is that using a brine changes meat in three ways:
- Meats soak up salt water more easily than plain water. In other words, you’re adding water to the meat, which makes it look and feel more moist after it’s cooked.
- The salt changes the texture of the meat. It’s a type of denaturing. Since meat that has been brined is also softer, That’s kind of like the difference between processed chicken breast (like chicken breast lunchmeats) and regular cooked chicken.
- Brining essentially seasons right inside the meat. This is because the meat soaks up the salty water, putting salt all the way inside. This is something marinades can’t do (unless they contain salt).
All of that is going on and the result is meat (or your whole chicken, in this case) that is juicier, more tender, and more flavorful. It’s a win-win-win! You can read more about the science behind brining and the osmosis debate here.
Salt and water are the only required ingredients in a brine. Sometimes additional seasonings or sugar are added as well. I used a double batch of my standard brine recipe for each of the tests, which yields 8 cups of brine and is enough one 3-5 pound whole chicken.
The brine recipe used here is essentially: 8 cups of cold water and 12 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR 9 tablespoons Morton’s kosher salt OR 6 tablespoons fine or table salt.
Next we’ll discuss why the salt amounts that I just gave you are different from each other. And then in the “Do You Boil The Brine” section, I talk about adding other ingredients to the brine and how best to do so (Hint: It does not involve boiling anything!).
Why you should (almost) always brine your chicken
FAQ
What is chicken brine made of?
Bring water, kosher salt, sugar, sage, basil, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat, about 20 to 30 minutes minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid.
How long should you leave chicken in brine?
As a general rule, you should brine a chicken for about an hour per pound of meat. However, you may need to change this time depending on how strong your salt solution is or how much salt you want to achieve.
What is the formula for brine?
brine NH4OH | ClH7NNaO2 | CID 131727087 – PubChem.
What is the formula for brine for chicken?
Standard brine ratio: For every liter of water, use two tablespoons of salt, which is about thirty grams. This is also known as a quarter-gallon ratio. This means about a 3% salt solution and is enough “to dissolve parts of the protein structure” according to McGee in On Food and Cooking.