Chicken Brine Recipe - Wet Brine and Dry (2024)

FAQs

Is dry brine or wet brine better for chicken? ›

Dry brining chicken requires no water, less space, and one easy step, making it the perfect choice for cooks seeking the best in appearance, juiciness and flavor. Though traditional wet-brining is a classic technique with plenty of merit, dry brining offers an easier, more efficient and flavor-focused method.

Bone-in Chicken Pieces (4 pounds): Mix 2 quarts cold water with ½ cup table salt; brine ½ to 1 hour. Boneless, Skinless Chicken breasts (up to 6 breasts): Mix 1½ quarts cold water with 3 tablespoons table salt; brine ½ to 1 hour. Note: Do not brine longer than recommended or foods will become overly salty.

What Is the Brine Ratio? The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons.

Don't Rinse It Off

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.

Dry brining is actually a bit simpler than traditional wet brining, and is much more convenient for large pieces. I wholeheartedly recommend that you try dry-brining a turkey, for instance.

But dry brining, a form of koshering, gives you firmer meat, while the alternative ends up on wetter side. Yes, the salt will penetrate the skin—but you can also apply some of the salt underneath for crispier skin.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of 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!

A dry brine imparts a richer, more intense flavor directly into the meat because of the close contact between the dry-rub mixture and the turkey meat. A wet brine adds more moisture to your turkey.

Is 2 hours long enough to brine chicken? ›

Ideal brining time is about a half an hour, but I've found that even a 15-minute brine makes a difference. The meat cooks up juicier and with more flavor than it does otherwise. You can also brine for longer, but after about two hours, the meat can start to get a bit mushy.

If you go to extremes, such as leaving chicken in brine for more than 24 hours, you'll get overly-salted chicken. It can also change the texture of the chicken. When in doubt, 1 hour per pound is always a good plan.

Some recipes mention brining your bird in an ice filled cooler, but to be sure your brine and bird stay cold enough and avoid any food safety issues, it's best to keep it in the refrigerator.

To Rinse Or Not To Rinse After Brining

Rinsing is common in recipes with a very high salt concentration or that contain sugar, since sugar can burn on the surface of meat during cooking. Regardless of whether you rinse or not, make sure to pat the meat dry with paper towels before cooking.

Do you have to cook immediately after brining? No, you don't have to cook meat immediately after removing it from the brine. In fact, most cooking methods (but especially smoking, grilling and roasting) benefit from a brief period of air-drying.

Which is better, wet or dry brine? The turkey only picks up salt and water from the wet brine, which means any flavor impact from aromatics is minimal. A dry brine, however, imparts far more flavor directly into the meat because of the close contact between the spice mixture and turkey meat.

Yes. Absolutely. It is the key to moist and flavorful chicken that does not taste waterlogged the way wet brined chicken can. As far as method, Simply dry (with paper towels) and then salt your chicken a minimum of an hour before you intend to cook it.

A dry brine usually goes on at least 24 hours but sometimes as many as 96 hours before you cook the chicken. The longer you do it, the more juicy and flavorful the meat will be at the end. Just rubbing some salt and spices on the chicken's meat and skin a few days before cooking can make a huge difference.

Secondly, the salt dissolves into the juices, essentially turning into a "natural" wet brine even though there isn't any added liquid. Finally, this brine is reabsorbed into the meat and starts breaking down tough muscle proteins, resulting in juicy, tender, seasoned meat.