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–+ servings
A whole chicken in a pot of brine

Quick Chicken Brine

An easy, quick chicken brine that creates the most flavorful and tender chicken and poultry.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Brining time 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Yield:8

Equipment

  • Digital kitchen scale
  • medium saucepan
  • Large bowl
  • Large plastic food storage bags

Ingredients

  • 15 ounces water ½ liter
  • 3 ounces salt 100 grams
  • couple of sprigs fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or parsley
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 15 ounces ice 500 grams ice, or 15 ounces of ice water
  • 1 3-4 pound chicken or chicken pieces

Instructions

  • Combine water, salt, and aromatics (garlic, herbs, etc.) in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes.
    Combine your water, salt, garlic, and herbs in a saucepan and dissolve the salt completely. Bring to a boil.
  • Place ice (or ice water) in a large bowl (or very large measuring cup) and pour brine over ice. Stir until ice is melted.
    Pour hot brine over ice and stir to dissolve ice completely.
  • Place chicken in a large plastic bag and pour brine over chicken. Seal and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Drain chicken and pat dry. Use in any recipe, but make sure to only lightly salt the chicken surface once you've brined it.
    A whole chicken in a pot of brine

Notes

Adapted from Michael Ruhlman. Michael's original brine also includes:
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, cracked beneath a saute pan
 
Try these extras or include your own. I keep mine simple.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 178cal | Protein: 15g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 749mg | Potassium: 160mg | Total Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 114IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik