Have you ever had chicken breasts that cooked up dry? It is drool worthy to smell the delicious aroma of chicken cooking on the grill but what a disappointment to bite into a chicken breast that is dry as sandpaper! We have the discovered the benefits of soaking the chicken in a brine before cooking. The brined chicken breasts cook up very juicy and tasty.
Here's how we do it:
Whole Chicken (3- to 8-pound): Mix 2 quarts cold water with 1/2 cup table salt; brine 1 hour.
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.
- After brining is finished, do a quick rinse of the chicken pieces and bake or grill.
This makes delicious and juicy grilled or baked chicken.
Notes:
- Do not brine longer than recommended or foods will become overly salty.
- May add seasonings to the brine solution.
- Brined chicken does not brown or get as crispy as unbrined chicked so not great for fried chicken if you like it crispy.
- I have also used coarse Mediterranean salt and coarse kosher salt instead of table salt. You may have to stir a little longer to dissolve in water.
