Monday's Good Stuff (29 July 2019)

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.