The Best Chicken Brine Recipe
We love to use this chicken brine recipe whenever we want to cook the most tender and juicy bird! Add this quick and easy recipe to your meal planning.
Cooking a whole chicken is my go-to for busy weeknights. I like to throw it in the dutch oven to make this roast chicken & potato recipe or grill it using this beer can chicken method for an easy meal the whole family loves!
Too busy to make this right away?! Pin it for later! Pin this recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest and it’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.
It’s in the spring time when we like to smoke a whole bird on the pellet grill. This quick brine recipe is the ideal way to prepare a whole chicken for the smoker.
This smoked chicken recipe guides you step-by-step into making a juicy chicken with that delicious smoke flavor. We also love, love, love this Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe – be sure to try it!
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WHAT SHOULD I BRINE MY CHICKEN IN?
- You can place the raw chicken in an Oven Bag or a large stock pot.
- A large freezer bag does the same job as long as the whole bird fits inside, perfect for smaller chickens.
- We’ve used a small cooler and a large Rubbermade container in the past too.
- A good rule of thumb is to have a large container that will allow the brine to cover the entire bird.
Supplies:
- Oven bag or stock pot
- Baking dish or oven roaster
- Large pot
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Measuring cups
- Paper towels
Quick chicken brine:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 lemon, sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup coarse salt
- 6 thyme stalks
- 3 bay leaves
Note: this recipe is for a 4 to 6-pound chicken. For a larger bird you will need a bigger brine bag and more vinegar and cold water to cover the entire chicken breast in the wet brine.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CHICKEN BRINE:
1. Place chicken (with an empty cavity) into a large freezer bag.
Tip: Use a fresh chicken, be sure that your frozen chicken has completely defrosted before brining.
2. Slice the lemon and prep fresh herbs and ingredients.
3. Layer all of the fresh and dry brine ingredients on top of the chicken.
4. Top with water and apple cider vinegar.
Tip: the chicken should be entirely covered by the brine solution. Simply increase the amount of water if it’s not so that you have enough brine to cover the bird.
5. Close the bag and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or more.
6. Rinse the brine from the bird and pat it dry with paper towel before cooking.
Note: be sure that the internal temperature of the bird reaches 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.
This simple brine makes the most flavorful chicken with a delicious, crispy skin. It could also be used on chicken thighs, chicken wings or boneless chicken breasts.
Wet brining leads to a juicy tender chicken, every time! This easy chicken brine recipe is sure to become a favorite to use when preparing your chicken from now on.
HOW LONG SHOULD YOU BRINE CHICKEN?
- At least 4 hours is the recommended time in the brining process.
- We choose to brine our bird for 8 hours or more to enhance the tenderness and flavor.
- You may brine a chicken for up to 24 hours or more!
We also love this turkey brine recipe that yields the same juicy results with a few different ingredients. Try these additional seasonings…
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ADD TO CHICKEN BRINE?
- white wine vinegar may be used instead of apple cider vinegar
- kosher salt, table salt or sea salt can be used in the place of coarse salt
- use fresh sage in addition to bay leaves and thyme
- add black peppercorns, garlic cloves, black pepper or garlic powder
- use apple juice, orange slices or maple syrup
More of our favorite recipes:
- We love these grilled chicken drumsticks with our homemade bbq sauce.
- This thanksgiving turkey recipe is one that we’ve perfected throughout the years.
- Have you ever grilled chicken wings on the BBQ? They’re delicious!
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Chicken Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 lemon sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup coarse salt
- 6 thyme stalks
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- 1. Place the chicken (with an empty cavity) into a large freezer bag.
- 2. Slice the lemon and prep fresh herbs and ingredients.
- 3. Layer all of the fresh and dry brine ingredients on top of the chicken.
- 4. Top with water and apple cider vinegar.
- 5. Close the bag and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or more.
- 6. Rinse the brine from the bird and pat it dry with paper towel before cooking.
Notes
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