Quick Brine for Chicken

A fast way to make an aromatic brine for chicken

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

2 cups water (or ½ liter)
3 ounces coarse kosher salt (100 grams or 6 tablespoons)
fresh herbs (parsley, sage, tarragon, rosemary)
4 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
1 lemon, halved
2 bay leaves
2 tsp black peppercorns, cracked beneath a skillet
2 cups ice water (or, better, 1 pound ice)
1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds)

Instructions

Combine all of the above except the ice and chicken in a small pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and remove from the heat and let sit for ten minutes.
Put the ice (or ice water) in a bowl or large measuring cup. Pour the herb brine over the ice. Stir till the ice is dissolved.
Put the chicken in a plastic bag, pour the brine in, seal the bag, and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
Remove the chicken from the bag, discarding the brine. Pat it dry and let it sit out for another hour before using (or you can refrigerate it for up to three days till needed).
To roast it, heat your oven to 425˚F to 450˚F. Put the chicken in an ovenproof skillet, and put the skillet in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the chicken to a cutting board or platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

It's best and easiest to weight the water and salt, but if you don't have a scale, Morton's kosher salt is about as heavy as water, meaning that 2 tablespoons will equal 1 ounce by weight. If you're using Diamond Crystal salt, you'll need to add 8 tablespoons rather than six.

Keyword brine, Chicken