My easy chicken brine is a wet brine made without sugar and works with any cut of chicken. Brining your chicken may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but this easy peasy first step will result in juicy, moist chicken every time. Not to mention it will cover a multitude of kitchen mistakes, like overcooking.
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Have you ever had chicken at a restaurant that tastes extra chickeny? That chicken was brined!
I firmly believe that we can all be great home chefs. And what sets a good home-cooked meal apart from simply heating up food are the tips and tricks we learn over a lifetime. The lost art of brining is the one I still use every week.
I prefer to dry-brine turkey and steaks. But for chicken and salmon, I prefer a wet brine.
Brining was originally used for food preservation but today brining can add flavor to the chicken and ensure moistness (even if you overcook it a bit).
How does the brine change the chicken?
Osmosis! When you soak the chicken in the salt water, it travels through the meat to even out both water and salt levels. Unlike when you are trying to fit into your favorite jeans, here, water retention is good!
What type of salt should you use?
Always use kosher salt, table salt will be too salty. And keep in mind, different brands have different structures.
I use Diamond Crystal. Morton's is the other most common brand in the US. Cook's Illustrated did a study comparison, and Diamond Crystal has a larger structure, so it contains less salt than an equal volume of Morton's.
It doesn't matter which brand you use; it matters that you are consistent in your cooking so you get a feel for how much of your preferred kosher salt is the right amount when seasoning food.
🐓Tips for Brining Chicken
- Most recipes will say to boil the water to dissolve the salt. I don't find this necessary unless my salt doesn't dissolve.
- Seasonings should reflect the flavor of the dish you are making. When in doubt, peppercorns and garlic are safe bets.
- Add the chicken, it should be completely submerged. Use a plate to hold the chicken down, if necessary.
- If freezing the chicken post-brine, I skip the seasonings.
- Seasonings should reflect the flavor of the dish you are making. When in doubt, peppercorns and garlic are safe bets.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to overnight. When you are ready to make your chicken, remove it from the brine and pat it dry. Discard the brining solution.
Common Recipe Questions
Yes! I often buy chicken in bulk and brine it overnight. Dry the chicken and then repackage it into smaller containers.
A wet brine is a saltwater solution that the chicken is submerged in. While a dry brine isn't actually a brine but the beginning of the meat curing process.
Not as long as you follow the ratios. When seasoning chicken that has been brined, I always go lighter than the recipe calls for just in case, and season to taste at the end.
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📖 Recipe Card
Easy Chicken Brine (No Sugar)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breast, whole or pieces
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
Optional Flavorings
- 3-5 sprigs fresh herbs rosemary, thyme, oregano
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1 head garlic cut in half or whole cloves crush
- 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns any color
Instructions
- Rinse and trim your chicken.3 pounds chicken
- In a nonreactive bowl, combine water and salt. Stir until salt is dissolved. Add chicken. Weight down the chicken with a plate to ensure it is full emerged. Add any combination of your optional flavorings.1 gallon water, ½ cup kosher salt, 3-5 sprigs fresh herbs, 1 lemon, 1 head garlic, 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- Refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight. If you brine longer than overnight rinse the chicken before cooking to get rid of excess salt.
- Cook according to your recipe instructions.
Fave says
I just followed this recipe with 20+ pounds of boneless/skinless thighs and breasts. Brined four hours, not refrigerated.
These were smoked to temp, 165 breasts and 175 thighs. After 10 minutes of cooling they were pulled by hand.
Kirkland (Costco) brand pellets were used.
Without a doubt, the best chicken I've ever had. My wife helped with the pulling. I believe it was pull one, eat one.
Thank you for the recipe. This will definitely be used again.
SC says
Excellent recipe! I brined half a chicken adding I sliced lemon ,1T multicolored peppercorns, 2 crushed and chopped large garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves for 7 hours. Then seasoned with The Flat TopKing Seasoning "Shake That" and grilled on gas burner with indirect heat. The best grilled chicken ever!! Great recipe!
Danielle says
I love to take care of all the extra steps when I have enough time. I find joy in owning every single part of the process... And this does look like one of the best brining instructions I've seen to date!
Jen says
Aww thanks so much! Glad you found them helpful!