This Chicken Brine is the key to moist, tender, flavorful roast chicken! This recipe is a simple mix of salt, sugar, herbs, and seasonings and takes just 10 minutes to make!
⅓cupkosher salt(reduce to ¼ cup if using table salt)
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
1tablespoonItalian seasoning *
1tablespoonblack peppercorns
3garlic cloves
2bay leaves
1lemon(cut in wedges)
1½litresice water(divided)
4lbwhole chicken (giblets removed)
To roast:
salt and pepper
2tablespoonsmelted butter
1cupwater
Instructions
Find a very large pot -- you'll need room for 2 litres of water and a whole chicken.
Bring 2 cups water, salt and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, whisking until salt and sugar are dissolved.
Add Italian seasoning, peppercorns, garlic cloves, bay leaves and lemon and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in ice water.
When brine is cool to room temperature or colder (you can add more ice if necessary or refrigerate until ready -- make sure it is not at all warm), add the chicken, breast side down. It might float slightly, but as long as the breast is down it's okay.
Cover and refrigerate for 18-24 hours. Drain and pat dry.
Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and tie the legs together. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper (don't overdo it! It is already seasoned)
Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1-2 hours to dry slightly -- OPTIONAL but this will give you the crispiest skin.
Remove the chicken from the fridge and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush chicken with melted butter and pour water into pan under the rack.
Roast chicken for 1 hour, checking at 45 minutes to see if it is darkening too quickly. If the skin is getting dark, cover loosely with foil and continue cooking.
Check the internal temperature (it should be 165 degrees F in the thickest part) and if it is done, remove from the oven, cover loosely and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. If it is not cooked through, continue cooking 10-20 minutes.
Notes
*If available to you, you can use fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, dill or a combination. I use Italian seasoning to keep this recipe simple and accessible. **Most of the salt in this recipe is not consumed, so the sodium amount in the nutrition information is out of whack. Do not be alarmed!Tips:
Use kosher salt. Kosher salt and table salt measure differently. If you do use table salt, reduce the amount to 1/4 cup.
Cool the brine completely. The brine should be completely cooled to room temperature before you add the meat. You want the turkey and brine to be in the same temperature range.
Fully submerge the chicken. Make sure the brine covers the chicken completely in the pot so the flavor is evenly distributed. If it's not quite covered, you can add water until it is completely submerged. It may float a little, so make sure the breast is down.
Dry the chicken. At the very least, be sure to gently pat dry the chicken after you remove it from the brine to get rid of excess moisture. If you have some extra time, set it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to dry it even more. The dryer the chicken, the crispier the skin!
Roast at high temp. Some recipes use lower temperature but I've found that the crispiest, juiciest chicken comes from roasting at a higher temperature for a shorter cook time!
Check the chicken after 45 minutes while it's cooking. If the skin is too dark, cover with foil so it doesn't burn and continue cooking.
Let it rest. After the chicken is cooked, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing into it so the moisture and flavor can redistribute.
Storage:To store the leftover roast chicken, slice it into smaller pieces then place it into an airtight container. It can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen then microwave or warm in the oven until heated through.