Chicken Brine Recipe

Chicken brine in a pot with a whole chicken, lemons, herbs and spices.

This chicken brine recipe is made with lemons, honey, fresh herbs and spices, and produces a juicy tender chicken every time! A foolproof way for succulent and flavorful roasted, smoked or fried chicken.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Cool Time 30

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 185kcal

Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

8 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt do not use table salt
1/4 cup honey
3 dried bay leaves
5 cloves of garlic smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh parsley
2 lemons sliced
4 lb whole chicken

Instructions

Place the water, salt, honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, parsley and lemons in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until salt has dissolved.
Turn off the heat and cool completely.
Add the chicken to the cooled brine. Make sure the chicken is completely submerged.
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Remove any herbs or peppercorns. Proceed with roasting, smoking or frying the chicken.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information includes the whole chicken.
Make sure the liquid is completely cooled before you add the chicken for food safety reasons. You can add ice cubes to help speed the process along.
I pour additional cool water over the chicken to make sure there is enough to submerge the chicken.
I brine my chickens in a pot. If your chicken is larger than the biggest pot in your house, you can use a brining bag.

Nutrition