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Chicken Purchasing and Prep
Tip
1 min read

Salting Chicken

Salting Chicken

Salting chicken in advance is one way to season the meat and keep it juicy. Here’s how to do it.

When salt is applied to raw chicken, juices inside are drawn to the surface. The salt then dissolves in the exuded liquid, forming a brine that is eventually reabsorbed by the chicken. The salt changes the structure of the muscle proteins, allowing them to hold on to more of their own natural juices. Salting requires time, but it won’t thwart the goal of crispy skin.

We prefer to use kosher salt for salting because it’s easier to distribute the salt evenly. The steps below list the chicken items that we typically salt, along with notes on timing and method. We use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; if using Morton Kosher Salt, reduce the amounts listed by 33 percent (e.g. use 2/3 teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt in place of 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal).

1

Whole Chicken

Time: At least 6 hours or up to 24 hours


Kosher Salt: 1 teaspoon per pound


Method: Apply salt evenly inside cavity and under skin of breasts and legs and let rest in refrigerator on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. (Wrap with plastic wrap if salting for longer than 12 hours.)

2

Bone-In Chicken Pieces

Time: At least 6 hours or up to 24 hours

Kosher Salt: ¾ teaspoon per pound

Method: If poultry is skin-on, apply salt evenly between skin and meat, leaving skin attached, and let rest in refrigerator on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. (Wrap with plastic wrap if salting for longer than 12 hours.)

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