Brining Chicken

Brining works in much the same way as salting. Salt in the brine seasons the poultry and promotes a change in its protein structure, reducing its overall toughness and creating gaps that fill up with water and keep the meat juicy and flavorful. Brining works faster than salting and can also result in juicier lean cuts since it adds, versus merely retains, moisture. But note that brining inhibits browning, and it requires fitting a brining container in the refrigerator. We prefer to use table salt for brining since it dissolves quickly in the water. The steps below list the poultry items that we typically brine, along with notes on timing and the amount of water needed.

NOTE - Don’t Brine Water-Chilled Chicken: When we brined both air-chilled and water-chilled boneless skinless chicken breasts, we found that the air-chilled chicken absorbed 3½ times as much brine as the water-chilled chicken did. After cooking, the air-chilled samples were noticeably juicier and better seasoned than water-chilled samples.

Why? Since the chicken with retained water is limited in its ability to take up brine, it is also unable to absorb much of the brine’s salt, which not only seasons the meat but keeps it moist during cooking, too. The water absorbed during processing simply drains off during cooking, leaving the meat almost as dry and unseasoned as chicken that isn’t brined at all. But you aren’t out of luck if only water-chilled chicken breasts are available. Opt to salt rather than brine–treat water-chilled chicken breasts with kosher salt (1½ teaspoons per pound) for 1 hour.