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Home » Recipes » Main Courses » Brining Chicken: Everything You Need to Know!

Brining Chicken: Everything You Need to Know!

January 11, 2023 By Katie Moseman 11 Comments

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How to brine, how long to brine, how it works, and everything else you could possibly need to know about brining chicken.

This post was sponsored by Fire & Flavor.  All opinions are my own.

Cooked brined chicken breasts with sear marks in a grill pan

The delicious result of brining chicken

Brining Chicken: Everything You Need to Know!

If you thought brining was something to only whip out once a year, like for Thanksgiving, think again!  

Brining is an excellent technique for chicken, too. 

I use Fire & Flavor Chicken Brine all the time to get delicious chicken.

A measuring cup of chicken brine mix next to the package of Fire and Flavor Chicken Brine

Let’s take a look at why brining is such a great technique, and find out exactly how to brine your chicken.

What’s a Brine, Anyway?

A liquid brine combines liquid, salt, sugar, and spices or other flavorings. 

Protein, like chicken, is immersed in the brine for a period of time to soak in the flavored liquid.

Chicken breasts in a container of liquid brine

Brining in process

Why Brining Works and What It Does

Brining works because… science!  Salt causes protein strands to unwind and become tangled with each other, which traps liquid inside. 

That means you get more moisture and flavor in the chicken. 

The addition of sugar in brine also adds flavor and promotes browning.  If you ever wondered why some chicken looks ghostly white when cooked, while other chicken looks magically browned, the difference is most likely brine.

Closed up of cooked brined chicken breast

Magical browning!

How Long to Brine Chicken (Don’t Forget Food Safety)

Wait!  Before you brine, remember: The first rule of brining is to chill your brine. 

That’s right—you don’t want to immerse your chicken in warm water or room temperature water. 

Why?  Because it will cause the temperature of the meat to rise to a level at which bacteria can multiply.  So mix up your brine, then chill it before using.

Now you’re ready.

Follow these timing guidelines.

  • Chicken breasts or tenderloins: brine 30 minutes to 1 hour
  • Bone-in chicken pieces: brine 1 hour
  • Whole chicken: brine 1 hour per pound

What happens if you brine for too long?  If you go to extremes, such as leaving chicken in brine for more than 24 hours, you’ll get overly-salted chicken.  It can also change the texture of the chicken.

When in doubt, 1 hour per pound is always a good plan.

Brining chicken instructions on the back of a chicken brine mix bag

Simple brining instructions

Where to Get a Good Brine

I like to use Fire & Flavor brines because the directions are so simple to follow and the results are perfect every time. 

They have a Thyme & Basil Chicken Brine, a Sage & Thyme Pork Brine, and five flavors of Turkey Perfect brines.

Brine mix varieties from Fire and Flavor

Chicken brine and pork brine from Fire & Flavor

How to Customize Your Brine

You can add more stuff to fancy up your brine.  Try a few of these ideas!

  • Garlic cloves (whole or crushed)
  • Slices of citrus, like lemons, limes, or oranges
  • Peppercorns
  • Fresh or dried herbs
  • Bay leaves

More Recipe Inspiration

Ready for more?  Try these recipes and recommendations.

  • How to Brine a Turkey
  • Cedar Wrapped Vegetable Bouquets
  • Oven Pulled Pork
  • Grilling Bison Burgers
  • Cedar Plank Oven Salmon
  • Best Portable Charcoal Grill
  • How Long to Cook Chicken Wings in the Oven
 
Brining Chicken: Everything You Need to Know!
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Vegetable Cookbook

Filed Under: Main Courses, Recipes

Previous Post: « How Long to Cook Chicken Wings in the Oven

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Comments

  1. Tammy

    January 12, 2023 at 12:35 pm

    I’ve brined chicken before but didn’t know about adding sugar. Thanks for the tip.

    Reply
  2. Renee

    January 12, 2023 at 1:26 pm

    I have not used this brand before. We usually make our own brine here at home.

    Reply
  3. Amber Myers

    January 12, 2023 at 3:17 pm

    Yum, I admit I don’t know much about this. I need to try it out!

    Reply
  4. Kathy

    January 12, 2023 at 6:52 pm

    I’m going to have to give this a try. I have honestly never done this before with chicken. Sounds really good too.

    Reply
  5. Tara Pittman

    January 12, 2023 at 8:16 pm

    I have brined a turkey but never chicken. I will have to try this.

    Reply
  6. Forever My Little Moon

    January 12, 2023 at 8:42 pm

    This chicken looks so good! I’ll have to try brining chicken!

    Reply
  7. Richelle Milar

    January 13, 2023 at 2:49 am

    Oh my! This looks absolutely delicious and tasty! I would really love to try this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Beautiful Touches

    January 13, 2023 at 9:37 am

    Marinating or brining chicken, or any meat really, is hands down the best way to prep them for cooking!

    Reply
  9. Catalina

    January 13, 2023 at 1:09 pm

    I love chicken so much an brining makes it even tastier! I will follow your advice next time!

    Reply
  10. Lori Bosworth

    January 13, 2023 at 3:25 pm

    I have eaten brined chicken but I have never prepared a brine. Thanks for the instructions! I’m going to try this!

    Reply
  11. Gervin Khan

    January 13, 2023 at 4:34 pm

    Wow! This looks great and totally delicious! The texture and presentation of this chicken dish make it so enticing and very appealing! Loved it!

    Reply

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