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Fool-proof, roasted chicken. The secret? Brine it.

September 18, 2012 11 Comments

I love an easy, fool proof recipe.
Here’s another one of my “Go-To” favorites.  (This is also what we do for our Thanksgiving Turkey each year and It. Is. Awesome.)

Have you ever used a brine for chicken or turkey?  No?  Well, it’s about time that you gave it a try, don’t you think?

I love this so much because it is absolutely fool-proof.  There is no way you can roast this chicken and over-cook it and dry it out.  Even if you “can’t cook” you can make this.  The secret is to brine it.

Brine is basically a salt solution that you soak the chicken in before you bake it.  There are tons of variations on it, but here’s what we do.

You will need:

  • large stock pot with lid
  • 1/2 cup of salt
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
  • a palm-full of whole cloves
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • 1 lemon, sliced in half and slightly squeezed
  • 1 (or 2) whole chickens (grody organs removed)

(To brine a whole turkey, double the amounts listed here.)

Fill the stock pot with about 6 cups of water and add the sugar and salt… stir well until dissolved. (You don’t really need to measure the water, just eyeball it.  You are just making sure the sugar and salt is dissolved.)

Toss in the remaining ingredients and stir.  Add the chicken(s).  Add more water until the chickens are completely submerged.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next part is even easier than throwing the brine together.

Grab a Pyrex, line it with foil, add a roasting rack and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rub the chicken(s) with a little butter and season with salt and pepper.  Pop it in the oven for about an hour or so… until a thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165 degrees. (I make 2 chickens at a time because I have a big family full of growing boys.  If you are just making one chicken, you won’t need to cook it as long.)

***UPDATED: Reader, Karen N. said she always leaves her chicken in until it’s at least 180 degrees. USDA recommends an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  I hate overcooked chicken, so since it continues to cook as it stands, you’re in good shape.  (You’re the best judge of how long you want to cook it.)***

If it looks like the skin is browning a bit too much, grab a piece of foil and tent it as it is cooking.
Let it stand for about 10 minutes.  The meat should practically fall off the bones as you carve it.

I promise, you will be amazed at how easy this is and tasty!  Serve it with roasted potatoes and salad.  Mmm, mmm good!

Filed Under: kitchen stuff, Main Dish, recipes, Simple

Comments

  1. Debilou ~ Mississippi Mama says

    September 18, 2012 at 5:32 PM

    might try this coming up weekend.. sounds really good.

    Reply
  2. ~PJ says

    September 18, 2012 at 8:06 PM

    I’ve brined before.. but never by adding sugar AND salt. Always just salt.

    Hmm…. Going to have to give this a try.

    Kind of wish I had read this yesterday though, because I want it now.

    Reply
  3. Sharon Greenthal says

    September 19, 2012 at 6:40 PM

    I’m going to try this for sure. Thanks!

    Reply
  4. WhiteWitch57 says

    September 20, 2012 at 1:14 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  5. WhiteWitch57 says

    September 20, 2012 at 1:20 AM

    I have to say, I have been following your blog & just love it-especially your Halloween stuff:) I would like to try this recipe, but hate cutting up a whole chicken…ugh–so I could use this recipe with a quartered chicken..right?

    Reply
  6. ba san says

    September 20, 2012 at 3:07 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    Reply
  7. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    September 20, 2012 at 3:35 AM

    @WhiteWitch57, yes, you could do this with a quartered chicken too. You just might not want to soak it in the brine as long… give it a try and let me know how it turns out. 🙂

    Reply
  8. sue says

    February 3, 2016 at 8:49 AM

    Can I do this with pieces of chicken or do I have to cook a whole chicken?

    Reply
    • Vivienne says

      February 3, 2016 at 9:01 AM

      Hi Sue – you can do it with pieces of chicken.

  9. Agha Ata says

    February 14, 2017 at 9:23 PM

    I need a rule of thumb to brine 2 lbs of chicken. How much salt in how much water and soaked for how long?

    Reply
  10. Olivia says

    March 24, 2018 at 5:39 PM

    If you did this with a turkey, woukd you still baste it?

    Reply

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