Brining your poultry, whether it be chicken, turkey, or other types of poultry has long been one of the top secrets of top chefs and restaurants. Brining your lean meats is an excellent way to keep your poultry from drying out during the cooking process.
What Is the Brine Ratio?
The basic ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of kosher salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water. If you are using fine table salt, reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons. Keep in mind, also, that different kosher salt brands vary in how salty they actually are. When in doubt, cut down on the amount of salt or the amount of time you brine the item.
Instructions for a larger brine:
- This quick chicken brine recipe calls for 1 cup of salt per gallon of water. You will most likely need more than 1 gallon of water. You want to cover your chicken pieces completely. If you use 4 gallons of water, you will use 4 cups of salt and so on.
- Wash all of the chicken pieces or meat that you are going to brine.
- Fill up your pot about halfway with cold water, measuring the water as you put it in so you will know how much you have put in the pot.
- Add 1 cup of salt per gallon of water.
- Stir the salt in the water until it has dissolved. If you want a quick way to do this, you can add a few cups of water to a small pot. Heat it on medium heat until the salt has dissolved, then add it to the rest of the water in the larger container.
- To flavor the chicken, you can add herbs and spices to the brine, such as rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, or any other spice you desire.
- Place the chicken pieces or other meat into the pot or container.
- Soak for up to 12 hours. (I usually brine a chicken for two hours before roasting.)
- After the soak time, remove the chicken pieces or other meat from the container and pat dry with paper towels or allow to drip dry on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Do not rinse off brine.
My Picky Mother 