Published 5/29/2022 We’re using this chicken brine to brine our incredible grilled spatchcock chicken, but feel free to use it on our smoked whole chicken or oven roasted spatchcock chicken.
Our Go-To Whole Chicken Brine
Don’t let the words chicken brine intimidate you. It is super easy to make simple chicken brine for our grilled whole chicken recipe. Just be sure you have the right tools and the right bird and you’ll be all set to go.
Why Brine a Chicken?
There are 3 main reasons why we love brining chicken, especially when you’re working with a whole bird, including: You’ll notice that typically only leaner cuts of meat such as chicken, turkey or pork chops and this is because of their low fat content. Brining truly does help your lean cuts of meat come out nice and moist!
Dry Brine vs. Wet Brine
You’ll notice that our chicken brine recipe calls for water and that is because it is a wet brine. A dry brine only uses salt and the natural moisture from the meat instead of adding in extra moisture from water.
Chicken Brine Ingredients
Water Kosher salt Smashed garlic cloves Chopped white onion Sliced orangesSliced lemonsSprigs fresh thyme Whole chicken
Choosing a Whole Chicken
This chicken brine recipe calls for a 4 lb. whole chicken (thawed!). If you’re using a larger bird, remember that the entire chicken needs to be submerged into the brine, so you may need to double the brine recipe to have enough liquid.
How to Brine a Chicken
Brining chicken is super simple and 100% worth the extra effort in the end. Here is how to make an easy brine for a whole chicken:
Storage
Make sure you store your chicken in the brine in the refrigerator. Keeping the chicken at a consistent chilled temperature in the refrigerator will ensure Grilled Whole Chicken
Chicken Recipes
Best Crispy Chicken ThighsGrilled Whole ChickenCrispy Sous Vide Chicken ThighsMost Flavorful Chicken and Rice
