Easy Chicken Brine

5 from 3 votes

Soak your chicken in this easy chicken brine to have the most juicy, succulent and moist roast chicken ever!

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 4

Course: brine, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: African, American, Western

Servings: litres of brine

Calories: 1819kcal

Author: Claudy

2 liters Water
1 Whole Chicken about 3 pounds
3 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Whole peppercorns
1 large Orange or lemon sliced
5 Garlic cloves
½ thumpsize Ginger sliced
3 sprigs of each Fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary and basil. or use 2 types of herbs
1 medium Onion cut into large sizes.

Combine all the ingredients in a pot and boil for 10 minutes.
Once you've boiled the brine remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature before using it with the chicken. If you're in a hurry, you can place the brine in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
Note: Never add raw chicken to hot or warm brine—the brine should be completely cooled to avoid partially cooking the chicken or affecting its texture.
When cooled, put the chicken inside the brine, breast side facing down. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
After removing the chicken from the brine, you can choose to rinse or not. Pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture (this helps achieve crispy skin if you're roasting or frying). Let the chicken sit on the counter for about 20-30 minutes to come to room temperature before cooking.
Cook in your preferred method. See this grilled whole chicken recipe after brining.

Never add raw chicken to hot or warm brine. Let the brine cool down completely and then add in the chicken. Adding the chicken into hot brine may cause it to cook slightly and also affect its texture.
Make sure you don't overcook the brine and cause the liquid to reduce. Take it off heat as soon as it starts to boil.
Remember that the time the chicken needs to soak in the brine depends on the cut of the chicken. A whole chicken will need anywhere between 8-24 hours for best results.