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chicken breasts in a ziploc bag being brined

How to Make a Brine For Chicken

Learn how to make a brine for chicken, because this handy little trick will completely change your chicken dinner game. Brining chicken makes it more tender and juicy, as well as much more flavorful. Trust me, you'll never go back to regular chicken after making it this way. 
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Prep Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours
Servings: 4 people
Author:Andrea

Ingredients

  • 2.5 Cups Cold Water
  • 2 tablespoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Peppercorns
  • Rosemary sprig
  • 4 Chicken Breasts

Instructions

  • Place water, salt, peppercorns and rosemary in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until salt is completely dissolved.
    Allow to cool to room temperature.
  • Pour brine over chicken breasts in a deep bowl or Ziploc bag, and allow to soak in a refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, up to 24 hours. 8 hours is recommended.
  • Remove breasts from bag and rinse off with cool water. Pat dry and cook chicken as desired.

Notes

  • Brine concentration is critical, so use a kitchen scale to measure out your salt, or use the same measuring instruments each time you make a batch of brine.
  • Your brine should taste like an over-salted soup, or like sea water. It should not feel acrid on the tongue.
  • You can use this basic brine recipe for any cut of chicken, but it works especially well for white boneless chicken breasts. But feel free to use for pork, turkey, beef brisket and even vegetables.

Nutrition

Serving: 1breast | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 3751mg | Potassium: 869mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
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