If you haven’t tried brining chicken yet, this is your sign to give it a go.
You’ll end up with the juiciest, tastiest chicken you’ve ever cooked and – brilliantly – it’s incredibly versatile. You can brine a whole chicken, you can brine chicken fillets, you can brine chicken legs, chicken thighs…anything!
What is brine?
Brine is, simply put, salt water. You can add other flavours too, like I have here. I’ve included bay leaves, rosemary, lemon, onion, peppercorns and fennel seeds to inject my chicken with flavour.
What does brining do?
Brining moisturises and tenderises your meat, so when you cook it it’s amazingly juicy. It also adds extra flavour and reduces the cooking time too!
It’s an extra step to preparing your meat, but the actual making of the brine takes just a minute or two and the time after that is simply letting the meat infuse in the fridge.
If I’m cooking a roast chicken on a Sunday, I’ll put the chicken in the brine on Saturday, leave it overnight in the fridge and cook it as normal on Sunday.
You can use this brined chicken to make a sensational one pan Mediterranean roast chicken dinner, and any leftovers can go in this leftover chicken, leek and mushroom filo pie.
The Juiciest Brined Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken
- 50 g sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 lemons
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Put your chicken in a pot large enough to completely cover it with water. Pour in cold water until it is completely submerged.
- Half the lemons and onion (no need to peel). Add to the pot along with all of the other ingredients.
- Cover with a lid or tin foil and put in the fridge for at least 12 hours, but ideally 24 hours.
- When you are ready to roast, remove from the brine and cook as normal, minus 15 minutes (be sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through). Enjoy the tastiest, juiciest chicken!
Other roasts to use brined chicken in:
- Persian Roast Spatchcock Chicken
- Greek Style Roast Chicken and Vegetables
- One Pan Roast Chicken and Rice
- One Pan Peri Peri Roast Chicken and Rice
More ways to use your roast chicken leftovers:
I’ve never considered brining a chicken, only a turkey. But it makes sense. Thanks!
The chicken turned out incredibly moist and flavorful, with a perfect balance of spices that delighted everyone’s taste buds. It’s now a staple in our household, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone looking for a simple yet delicious meal.
This brine added so much flavour! I won’t be making my whole roasted chicken any other way. Thank you!
This Juicy Brined Chicken turned out wonderfully! The addition of fennel seeds in the brine added a fantastic layer of flavor that really made the chicken special. The meat was juicy and flavorful—perfect for our family dinner. Thank you for sharing such a delicious and easy recipe!
This brine was pretty good! I added some orange slices as well, just to double up on the citrus flavor and it turned out juicy and fragrant!