Preparing and Brining Chicken

Video

Creating delectable grilled chicken starts with a bit of prep work. This video shows you how to handle raw chicken, and create and apply simple rubs and marinades that infuse flavor.

Lesson

In this lesson, we’ll talk about brining chicken. (You can brine chops, too.) Brines are salted solutions used to keep poultry and meats tender and juicy during grillin’ or smoking. Brines aren’t just made with salt and water—they also include sugar, herbs, and spices, to add more flavor. You can brine whole chickens or cut-up parts.

Thawing and handling chicken

If you’re starting with frozen chicken, first you need to thaw it out. Thawing chicken slowly and safely in the refrigerator can take from 1 to 2 days for a whole chicken, to about 3 to 7 hours for cut-up chicken parts. You can also thaw chicken by immersing it in a cold water bath or by thawing it in the microwave using the defrost cycle. We recommend thawing in the fridge or in cold water.

After your chicken is thawed, rinse it thoroughly with cold running water (inside and out for a whole chicken), drain it, and pat it dry with paper towels.

Disinfect all surfaces that have touched the raw chicken (or other poultry) with hot soapy water, including utensils, cutting boards, knives, and, of course, your hands.

Brining chicken

An easy way to brine meats and chickens is in a re-sealable plastic bag. To do so, simply place the chicken in the bag and pour the brine over it. Store the mixture in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours. During this time, turn over and shake the bag 3 or 4 times to make sure all parts are well brined.

Remove the meat and rinse it with cold water to remove any excess salt, then pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine; you can’t re-use it.

Now you’re almost ready to start grillin’! Check out our chicken recipes!