The Best Dry-Brined Roast Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the maximum dry brine time for chicken? ›

Keep in mind that we wouldn't advise going much longer than 24 hours with anything smaller than a turkey, though. We only want to draw moisture from the skin, not the actual meat itself. The layer of fat beneath the skin protects the meat from drying, but it can only do so much. That's why 24 hours is our sweet spot.

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food. The meat will not be overly salty, and rinsing the surface with water will undo all of the surface-drying achieved by the dry-brine process. That, in turn, will prevent browning.

Cook's Illustrated magazine says you can improve water-chilled boneless skinless chicken breasts with dry brining. Sprinkle evenly with 1-1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt per pound, place on a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet pan, and refrigerate for 1 hour before cooking.

We all know how much better a turkey tastes if you brine it before roasting it. But we're about to take things a step further: You should also be brining your chickens—and not just for special occasions, like holiday roasts. A brine adds flavor and keeps the meat tender and juicy.

If you go to extremes, such as leaving chicken in brine for more than 24 hours, you'll get overly-salted chicken. It can also change the texture of the chicken. When in doubt, 1 hour per pound is always a good plan.

Brining for too long will actually make the finished, cooked steaks taste way too salty (and can even start to dry out the meat, after enough time). Because of this, you'll want to make sure that you don't let your dry brined steaks sit for longer than 4 hours (even refrigerated).

A dry brine, also called pre-salting, seasons the turkey like a more traditional wet brine, but it does not use any water. Instead, a dry brine involves rubbing the salt, seasonings, and/or sugar directly onto the meat and skin, and then letting the meat rest in the refrigerator for a period of time before cooking.

You can choose to use a seasoning blend, make your own, or salt-then-season. Just remember to omit salt from the seasonings you are using after you pre-salt or dry brine. If you choose to add seasoning when you dry brine, start with the salt on your food. Then you can add the other flavors on top.

Texture: In a side-by-side comparison, the dry-brined roasted chicken had a slightly better browning, but what really set it apart was the crispy skin that was far superior to the wet-brined chicken.

Salt the chicken with coarse or kosher salt on both sides, and in the cavity. On average, you can use about 1 teaspoon per pound – but it doesn't have to be exact! If you'd like, you can also add herbs like thyme and rosemary or spices like black pepper to further flavor the chicken. Refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

What rack is best for dry brine? ›

Wire racks can be used for glazing cakes or loaves, to rest meat, and to dry brine chicken, steak, turkey, pork shoulder, or prime rib.

Minimum dry brining time? My answer to this question is “At least 1 hour before cooking, 4 hours is better, and at least 8 hours is best.” Thanks to Kenji Alt's research over at Serious Eats, we know that it takes about 40 minutes for the salt to start to work as a dry brine.

For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt. Place the meat in the brine and put the whole container in the refrigerator. If it doesn't fit, place it in an ice chest filled with ice.

Bone-in Chicken Pieces (4 pounds): Mix 2 quarts cold water with ½ cup table salt; brine ½ to 1 hour. Boneless, Skinless Chicken breasts (up to 6 breasts): Mix 1½ quarts cold water with 3 tablespoons table salt; brine ½ to 1 hour. Note: Do not brine longer than recommended or foods will become overly salty.

To sum up, dry-brining is a foolproof way of getting perfectly seasoned, crisp-skinned, tender, juicy roast chicken.

Dry brine the chicken 1 to 2 days day before serving . Dry the chicken very well. Season the chicken liberally all over with salt. (use ~3/4 teaspoon sea salt per pound of chicken).

How long is too long for a dry brine? It depends the size of the piece of meat. The optimal time can range from no longer than an hour to a day or two. A roast or a turkey can go for 24 to 48 hours, but a steak or a chop needs only an hour or two.

You are ready to cook when the surface is dry. For smaller cuts, steaks, fish, chicken parts, and chops, this process will take about 45 minutes to an hour for optimal dryness. Roasts and whole poultry will need overnight up to 72 hours.

Plan for at least 24 hours of dry brining time.

If you only have 12 hours, do a wet brine instead.