Q&A for How to Brine Chicken

Never keep used brine. Discard it immediately after use. Used brine is a dangerous breeding ground for bacteria from the chicken.

Never start a brine in hot water! You could end up with salmonella. Use lukewarm water enable the salt/sugar you put in to dissolve and then add ice water to cool your brine BEFORE placing any poultry into it.

Absolutely. It makes for juicy, flavorful fried chicken.

Yes, you should. The brine don't give full flavor to the chicken. But go easy with the salt, since the soy sauce is already salty.

Yes. Many people find that table salt (uniodized) dissolves faster than other types of salt.

Yes, try it at 250 degrees for moist chicken. Or, try smoking a whole chicken at 225-250 with apple wood/pecan wood mixture. Time depends on weight of the bird.

Sure, 350 or 375 degrees is fine. Make sure the juice runs clear and the meat is no longer pink before you remove them from the oven. Depending on the weight of the chicken, it typically takes 25 minutes for boneless and 40 or so for bone-in breasts.

If the meat was previously frozen, you shouldn't refreeze it unless you cook it beforehand. Refreezing before cooking meat alters the protein structure and produces a mealy texture when cooked. If the meat has not been previously frozen, then yes, you can do this.

Yes, flavors cannot penetrate frozen meat. Thaw completely prior to brining.

Yes, it will be very flavorful and tender. I use this method myself it works wonderfully.

You can, however the time for brining cutlets is far less then bone in pieces, larger breasts, or whole chickens. Make sure to rinse your pieces thoroughly before cooking so you don't end up with overly salted meat.

Definitely. Just not while it is submerged in the brine. Make sure to stuff and prep your bird after the brining process is complete.

As long as the brine is kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator, it can keep for several weeks, even a brine that has already been used.

Yes, it is just the same as chicken with skin. Unless you want to consume the additional fat from the skin or peel it away after cooking, you should consider removing as much of it as possible before brining and cooking.

I would make sure the chicken is thawed prior; salt is often added to help keep thing frozen (such as ice on a serving station), so putting a frozen chicken in the salt water would prevent it from thawing out in the time that you would brine it.

Yes, you can you have to steam the chicken at least for 45 minutes. After, roast it with higher temperatures (300-350°) for 8 minutes, to make it crispy.

No. It will be too salty. Salt can be added later after cooking if needed; usually it won't be needed.