The Best Dry-Brined Roast Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long to leave dry brine on chicken? ›

Add the chicken and rub the brine in really well, ensuring it is well covered inside and out. Put a cooling rack over a tray and sit the chicken on top. Chill uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, but no longer than 24 hours.

We season our chicken well before cooking it, and yes, it makes chicken that much better. If there's a way to make chicken taste better than it already does, we'll do it. Which is why, whenever we've got time, we dry brine chicken with plenty of kosher salt before cooking it—and so should you.

Don't Rinse It Off

Once the dry-brining waiting period is up, there is no need to rinse off the surface of your food.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes, the salt will penetrate the skin—but you can also apply some of the salt underneath for crispier skin. Allow the salted bird to sit overnight or up to 24 hours uncovered in the fridge to help dry out the skin.

Morton Coarse Kosher Salt is perfect for brining because the flat, flaky crystals dissolve extremely well in water and create a crystal clear brine. Consider brining this grilling and holiday season.

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.

Do you remove dry brine before roasting? ›

Pat It Dry

And if you're wondering, no—you don't need to rinse the bird, whether it's been dry-brined or wet-brined, before adding more seasoning and roasting. Again, the bird needs to be dry, and Youngman also notes "it's not particularly sanitary to wash meat in the sink."

There are two ways to brine your Thanksgiving turkey: a wet brine or a dry brine. Dry brining simply involves rubbing a turkey in a salt-and-herb mixture and letting it sit in the refrigerator for many hours (usually about one hour per pound).

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.

Brining is the secret to a tender and juicy eye of round roast. The overnight soak infuses flavor and keeps moisture in while roasting.

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.

Can meat be brined too long? 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 good dry brine takes anywhere from 24-48 hours but you can short cut it if you need to. Dry brining may sound time consuming and unnecessary, but it's a simple step that takes just a bit of forethought for some of the tastiest steak you've ever had.

With a dry brine for turkey, you can't really overdo it, but you'll probably want to max out the salt-covered rest at three full days before moving your bird to a preheated oven.