Brine for Chicken and Turkey
Brining chicken, turkey and other poultry is a great way to add flavor and moisture to the meat before cooking it. This easy brine recipe can be used for brining a whole turkey breast, a whole chicken, even a whole turkey.In its simplest form, brine is a solution of salt in water. But generally for brining chicken, turkey and other poultry, we add sugar and also a few simple spices.
When you add your poultry to the brine solution, the liquid should be icy. Room temperature brine can be a food safety hazard.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Brining time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours, 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup Kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp whole allspice
- 8 cups ice
Preparation:
- Combine the water, salt, sugar, peppercorns and allspice in a large stockpot. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow the brine to cool completely.
- Add the ice, and then immerse the turkey breast or whatever item you are brining. Weight it down if necessary.
- Transfer to a refrigerator for eight hours or overnight.
- When you're ready to roast, remove the turkey breast and rinse it thoroughly. YOu can pour out the brine solution at this point.
