Brining chicken before you grill it – especially on a charcoal grill – makes all the difference in the world. It makes so much of a difference that my 5 year old niece declared it the best chicken ever, and that she would eat it all herself. To her credit, she had thirds, and she tells everyone that “Auntie Leah makes the best chicken!” The night she first had it, I grilled it with barbecue sauce and another night in the Frank’s Red Hot marinade.
You can use this brine as a jumping off point for any kind of chicken you’d like. The only thing it requires is a little forethought.
This post has been sitting in my draft folder for two years. Sad. My now 7 year old niece still loves this chicken.
Chicken Brine
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp Morton’s kosher salt
1-1/4 cup sugar
1 quart water
1 whole cut-up chicken
1-gallon ziplock bag
Add the salt, sugar, and water to the plastic bag. Seal it well and shake it vigorously until the salt and sugar dissolve, being careful to hold the zipper part of the bag to make sure to does not come open. Once dissolved, add the chicken and get as much of the air out of the bag as possible.
Let the chicken sit in the brine for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the chicken, rinse with water, and pat dry. Cook as desired.
