How to Brine a Flavorful Chicken Breast: Prep, Cooking, & More

How to Brine a Flavorful Chicken Breast:

If you want to enjoy a moist and flavorful chicken breast for dinner, brining is an excellent way to ensure your poultry comes out juicy and well-seasoned. Brining just takes a few minutes of preparation and then just a couple of hours of sitting in the salty liquid. Here’s how to brine a flavorful chicken breast in a just a few easy steps:

Preparing the Brine:

• Prepare the brine with 1 teaspoon of salt per each cup of cold water. For example, mix 4 teaspoons of salt into 4 cups of cold water.
• Stir the salt into the water until it is dissolved.
• Add additional ingredients such as fresh or dried herbs, garlic, citrus peel, sugar, and/or spices, to the brine for extra flavor.

Adding the Chicken:

• Submerge the chicken breasts into the brining solution, cover the container, and store in the refrigerator for two to four hours.
• Make sure the container is sealed and all the chicken is fully submerged in the brine so the meat can absorb as much flavor as possible.
• If the brine doesn't fully cover the chicken, you can make more brine to cover the meat completely.

Cooking the Chicken:

• Once the chicken has been brined for two to four hours, take it out of the brine, rinse off the excess salt, and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Cook the chicken breasts however you like, such as grilling, baking, pan searing, or sautéing. Cook the chicken until it's completely cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Discard the brining mixture once you are done as it contains raw meat juices.