Chicken Brine
This Chicken Brine infuses a whole bird with lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and honey, delivering juicy, deeply seasoned meat and beautifully golden skin every time.
Servings 4 -6
Ingredients
- 8 cups of water, divided
- ⅓ cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 8 smashed garlic cloves
- 2 lemons, quartered
- 2 tbsp liquid honey
- 2 tsp peppercorns
- 2 dry bayleaves
- 8 sprigs fresh herbs (mix of fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary)
- 3-4 lb whole chicken, giblets removed
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Ground pepper
Instructions
Brine the chicken -
- To a large bowl add 7 cups of water, smashed garlic cloves, quartered lemons, liquid honey, peppercorns, bayleaves and 8 sprigs of fresh herbs. Set aside.
- To a small pot add 1 cup of water with the salt and bring to a boil, simmer for a few minutes and stir to make sure the salt is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add this salt water to the large bowl with all of the aromatics. Stir to completely combine.
- Submerge the chicken fully in the brine in the large bowl.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
Roast the chicken -
- After a minimum of 8 hours, remove the chicken from the fridge. Then, remove the chicken from the brine and place on a plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- To a large baking dish add the whole chicken on a baking rack (or use a roasting pan or baking rack on a medium sheet pan). Massage the chicken all over with 3 tbsp olive oil. Season with a bit of ground pepper.
- Cover with foil and roast at 375F for one hour, remove the foil and roast for another 45 minutes uncovered. Allow chicken to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Enjoy this brined and roasted chicken with Greek favourites like Easy & Authentic Greek Salad Recipe, Maroulosalata aka my Mamas Salad and/or Greek Potatoes
- If you love this recipe, try our Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Champagne Gravy
