Chicken Brine Recipe With Bourbon

Why We Love This Bourbon Brine Recipe

I believe there is no chicken better than brined chicken…. Like turkey, no matter how you decide to cook it, sautéed, roasted, or grilled, chicken that comes out of brine is always more juicy and flavorful. Today we’re sharing our favorite Chicken Brine recipe with a little added flavor from Kentucky bourbon. Although you can omit the bourbon, or swap it for your alcohol of choice such as spiced rum or brandy, we believe this combination of salt, sugar, spices, and bourbon creates a delectable flavor for the meat! The solution comes together in only about 10 minutes; then brine your meat for up to 24 hours before cooking any number of ways. Keep reading for our simple steps and best suggestions for how to cook brined chicken breast!

Ingredients You Need

Water – you need both cold and boiling water Light brown sugar – packed Kosher salt – salt is essential in brining – sea salt is also a good option Bourbon – optional Spices – cinnamon sticks, whole black peppercorns, whole allspice, and bay leaves Garlic – whole cloves, smashed Chicken – see note below*

*Note: You can use any type of chicken from boneless chicken breasts to large bone-in split breasts. Try it with chicken wings, chicken thighs, and even other proteins like beef and pork. Just remember, if the chicken pieces are boneless, you will want to keep them in the brine a little less time so they don’t become too salty. However, if the chicken pieces are bone-in with the skins intact, you can allow them to sit for up to 12 or even 24 hours.

How to Make Bourbon Brine for Chicken

To start, boil 6 cups of water. Meanwhile, set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and bourbon, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaves, and garlic. Pour the boiling water over the sugar mixture. Stir well to dissolve the salt and sugar. Then pour in 3 cups of ice-cold water to bring the temperature down. Why ice water? You don’t want the chicken cooking in the brine because the water is too hot. Place the boneless or bone-in pieces in the brine. Cover and refrigerate. Brine the chicken pieces 4-8 hours for boneless, or 6-24 hours for bone-in chicken pieces. When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the brine. Drain and pat it dry with a paper towel. Discard the brine. Then cook as desired. We suggest smoking, roasting, or grilling brined chicken. See easy steps for some of our favorite cooking methods below!

How to Roast Chicken

You can oven-roast bone-in chicken breast at 375°F for 35 to 45 minutes. Boneless chicken breast will roast in approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

How to Smoke Chicken

Smoke chicken at 350°F. Cook boneless pieces for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes. Smoke bone-in chicken for 25 minutes, flip, and cook for another 20 minutes.

How to Grill Chicken

For grilling, preheat a gas grill or charcoal grill to 400°F. Grill boneless chicken pieces for 8 to 12 minutes flipping once, or bone-in chicken pieces for 12 to 15 minutes per side.

Recipe Variations

Alcohol options – We love the taste of Kentucky bourbon, but feel free to swap for other delicious alcohols like spiced rum, rye whiskey, or brandy. Without alcohol – There is only a 1/2 cup of alcohol in this chicken brine recipe, so you can simply omit it from the brining solution. Add-ins – Toss orange slices, lemon slices, dried chiles, hickory wood chips, or fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage into the brine. You can really get creative with the flavor profiles here! Other proteins – Use this recipe to brine other proteins like pork, beef, and salmon!