**Elevate your culinary skills and savor the succulent flavors of perfectly brined meats, chicken, and turkey with our comprehensive guide to basic all-purpose brine recipes.**
Discover the secrets to achieving tender, juicy, and flavorful proteins that will impress your family and friends. From classic wet brines to innovative dry brines, we provide step-by-step instructions and expert tips to ensure success every time. Whether you're preparing a succulent Thanksgiving turkey, a juicy chicken breast, or a hearty pork roast, our diverse collection of recipes caters to all tastes and preferences. Embark on a culinary adventure and transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary dishes with our foolproof brining techniques.
SIMPLE CHICKEN BRINE
This simple chicken brine will help make the meat more tender and juicy.
Provided by Jay
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 1h10m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Pour the warm water into a container that is twice the volume of the water. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
- To use, place chicken in the brine, cover, and refrigerate two hours for skinless breasts, 4 hours for bone-in pieces, and 4 hours to overnight for whole chickens. Drain and pat the chicken dry before cooking. One gallon of brine is enough for 6 pounds of whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces, and up to 10 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 182.5 calories, Carbohydrate 24.7 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 2 g, SaturatedFat 1.2 g, Sodium 13209.3 mg, Sugar 22.7 g
BASIC BRINE FOR JUICY, TENDER CHICKEN OR TURKEY
I never make any sort of chicken/turkey without brining it first. Once you try this recipe, you won't either. This is my standard brine that I use most often. This allows me to add any flavoring, dry rub, or sauce to my chicken without competing with the brine flavors. The brining process forces water into the muscle tissues of the meat by a process known as diffusion and osmosis. This additional moisture causes the muscle tissues to swell and hold more water. The resulting water in the muscle tissues will make the meat more moist and tender. Any spices herbs or other flavorings you add to the brine solution will get taken deep into the meat with the water.
Provided by Brandess
Categories Chicken Breast
Time 5m
Yield 1 gallon
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Mix brine together well with a whisk.
- Place 1 whole chicken (thawed or frozen- you may also use chicken parts.) in brine for 2 hours up to over night. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Remove chicken from brine and rinse chicken well. You are now ready to make a tender juicy chicken dish of your choosing.
- NOTES: You can do this with turkey, as well. Also, you will notice that your leftovers, even after refrigerated overnight, are so tender and juicy whether eaten cold or reheated. The moisture retention really helps to make a chicken meal morph into a second meal when it holds its moisture. If doing a whole turkey, use the recipe servings changer to up the servings to 6-10. Put your turkey in an insulated cooler with enough water to cover and add in a 5 pound bag of ice. Brine overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 557.6, Sodium 56741.4, Carbohydrate 143.9, Sugar 142.4, Protein 0.2
BRINE FOR CHICKEN AND TURKEY
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- 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 being brined. Weigh it down if necessary.
- Transfer to a refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the turkey breast and rinse it thoroughly, when ready to roast. Pour out the brine solution at this point. Cook turkey, per recipe instructions.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 378 kcal, Carbohydrate 98 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 60718 mg, Sugar 89 g, Fat 1 g, ServingSize 1 1/2 gallons (1 serving), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
ALL-PURPOSE MILD BRINE FOR POULTRY AND PORK
This is a simple all-purpose mild brine for chicken, turkey and pork. It is fabulous used when grilling chicken pieces. The meat will never be dry.
Provided by Kirstin in the Couv
Categories Very Low Carbs
Time 5m
Yield 1 quart
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Mix cold water, salt and sugar and stir to dissolve.
- In a non-reactive container, immerse food in brine, seal and refrigerate.
- Use 1 quart of brine per pound of meat, not to exceed 2 gallons.
- Brine for 1 hour per pound (when brining multiple items, time is based on weight of a single item), but not less than 30 minutes or more than 8 hours.
- WILL NOT WORK IF MEAT IS FROZEN.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 97.5, Sodium 28322, Carbohydrate 25.2, Sugar 25.1
ULTIMATE TURKEY BRINE
Simple overnight brine that will make any turkey moist and tasty. You can use this recipe for turkeys in the 15 to 20-pound range. Brining works best for fresh turkeys; you should definitely not brine any turkey that is already injected with a 'solution.'
Provided by Eric
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 2h25m
Yield 30
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir salt and sugar into the water until dissolved; bring water again to a boil. Add cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme to the water, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook mixture at a simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Refrigerate brine until completely cooled.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 44.1 calories, Carbohydrate 11.3 g, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 0.1 g, Sodium 6080.8 mg, Sugar 10.7 g
BASIC BRINE FOR SMOKING MEAT
This is a very basic brine recipe for preparing meats and fish for smoking. Add any personal taste preferences to the brine for additional flavor enhancement. I like to add white wine, soy sauce, and various herbs and spices. Anything that you like will work, so experiment at will.
Provided by Smokin' Ron
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 10m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Whisk vigorously until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the meat, poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. (Note: Make certain the meat is fully submerged in the brine, and make more brine as needed to fully cover the meat.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 26.1 calories, Carbohydrate 6.7 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 2852.1 mg, Sugar 6.7 g
TURKEY BRINE
This is a tasty brine for any poultry. It will make your bird very juicy, and gravy to die for!! This is enough brine for a 10 to 18 pound turkey.
Provided by SHERI GAILEY
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes
Time 8h20m
Yield 15
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
- When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
- Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator overnight.
- Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
- Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2.8 calories, Carbohydrate 0.6 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 5640.3 mg, Sugar 0 g
Tips:
- Choose the right liquid: Use water as the base of your brine, but you can also add other liquids like apple cider, pickle juice, or beer for extra flavor.
- Use a simple ratio: A basic brine ratio is 1 gallon of liquid to 1 cup of salt. You can adjust the amount of salt depending on your taste preferences.
- Add aromatics: Enhance the flavor of your brine by adding herbs, spices, and vegetables. Common additions include garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Brine for the right amount of time: The general rule is to brine for 1 hour per pound of meat. However, you can adjust the time depending on your desired level of saltiness.
- Keep the brine cold: Always keep the brine refrigerated to prevent bacterial growth. You can also use ice cubes to keep the brine cold.
Conclusion:
A flavorful and juicy brine can elevate the taste of your meats, poultry, and vegetables. By following these tips and using the basic all-purpose brine recipe as a starting point, you can create delicious and succulent dishes that will impress your family and friends. Experiment with different flavor combinations and techniques to find your perfect brine recipe.
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