Best 8 Beer Brined Butterflied Chicken Recipes

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.

BEER-BRINED BARBECUE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Brine the chicken: Combine 1 can of beer, the salt, granulated sugar, hot sauce and bay leaves in a very large bowl and whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the remaining 2 cans of beer, 4 cups water and the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the barbecue sauce: Combine the orange juice, vinegar, onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender until smooth. (The sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat a grill to medium low and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season the chicken with salt, then arrange on the grill, skin-side up. Cover and cook until marked, about 12 minutes per side. Continue cooking, flipping and basting the chicken with the barbecue sauce every 3 to 4 minutes (keep covered in between), until a thermometer inserted into the center of a breast registers 165 degrees F, about 15 more minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

BEER-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare the brine: In a large pot combine 8 cups water, the salt and the sugar and bring to a simmer over high heat, stirring to help dissolve the salt and sugar. Remove from heat and add garlic, leek, thyme, sage and shallots; let cool to room temperature.
• Place the chicken in a deep container large enough to hold it and the brine. Pour the cooled brine over the chicken. Pour in the 3 bottles of beer until the chicken is submerged; cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Prepare the chicken and vegetables: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the brussels sprouts, potatoes, onions, chopped sage and lemon zest in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to evenly coat.
• Remove the chicken from the brine and pat the skin dry with paper towels. Place about half of the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting pan or large sauté pan and set the chicken on top. Rub the butter evenly over the top of the chicken to coat. Pour the bottle of beer into the pan and arrange the sage sprigs in the pan around the chicken.
• Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting every 20 minutes with the liquid in the pan.
• Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Spread the remaining vegetables on a baking sheet and place on a low rack or the bottom of the oven. Cook until the chicken skin is golden brown and crisp and the vegetables are just tender and slightly charred, 20 to 30 more minutes, stirring the vegetables and basting the chicken once halfway through.
• Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Plate chicken with a mix of roasted veggies and the vegetables from the pan. Spoon the reduced cooking liquid from the pan over the top.

BEER-BRINED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Butterfly the chicken. In a large bowl combine the 3/4 cup kosher salt, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon pepper and bay leaves. Add 4 cups very hot water and stir to dissolve the salt, sugar. Add the beer and stir well to remove the carbonation> Add about 4 cups ice cubes to cool the brine rapidly. When the ice has melted and the brine is cool, put the chicken in the brine, adding more cold water if needed to cover. Refrigerate covered for 2 to 4 hours. In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with the paprika, cumin, celery, salt, chili powder, oregano and cayenne. Remove the chicken from the brine and let it air dry for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill with all burners on high For a charcoal grill, when the charcoal is covered with a white gray ash, divide it into two piles and set a drip pan between the coals. For a gas grill, turn the burners that will be directly underneath the chicken off and the other burners to medium. ( if your gas grill has only two burners, turn one off and set the other one at medium. You may need to rotate the chicken periodically so that both sides brown. When ready to cook, if the chicken is still very wet, blot it dry with paper towels. Brush or rub both sides of the chicken with the oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture. Tuck the wingtips under the breast. Set the chicken skin side up, in the center of the grill ( or not directly over the heat). Cover and cook until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees, 40 to 50 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into quarters and serving.

BRINED BUTTERFLIED CHICKEN ALLA DIAVOLA WITH LEMONY FENNEL SLAW

Steps:

• For the brine: Bring 4 cups water, the salt, peppercorns, garlic and chiles to a boil. Stir until the salt is dissolved. Remove the brine from the heat and cool slightly. Stir in the ice cubes. The brine should be cold when you add the chicken. Add the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, for the lemony fennel slaw: Whisk the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, fennel, fronds and parsley in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse well with cold water and pat dry. Place the chicken skin-side up on a baking rack set over a baking sheet. Refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. This will allow the chicken skin to dry out and produce a crisper crust on the grill.
• Meanwhile, for the chile oil: Combine the oil, peppercorns, chiles, garlic, oregano and salt in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Transfer the oil to a blender and blend until smooth. Drain the oil into a bowl.
• Heat the grill for direct medium heat and indirect grilling. If using charcoal, make sure the bottom vents and top vents of the grill are open.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Brush the chicken with 3 tablespoons of the chile oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin-side down over the coals, on direct heat. Grill the chicken until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and move it over the indirect heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 160 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Add coals as necessary to maintain the grill temperature at about 400 degrees F.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; wait 10 minutes before carving. Carve the chicken and drizzle with the remaining chile oil. Garnish the chicken with grilled lemon halves and parsley leaves. Serve with the lemony fennel slaw on the side.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.
• Time-Saver Tip:
• You can skip the step of refrigerating the brined chicken 1 hour to dry the skin. This step results in a crispier skin, a technique used in Chinese cooking.

GRILLED BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In 6- to 8-quart noncorrosive (stainless steel, enamel-coated or plastic) container or stockpot, mix water, kosher salt and brown sugar, stirring until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 15x10-inch pan with sides with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat gas or charcoal grill for indirect cooking. Brush oil over chicken; sprinkle rub mixture over chicken. For two-burner gas grill, heat one burner to medium; place chicken on unheated side. For one-burner gas grill, place chicken on grill over low heat. For charcoal grill, move medium coals to edge of firebox; place chicken over drip pan. Cover grill; cook 15 minutes.
• Turn chicken over; cover grill and cook 20 to 30 minutes longer, turning occasionally, until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks).