Okay. Chicken here is tough. For that matter, most meats are tough. But chicken is the one that is most hit and miss, sometimes its passable, sometimes it REALLY isn't. So my friend Tracey told me what she's been doing to help tenderize her chicken. She brines it. I've now tried this brining process for the chicken that I've used in multiple recipes--soups, chicken nuggets, Creamy Chicken Pasta, other chicken pastas, enchiladas, and some baked chicken recipes I'm planning on sharing soon. It is consistently giving us much more tender chicken--which is GREAT, especially for kids. Here's what you do...
How to Brine Chicken
Chicken breasts
4 cups water
2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs sugar
Thaw chicken breasts if already frozen. In a bowl, mix water, salt and sugar. Put chicken breasts in the bowl and place in fridge for at least 5-6 hours before needing to cook. Then use chicken breasts as normal for whatever recipe you are making.
**My friend said she actually just puts her chicken in the brine frozen and that works great too!
I had wondered about salt in the recipe when they have been soaking in so much salt, but I've found that I don't need to back off on what the recipe calls for. The chicken doesn't seem to get saltier from the brine. I usually thaw my breasts in the morning and get them in the brine no later than lunch time to then use them that night for dinner. Also, just make sure your water covers the chicken. 4 cups water works great for about 4 breasts. You could probably add another cup or so of water without adjusting the salt and sugar. Last time I made this I only used 1 1/2 Tbs salt and didn't seem to notice a difference. Oh, and if you're marinating chicken for something like schwarmas or fajitas, you would NOT need to brine it. You're accomplishing the same thing with marinade. Also, crockpot recipes like this BBQ are not going to need brining since they are slow cooked and tenderize that way. This is perfect for recipes calling for cooked chicken or that you are baking.
How to Brine Chicken
Chicken breasts
4 cups water
2 Tbs salt
2 Tbs sugar
Thaw chicken breasts if already frozen. In a bowl, mix water, salt and sugar. Put chicken breasts in the bowl and place in fridge for at least 5-6 hours before needing to cook. Then use chicken breasts as normal for whatever recipe you are making.
**My friend said she actually just puts her chicken in the brine frozen and that works great too!
I had wondered about salt in the recipe when they have been soaking in so much salt, but I've found that I don't need to back off on what the recipe calls for. The chicken doesn't seem to get saltier from the brine. I usually thaw my breasts in the morning and get them in the brine no later than lunch time to then use them that night for dinner. Also, just make sure your water covers the chicken. 4 cups water works great for about 4 breasts. You could probably add another cup or so of water without adjusting the salt and sugar. Last time I made this I only used 1 1/2 Tbs salt and didn't seem to notice a difference. Oh, and if you're marinating chicken for something like schwarmas or fajitas, you would NOT need to brine it. You're accomplishing the same thing with marinade. Also, crockpot recipes like this BBQ are not going to need brining since they are slow cooked and tenderize that way. This is perfect for recipes calling for cooked chicken or that you are baking.
Really appreciate this tip. I'd read about brining but hadn't tried it. YET. Have you tried to do a whole chicken?
ReplyDeleteI've got wings marinating in the fridge right now for tomorrow's dinner (soy, ginger, garlic).
I haven't tried anything other than chicken breasts in the brine. The only thing I've done with a whole chicken is "roast" it in the crock pot. There is a post on here about that (check under the chicken tab on the right side bar). Since I did that all day, it turned out pretty tender without any sort of brine or marinade. Let us know if you try it!
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