Brine
intro
A balanced, aromatic brine that locks moisture into poultry, pork, and seafood for juicy, deeply flavored results perfect for summer grilling and smoking.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep brine aromatics
Measure all ingredients first: lightly crush 6 garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef's knife (no peeling required), crack 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns gently with a mortar and pestle, and trim tough lower stems from 4 fresh thyme sprigs. Set prepped ingredients within arm's reach of the stovetop to streamline cooking.
Heat brine base
Pour 2000 ml (8 cups) of cold water into the 6-liter stock pot, set over medium-high heat. Add the 240g kosher salt, 120g packed light brown sugar, crushed garlic, cracked peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Stir occasionally as the liquid heats, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until salt and sugar are fully dissolved; do not bring to a rolling boil.
Steep for flavor
Once salt and sugar are fully dissolved, turn the stovetop heat off completely. Stir in the 60ml apple cider vinegar, then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the brine base steep for 10 minutes off heat to draw out full flavor from the herbs and spices, with no additional heat applied.
Rapidly chill brine
After 10 minutes of steeping, remove the pot lid. Pour in the remaining 2000 ml (8 cups) of cold water and 1000g (4 cups) of ice cubes, stirring vigorously for 1 minute to melt ice and drop the brine temperature to 4°C (40°F) or colder. Confirm temperature with a food thermometer; warm brine is unsafe as it can partially cook protein and encourage bacteria growth.
Prep brining vessel
Set a large non-reactive, food-safe container (food-grade plastic bucket, glass stock pot, or sealed brining bag) on the lowest, coldest shelf of your refrigerator. Set a small ceramic plate or food-safe weight next to the container to hold protein fully submerged later, and confirm there is enough space to hold brine and protein without overflow.
Submerge protein to brine
Pour the fully chilled brine (strain out solids for a cleaner finish, or leave them in for deeper herb flavor) into the prepared container. Lower your chosen protein into the brine, set the ceramic weight on top to prevent parts of the protein from floating above the liquid, then seal the container tightly. Follow recommended brine times: 1 hour for shrimp, 2-4 hours for boneless chicken breasts or pork chops, 8-12 hours for whole chicken, 12-24 hours for whole turkey.
Rinse and pat dry
Once the recommended brining time is complete, lift the protein out of the brine. Rinse all surfaces of the protein under cold running tap water for 30 seconds to remove excess surface salt, which prevents over-salting during cooking. Pat the protein completely dry with paper towels on all sides before grilling, smoking, roasting, or frying to achieve a crispy, golden-brown crust and skin.
Tips
2.Never brine pre-salted, injected, or pre-brined store-bought meats (check labels for added sodium solutions) as this will result in unpalatably salty finished dishes.
3.Customize brine flavor by swapping 500ml of the water for apple cider, lager beer, or low-sodium soy sauce to match your preferred dish flavor profile.
OMG this brine is an absolute game changer! I used it on a whole brisket for our neighborhood cookout last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. The meat was so juicy it was practically dripping, even the lean end didn’t dry out at all. SO good, I’ll never use a store bought brine again!
I used this brine on whole chicken for our Sunday family dinner and my kids loved it! They kept saying the chicken tasted “like the fancy restaurant stuff” and asked for seconds before they even finished their first plate. Super easy to throw together too, I didn’t have to run to the store for any weird ingredients, I already had everything in my pantry.
Really solid brine recipe! I used it on 6lbs of chicken thighs for my weekly meal prep and they held up perfectly all week in the fridge, even when I reheated them in the microwave they didn’t get that dry rubbery texture. My only note is I wish it had a little more kick, next time I’m adding a pinch of cayenne to the mix.
Brought brined pork chops made with this recipe to our church potluck last week and they were the first dish gone! People were hovering by the crockpot waiting for seconds. I was worried it would be too salty since I’ve had bad brine experiences before, but the balance of sweet and savory is perfect. 10/10.
Wait this is so easy even I didn’t mess it up?? I’m a total beginner and I brined a pack of chicken wings for my dorm watch party tonight, everyone was raving. I was fully expecting to order pizza as a backup but we didn’t even need it. Will be making this for every game day from now on.
I’ve been using my grandma’s brine recipe for 20 years and decided to give this one a shot when I ran out of her special pickling spice. Let me tell you, this held up! My husband said it might even be better than grandma’s—don’t tell her I said that though. Used it on our home raised turkey breast and it was so tender.
It’s a decent base brine, but I had to add a lot more brown sugar and a splash of apple cider vinegar to get it to the flavor profile I like for my smoked ribs. Not bad for a beginner recipe, but if you’re used to competition style BBQ you’ll probably want to tweak it a bit.
Just pulled my brined turkey tenderloins off the grill and OMG they are so juicy! I live in a tiny apartment and only have a little tabletop electric grill, but this brine made my meal taste like I went to a fancy BBQ joint down south. 100% adding this to my regular rotation.
I’ve tried probably a dozen different BBQ brine recipes over the years and this one is hands down the most versatile. I’ve used it on ribs, chicken, pork tenderloin, even a wild turkey my buddy brought back from hunting last month, and every single time it comes out perfect. No weird aftertaste, just that classic tangy, sweet BBQ flavor.
Made brined fried chicken with this for my son’s birthday dinner and it was a hit! The brine kept the white meat so moist even after frying, and the seasoning went all the way through to the bone, not just on the breading. My son said it’s the best fried chicken I’ve ever made, which is saying something because I’ve been making it for him for 22 years.
Really good brine! I used it on 2 racks of spare ribs for my Fourth of July party, and they were fall off the bone tender. Knocked off one star because I wish the recipe had a note about how long to brine different cuts right in the instructions, I had to scroll through the comments to figure out timing for ribs. Flavor was spot on though.
First time ever brining meat, I was so nervous I was gonna ruin the pork butt I bought for my first ever smoke. Followed this recipe exactly, brined it for 10 hours, and it came out incredible! My roommate said it tasted better than the BBQ place we go to downtown. Can’t wait to experiment with this more.
Used this brine on bone in chicken breasts for grilling last weekend, and they were so flavorful and juicy! I was worried the brown sugar would make them burn too fast on the grill, but as long as you keep the heat medium and don’t walk away, you get that perfect little caramelized crust without any burnt bits. Will definitely make again.
Meal prep win for sure! I brined a whole pack of drumsticks on Sunday, grilled them up, and they’ve been perfect for quick weeknight dinners for my kids between soccer practice and homework. No more dry, bland chicken that the kids refuse to eat. They even ask for extra drumsticks in their school lunches now!
Honey, this is the real deal Southern brine, no skimping on flavor! I grew up eating BBQ all my life, and I can tell when someone uses a fake, store bought brine with all kinds of weird preservatives. This one tastes just like the one my daddy used to make for our family cookouts every summer. Absolute perfection.
Wait why did I wait so long to try brining? I used this on a couple pork steaks tonight for dinner and they were so juicy I didn’t even need extra BBQ sauce on them, which is saying something because I put sauce on everything. Super quick to make too, only took me 15 minutes to get the brine mixed up and cooled down. Worth every second.
Pretty good brine! I used it on a whole chicken I spatchcocked on the grill last weekend, and it was nice and juicy. I added a couple smashed garlic cloves and some fresh thyme from my garden to the brine while it simmered, and it added a really nice herby note. Good base recipe to tweak to your own taste.