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Beer Brine a Whole Chicken

Using beer and salt to create a beer brine to create flavorful, super moist roasted chicken.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 days
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 0

Equipment

  • Container to Brine In Large enough to hold both the whole chicken and the brine.
  • Large Zipper Bag We use a 2.5 gallon zipper bag.
  • Chip Clip or Clamp To make sure the zipper bag does not leak.
  • Tablespoon. Measuring Spoon
  • Scale OPTIONAL - To weigh the salt.

Ingredients
  

  • 32 Ounces Beer Start with mild lager or ale like Dox XX or Corona
  • 3 TBLS Salt Three Tablespoons
  • 3 LB Whole Chicken 3-4 pound whole chicken (give or take a pound).

Instructions
 

The Brine

  • Place the zipper bag open in the bowl or container.
  • Pour in all 32 ounces of beer in the zipper bag.
  • Add all 3 tablespoons of salt to the beer.
  • Let it foam up. Mix as much of the salt with the beer as able. Some settling salt is okay.

Prep The Chicken

  • Place the whole chicken in and under the brine in the zipper bag.
  • Zip the bag closed after releasing as much air as possible.
  • Loop the bag edges together like a horseshoe.
  • Use the chip clip or something similar to keep the edges looped.

Brine Time

  • Place the container with the chicken in the zipper bag with the brine in the refrigerator for 1-5 days.
  • After your desired days in the brine, remove the chicken from the brine and let rest a room temperature for a bit before following your desired recipe.

Notes

This recipe is only to be followed for larger cuts of meat. It is not intended for thinner cuts like butchered chicken pieces.
Whole chicken isn’t universally “thick” like a steak or roast (and roasts have “sections” which causes the “thickness” to be different). I’ve brined roasts for 3-4 days and they’ve turned out wonderfully. Same length of time for turkey and chicken and have done great.
I brine my tenderized chicken breast for an hour or so. Tenderized meat have more "surface area" and will "take the brine" quicker.
Considering tenderized, flattened chicken breast versus a whole chicken. The hour is plenty of time for a tenderized chicken breast brined at room temperature. But, a whole chicken brined for only one hour will turn out to be the same as a chicken not brined at all. Thickness and nature of the meat has a lot to do with how long you should brine the meat.
Keyword beer brine, beer brined chicken, brine, chicken, roast chicken, roasted chicken, salt beer brine
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