One type of meat that is quite cheap and very easy to combine with various types of spices is chicken. Unfortunately, the moisture in chicken meat, especially the breasts, is very easy to lose when cooked. To prevent this from happening, try soaking chicken breasts in a brine solution before cooking them. In addition to enriching the taste of lean meat, such as chicken breast, this method is also able to keep the texture of the meat moist when cooked afterwards. It's very easy too! You only need to make a marinade from a mixture of salt, sugar, and various favorite spices, then soak the chicken in it for a few moments. After the spices are considered to have absorbed, feel free to cook the chicken according to taste!
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Part 1 of 4: Making a Simple Brine Solution
Step 1. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt in one liter of water
In fact, the simplest brine solution consists of only two ingredients: salt and water. The proportion of water and salt for each person is different, but in general, try to use 4 tbsp. salt for every 1 liter of hot water. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved.
- Generally, brine solutions are made from coarse-textured salts, such as sea salt or kosher salt. However, if you only have regular table salt, feel free to use it, but reduce the liter per liter by a quarter.
- One liter of marinade is enough to season about 700 grams of chicken.
Step 2. Add two tablespoons of sugar
Not all marinades require the addition of sugar, but doing so will enrich the flavor of your homemade chicken! Also, adding sugar will caramelize the surface of the chicken and make it brown more easily when cooked. To do this, simply add 2 tbsp. Add the sugar to the still warm brine solution, then stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 3. Season the marinade with ground pepper, lemon juice, garlic powder, and various favorite herbs
In fact, the combination of spices used is very dependent on the taste of the chicken that you want to produce later. However, most brine solutions will contain some of the basic ingredients mentioned, such as 1 tsp. black peppercorns, two to four cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, freshly squeezed lemon, and one bay leaf (or bay leaf) for every 1 liter of water. The combination of these spices will produce chicken with a taste that is not too sharp, but still delicious.
Step 4. Enhance the taste of the brine solution
Instead of being seasoned, some solutions taste better when flavored. Therefore, if you want to produce chicken with a specific taste after cooking, such as spicy or honey flavored, try adding the relevant ingredients to the marinade. To find an accurate mix of flavors, try reading the various recipes available in books or online articles.
Part 2 of 4: Enriching the Taste of the Brine Solution
Step 1. Make a brine solution with a mixture of honey and butter
For a delicious honey-and-butter chicken, try making a marinade using standard amounts of water and salt. However, replace the role of sugar with honey with the same amount. Then, season the solution with whole peppercorns and a variety of fresh herbs, such as thyme and rosemary.
Step 2. Add spicy spices to the seasoning solution
To make a spicy brine solution, add two to three seeded jalapeno or habanero peppers and a pinch of smoked paprika to the water, salt, and sugar mixture. If you want, also add a few cloves of garlic and peppercorns to taste.
Step 3. Soak the chicken in beer
If the chicken will be roasting later, try soaking it in a regular brine solution, but replace the 240 ml solution with beer stout. Then, add a little Worcestershire sauce or English soy sauce, and substitute the sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup or molasses.
Step 4. Cool the brine solution before pouring it over the chicken
Never immerse chicken in a warm seasoning solution to prevent bacteria from growing there. Therefore, always leave the brine solution until it reaches room temperature, or feel free to put it in the refrigerator so that it cools down faster.
Part 3 of 4: Marinating Chicken Breast
Step 1. Remove any layer of fat and muscle adhering to the surface of the chicken
Basically, chicken can be marinated fresh or frozen. However, before soaking in the brine solution, make sure all layers of fat and muscle adhering to the surface of the chicken have been removed. If it's hard to tell the difference between the two, understand that the fat layer will generally be milky white and stick to the edges of the meat, while the muscle layer will generally be reddish in color and have a tough texture.
Step 2. Place the chicken on a baking sheet or in a plastic clip bag
If desired, the chicken can be seasoned on a large shallow baking sheet, or in a plastic bag. If you want to use a baking sheet, don't forget to place the chicken side by side instead of stacking it.
Step 3. Pour the brine solution into the container with the chicken
The amount of solution should be large enough so that the entire surface of the chicken can be completely submerged in it. Then, close the plastic bag tightly, and shake gently to make sure the chicken is completely coated with the seasoning. If the container you are using is a baking sheet or bowl, instead of a plastic bag clip, cover the surface of the pan or bowl with plastic wrap to allow the seasonings to penetrate deeper into every fiber of the meat.
Step 4. Put the chicken in the refrigerator and let it rest for the desired time until the spices are completely absorbed
Basically, the longer the chicken is soaked in the seasoning solution, the more tender and delicious the texture and taste will be when cooked. Therefore, soak every kg of chicken in the seasoning solution for at least an hour.
- Larger or larger chicken breasts may need to be marinated overnight for the best texture and flavor.
- If you're limited on time, split 200g of chicken, then soak each piece of chicken in a separate plastic bag for at least half an hour.
Step 5. Remove the chicken from the bowl and lightly pat the surface to drain off any excess liquid
Once seasoned, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and let them rest for about five minutes. This will prevent the chicken juices from coming out and therefore the texture of the chicken will remain moist when cooked. After five minutes, lightly pat the surface of the chicken with a paper towel to absorb the excess liquid.
Some people prefer to rinse the chicken after seasoning it. If you use this method, the taste of the chicken will be less sharp, but the texture will still remain soft when cooked
Part 4 of 4: Cooking Seasoned Chicken Breast
Step 1. Grill the chicken after it is seasoned
When grilled, the surface of the chicken will be very crispy, while the inside will still feel soft. In particular, broil the chicken over medium heat around 190-230°C until the surface is golden brown, and the inside temperature reaches 75°C).
This method actually does not require too much cooking time, especially since the chicken will be cooked directly over the fire. That's why, there is no recommended time for grilling chicken. Most importantly, always check the inside of the chicken to make sure no parts are still raw when served
Step 2. Bake the chicken breast
Generally, the texture of grilled chicken breast will end up too dry so it is less delicious to eat. Fortunately, if the chicken has been pre-soaked in a brine solution, the meat will remain soft after roasting. To do this, preheat the oven to 230°C. While waiting for the oven to heat up, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a variety of other favorite spices. Then, transfer the chicken to a greased baking sheet and broil the chicken for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 74°C.
If desired, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken. If the surface of the chicken cooks too quickly while the inside is still very raw, reduce the oil temperature to 204°C)
Step 3. Fry the chicken
As when roasted, the texture of chicken meat is also very easy to dry when fried. That's why, you need to first soak the chicken in a brine solution to prevent the texture from drying out when fried. The trick is to first coat the surface of the chicken with your favorite coating flour mixture, then fry the chicken in enough oil and has been heated to a temperature of 177°C. Specifically, fry each side of the chicken for five to seven minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken pieces used.
