If you love chicken but want it to be juicier and tastier, you might want to try brining—a method of soaking chicken in salt water before cooking. Not everyone does it, but brining can really transform your poultry dishes.
The science is easy: salt in the water helps the chicken absorb more moisture while gently breaking down proteins. This means when you cook it, the meat stays juicy and tender instead of drying out, especially important for lean parts like breasts. Adding herbs or sugar to the brine can also infuse extra flavor throughout.
People do this to keep chicken moist, make it more delicious, and tenderize tougher cuts. While skipping this step won’t ruin your meal, brining is a simple trick to improve texture and taste if you have the time.
To prepare a brine, dissolve one cup of salt in one gallon of water, heating part of it if needed to help dissolve salt and sugar, then cool with cold water. Then place the chicken in the brine in the fridge. Depending on the cut, this will take between 30 minutes and 12 hours.
After soaking, rinse and dry the chicken to remove excess salt and encourage crispiness during cooking. This process works for all cooking styles—grilling, roasting, frying, or baking.
If you want to plan ahead, you can brine chicken and then freeze it without losing the benefits. Just thaw in the fridge before cooking.
Brining might seem like extra work, but it’s a smart, easy way to turn ordinary chicken meals into something juicy, tender, and packed with flavor.
