Chicken Brine For Smoking Recipes

Steps:

• Pour the warm water into a container that is twice the volume of the water. Pour in the salt, sugar, soy sauce, and olive oil. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved, then allow the brine to cool to room temperature.
• To use, place chicken in the brine, cover, and refrigerate two hours for skinless breasts, 4 hours for bone-in pieces, and 4 hours to overnight for whole chickens. Drain and pat the chicken dry before cooking. One gallon of brine is enough for 6 pounds of whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces, and up to 10 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Whisk vigorously until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the meat, poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. (Note: Make certain the meat is fully submerged in the brine, and make more brine as needed to fully cover the meat.)

Steps:

• Mix water, kosher salt, white sugar, garlic, sage, basil, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a large pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat and cover with a lid. Cool brine at room temperature for 2 hours before refrigerating to cool completely.

Steps:

• Put water, salt, and optional ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts turn off the heat. stir to make sure the salt is fully disolved.
• Cool the Brine.
• Add the chicken and Brine in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. It is if the bird is fully covered by the brine. If this isn't possible, turn occasionally.
• 1/2 hour before putting in the smoker, take chicken out of the brine and allot it to drip dry. I put it on a cooling rack, on top of a high sided cookie sheet. Make sure the cat's don't sample it.
• Rub with a Rub.
• Smoke it at a temp between 200 degrees F and 225 degrees F. A lower temperature will add more smoke flavor and tenderness but take longer.
• After between 3 and 6 hours (depends on the size, depends on the temp) the Chicken should reach 165. Pull from the smoker.
• Wrap in Foil and let rest for a minimum of 15 minutes. When I have a longer wait I put it in a cooler to stay warm.

Steps:

• Pour water into a large, non-aluminum container; add salt and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add soy sauce, tarragon, thyme, and pepper. Place chickens in the brine and weigh them down with a heavy plate so they stay submerged. Brine at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Remove chickens from brine, wash, and pat dry. Reserve brine. Tie the legs together of each chicken using kitchen twine.
• Prepare a water smoker for cooking by preheating to 200 to 250 degrees F (93 to 120 degrees C). Fill the water pan with hot water and half of the reserved brine. Place chickens, breast side up, on the grill racks. Add wood chips according to manufacturer's directions. Cover.
• Smoke chickens until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 4 hours, brushing chickens with olive oil every 2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the smoker and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve.