Mesquite Chicken Brine Recipes

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:

• Combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl. Stir until salt and brown sugar are dissolved. Place chicken breasts into brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat an electric smoker according to manufacturer's directions to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C) using maple wood chips.
• Remove chicken breasts from brine and rinse under cold water. Pat dry. Combine salt, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over chicken breasts and place skin-side up on a grill rack in the preheated smoker. Place a drip pan underneath.
• Smoke chicken breasts in the preheated smoker until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 4 hours, adding maple wood chips as necessary to keep the smoke continuous. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Steps:

• Makes 1 quart- make up additional amounts of brine if needed until meat is submerged.
• Stir ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Allow to cool.
• Place meat or poultry in a food safe plastic bag inside another container for support and leakage control (oven roasting bags are a fine choice- NOT garbage bags).
• Pour cooled brine into bag, and squeeze out as much air as possible and seal with a twistie tie.
• Refrigerate for 3-4 hours for 3 pounds meat (such as pork ribs), 5-6 hours for a nice roasting hen, or 12-24 hours for a turkey, 12 hours being for a small one and the longer time for those turkeys around 20+ pounds.
• Discard brine before using and pat meat dry.
• If using poultry, you may want to add citrus fruit such as oranges or lemons, additional fresh herbs, or cloves of garlic into the cavity.
• Prepare meat as desired- roast, bbq, etc.

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.