Brown Sugar Chicken Brine (2024)

FAQs

What does the brown sugar in a brine do? ›

Along with salt, sugar (either brown or white granulated) is a dry-brine must-have, essential both for its browning capabilities and flavor-enhancing properties. Breaking out the sugar is my favorite way to ensure that my turkey comes out perfectly tender and golden brown every November.

Salt causes protein strands to unwind and become tangled with each other, which traps liquid inside. That means you get more moisture and flavor in the chicken. The addition of sugar in brine also adds flavor and promotes browning.

The rule of thumb is to let a chicken brine for approximately one hour per pound of meat, though you may want to lengthen or shorten that time depending on the strength of your salt solution or the level of salt you want to achieve.

Sugar: This is an optional ingredient and is typically used to balance the saltiness of a brine. Use about 2 tablespoons per quart of liquid. You can decrease that amount if desired, but I wouldn't recommend using any more or it could make the final cooked protein burn easier and taste too sweet.

What to Do After the Meat Is Brined. After waiting the appropriate amount of time, remove the meat from the brine and pat it dry with a paper towel. You won't need to rinse it with fresh water unless you accidentally brined it for too long.

As a general starting point, take one gallon of water and add 3/4 cup (preferable - but you can use up to a cup) of salt (Kosher is best), 1/2 cup of sugar and then the rest is up to you. Sliced onions are nice, a few cloves of crushed garlic add a nice flavor and then there's the spices and herbs.

Basic Brine

Place that volume of water in a container large enough to hold the brine and the meat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt for every cup of water you used and mix until the salt is completely dissolved. For example, if you are using 1 gallon (16 cups) of water, add 16 tablespoons (1 cup) of salt.

Salt breaks down proteins in the meat, which means it will not contract while cooking. In other words, pieces of brined meat will lose less water in the cooking process, which leads to a juicier meal. It also seasons the chicken — which means even more flavor.

In place of regular sugar I used light brown sugar (what can I say, I like molasses). The family loved this. I think this is going to be my new go-to. This is enough brine for 8 pounds of whole chicken or bone-in chicken pieces and up to 10 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.

One common misconception is that Chick Fil A uses pickle juice as a sole marinade. While pickle juice is indeed a key component, it is just one part of the overall marinade. The use of various spices and ingredients, along with the pickle juice, contributes to the complex flavor profile of Chick Fil A's chicken.

Can you leave chicken in brine too long? ›

Brine one hour for every pound or risk mushy meat

Aside from wasting your time, over-brining can also wreak havoc on the structure of your meat. In order to avoid making your meat a mushy mess, Taste of Home suggests brining for one hour, each pound.

Dry-brining is our preferred method for seasoning both large and small pieces of meat, poultry, and sometimes even seafood. Along with producing juicy, flavorful results, dry-brining also helps us get better Maillard browning and crispy skin.

If you've got extra time on your hands, tenderize whatever you're cooking with an easy marinade. Combine brown sugar with other flavorful ingredients such as cilantro, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, even a few jalapeños, if you've got some.

Spliting brine (highly concentrated salt water, NaCl + H2O) to form chlorine gas (Cl2), hydrogen gas (H2) and sodium hydroxide(NaOH). Brine is formed during purification of sea water by reverse osmosis.

Place the container in the refrigerator for the period of time specified in the recipe. The amount of time will depend on the type of brine you use; however, do not brine any longer than two days and always keep the turkey and brine refrigerated (at 40°F or less).

Sugar in pickling is used to balance the tartness of the vinegar. Although the sugar can be eliminated from pickle recipes, the pickles are likely to be too sour. Note: Under no circ*mstances should the amount of vinegar be decreased or diluted to compensate for less sugar.

As brown sugar caramelizes and mingles with salt and black pepper, you get a savory flavor, accented with a mild, earthy sweetness of burnt sugar. It's her family and friends' favorite grilling recipe, one she's asked to make at every cookout. The steak pairs well with a crunchy slaw or a green salad.