Brown sugar–brined chicken
3
Points®
Total time: 8 hr 45 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 35 min • Serves: 6 • Difficulty: Easy
Brining does three major things to meat. Since a percentage of the brine is actually absorbed into the meat and then not released during cooking it yields a juicier cooked result. The salt in the brine acts as a tenderizer, banishing toughness. Plus, whatever you add to the brine infuses the meat with flavor as it is absorbed giving you a much more flavorful end result. Starting with a cut-up chicken here instead of a whole bird makes the process of brining much more manageable. This recipe results in such incomparably flavorful and moist chicken, you will want to make brining a routine part of your chicken prep.
Ingredients
Water
4 cup(s), cold
Packed light brown sugar
3 tsp
Kosher salt
2 tsp
Raw skinless boneless light and dark meat chicken
1¾ pound(s), (1 whole cut-up chicken, about 3 1/2-pounds)
Uncooked onion
1 small, thinly sliced
Garlic
4 clove(s), chopped
Bay leaf
3 leaf/leaves
Peppercorn
2 tsp, whole
Cooking spray
1 spray(s)
Instructions
1
1 Combine water, brown sugar, and salt in large bowl; whisk until salt and sugar dissolve.
2
2 Place chicken, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns in large heavy-duty zip-close plastic bag. Add water mixture. Squeeze out air and seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Place bag inside large bowl. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours. Remove chicken from brining solution and pat dry. Discard brining solution.
3
3 Spray ridged grill pan with nonstick spray and set over medium heat.
4
4 Place chicken in pan and grill, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 30–35 minutes. Remove skin before eating.
5
Serving size: 1/6 of chicken
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