I became very intrigued with the process of brining meats after watching a demonstration video from Alton Brown's show, Good Eats. Alton is one of my all time favorite chefs because he is so straight forward. He always gives the 411 on food science and busts a lot of cooking myths along the way. My fiancé took me to see one of Alton's live shows a few years ago, and it was great… if you are a foodie, I recommend going to a show if he comes your way! He is quite the comedian too.
I have experimented with my own brine flavor combinations over the past few years. I started by adding Cajun seasonings and apple cider. After some trial and error, I believe I have finally landed on the perfect ingredient list and balanced out the ratios!
Brining your bird before roasting will give you the most juicy and tender meat, guaranteed! The portions below are for a roasting hen, but you can just double the brine recipe if you want to use it for a turkey! (Roasting times below are also for a roasting hen and not a turkey).
Cider Brined Oven Roasted Chicken
Brine Ingredients
- 1 1/2 quarts cold water
- 1 quart ice cubes
- 1 1/2 quarts apple cider
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- A couple sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cup iodized salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Roasting Ingredients
- 1 roasting hen
- 3-4 carrots (chopped)
- 1 medium yellow onion (quartered)
- 3 large Yukon golden potatoes (chopped)
- 1 lemon (cut into wedges)
- 3 garlic cloves
- A couple sprigs of fresh rosemary
- A couple springs of fresh thyme
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Start the brine by throwing all ingredients, except the cold water and ice cubes, into a stock pot and bringing to a boil. Boil for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add cold water and ice cubes. You will want the brine to be cooled down to at least room temperature before putting the bird in.
Rinse off your bird and make sure to remove anything from the cavity. Usually the neck bone and giblets will be stored in there when you purchase. Insert bird into the brine, cover, stick in the fridge, and let it hang out for 8-24 hours. Make sure to clean off the container you are brining the bird in before putting into the fridge to avoid getting raw chicken on anything else in there. I just use a stock pot to brine mine in, but you can use anything that it will fit in. I have used 5 gallon buckets for turkeys and just removed a shelf in the fridge to fit it in.
When you are ready to roast, preheat your oven to 425 and take the bird out of the brine. Pat dry and place in a roasting pan on the wire rack insert. Insert lemon wedges, garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs into the cavity. Secure legs together with butcher's twine. Lube the outside of the bird up well with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss carrots, potatoes, and onion in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them in the roasting pan around the bird along with the sprigs of thyme.
Roast for 15 minutes at 425, then turn down to 375. Continue to roast for about one hour, or until internal temperature reaches 165. Check by inserting a meat thermometer into the inner thigh without hitting the bone. Take the bird out of the roasting pan and cover with foil. Remove rack insert from roasting pan and stir the veggies around to coat them with juices. Return veggies to the oven for another 15 minutes while the chicken rests.
This chicken is so delicious! A hen is also a great tester if you want to do a trial run on brining before Thanksgiving. Roasting times will be longer for a turkey.
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