Basic Poultry Brine
A simple salt and sugar brine that keeps chicken and turkey juicy through a long smoke.
Serves 8
Prep 10 min
Cook 5 min
Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water, divided
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 orange, quartered
Steps
Step 1. Heat 4 cups of the water with the salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Step 2. Add the remaining cold water and the orange. Chill completely before using.
Step 3. Submerge the poultry for 1 hour per pound for pieces, up to 12 hours for a whole bird, in the fridge.
Step 4. Rinse, pat dry, and air-dry uncovered in the fridge for an hour before smoking.
Where this recipe comes from
Yoribang smoking recipes by Yoribang. License: Free to use. View the original (opens in a new tab)
Original Yoribang write-ups for a smoker or a grill set up for indirect heat. Always cook by internal temperature, not time: smoking times vary with weather, cut, and smoker. Use a probe thermometer. Poultry should reach 165°F, pork and fish 145°F, and brisket, pork shoulder, and ribs are cooked far past that until tender.