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Beer-Brined Chicken

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Mar 20, 2018
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Flavorful, moist and delicious! Those are the results you'll get with brining—give it a try.

More About This Recipe

  • Ever tried brining turkey, pork chops or chicken? It’s a fantastic way to infuse flavor and ensure the meat stays juicy. This brining chicken recipe calls for brining the chicken in water, beer, sugar and salt, then seasoning with a flavorful rub before baking for an unbeatable taste. When making this recipe, you will need to plan ahead, as it calls for 8 to 24 hours of refrigeration time, but it’s well worth the wait. This recipe serves six, so it’s awesome for a family or hosting a small gathering, but is also a great option for meal prepping if you’re cooking for one or two people. Need more chicken recipes? We’ve got thousands more to choose from.

Beer-Brined Chicken

  • Prep Time 15 min
  • Total 11 hr 40 min
  • Servings 6
  • Ingredients 11
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Ingredients

Brine and Chicken

  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup kosher (coarse) salt
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cans or bottles (12 oz each) beer or nonalcoholic beer, chilled
  • 1 whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lb)

Rub

  • 3 teaspoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
  • Step 
    2
    Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
  • Step 
    3
    Heat oven to 375°F. Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.

Nutrition

280 Calories
18g Total Fat
27g Protein
0g Total Carbohydrate
0g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
280
Calories from Fat
160
Total Fat
18g
28%
Saturated Fat
4 1/2g
22%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
85mg
29%
Sodium
720mg
30%
Potassium
250mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate
0g
0%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
0g
Protein
27g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
8%
8%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 4 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
0
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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