This chicken brine recipe for smoking is a very basic brine recipe for preparing meats and fish for smoking. Add any personal taste preferences to the brine for additional flavor enhancement. I like to add white wine, soy sauce, and various herbs and spices. Anything that you like will work, so experiment at will.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
Directions
Step 1
Combine water, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk vigorously until sugar and salt dissolve.
source by allrecipe
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- by: Keith Jefferies
- 23 years ago
It did its job! I added rosemary and cajun spices to it, and the turkey (applewood-smoked free-range) was phenomenal. Use the recipe on this site that includes cola. It was the best. This brine was very easy to prepare. Although I had to prepare the equivalent of 45 servings to cover a 12 lb turkey. And it was still difficult to cover. But I used an oven bag, which added in the process.
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- by: BIG MIKE
- 20 years ago
I’ve been using the basic recipe for over a year now. I make a 2-3 or 4 gallon batch and use a tote bin I got from Wal-Mart. When I smoke I smoke between 4-10 turkeys and various other meats. If you get the turkies split-they brine better, they stack better to utilize the space in the brine and the smoke permeates the birds better. I’ve added apple juice,hot red pepper,onion soup mix,fresh onion and peppers from the garden,and seasonings like worcestershire sauce,soy,teriacki and jamican jerk to spice up the brine. I like to “pickle” my meats 2-3 days about 38-40 degrees.I also like to inject some of the brine into them. Just lay em on the racks for 8-12 hours depending how hot your smoker is, and your good to go. Slow and low-the best way to go. Share your ideas and recipes here.
Keep Smokin Ron! -
- by: LINDA MCLEAN
- 20 years ago
Hey “Smokin’ Ron”; your name may be hot, but your recipe is really cool! I bought my hubby a smoker for Valentines Day and because we FINALLY had a beautiful warm weekend, he decided to christian it. He smoked a salmon filet and it was abolutely wonderful! Drew took your advice and added soy sauce and various seasonings. I love fish, but salmon isn’t one of my favorites, however, this fish smoked is absolutely awesome!! Thanks!
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- by: Ley Ann Van
- 18 years ago
Brining your meat is the best way to go. That is the only way you can achieve maximum moisture to the meats.
For poultry i like to use citrus fruits in there with garlic, sherry wine and soy sauce. Instead of sugar as sweetner try molasses. Wonderfully succulent!!!!
It’s nice to know that someone else knows how to smoke their meat.S.Vanderau
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- by: Cookdap Member
- 18 years ago
Brining your meat is the best way to go. That is the only way you can achieve maximum moisture to the meats.
For poultry i like to use citrus fruits in there with garlic, sherry wine and soy sauce. Instead of sugar as sweetner try molasses. Wonderfully succulent!!!!
It’s nice to know that someone else knows how to smoke their meat.S.Vanderau
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- by: HIJIMMY
- 18 years ago
Used for pieces of pork brisket. I’m inexperienced with grilling pork, so probably cooked longer than neccessary; the ‘crust’ burnt black, and I was sure the meat would be dry & tough. However the interior was moist, and very tender due to this simple brine. It will be fun to experiment, for achieving different flavours, by adding other ingredients. Thank you for posting this recipe!
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- by: Kelcampbell
- 17 years ago
This was a very quick and easy brine to make. I doubled the recipe and used it for a bone-in turkey breast. I brined it for about 32 hours and the end result was a very salty turkey breast. So I will most definitely try this brine again, but I will try brining for 12 hours only.
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- by: MARIGOLD1199
- 15 years ago
We doubled the recipe to brine 4 chicken leg quarters overnight. We threw the legs in a pan and put the pan in the smoker the next day. A few hours later, we ate the most delectable, fall off the bone tender chicken ever made! Delicious! Can’t wait to try it with a turkey this Thanksgiving!
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- by: HOGGWILD89
- 13 years ago
I have smoked pork spareribs on many occasions, this time I wanted to try brineing them. I used this brine in proportion (2c salt, 2 cup sugar, 2 gallons water). soak for 5 hours and slow smoked for 5 hours @ 225deg (to 165 deg.internal when done.) I used 1/2 Jack Daniels chips and 1/2 hickory. EVERYBODY loved them! … Except me. To me they were just *OK*. I wasn’t please with the outside fat, it had a weird feel that turned me off. I later thought perhaps a quick finish on the grill may be on order. The rest of the house says FIVE stars but my opinion is 4. It is simple and does season the meat well without being overly salty. (Almost forgot, I rinsed the ribs before smoking.)It keeps the meat juicy, even on a long smoke. Will try adding spices next time too.
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- by: TIGERTRAX3
- 12 years ago
I was in a hurry so i used the recipe as is, no additions, for a boston butt and 10lbs of chicken leg quarters. I was impressed. It came out the same as if i had used tons of ingredients. I’m not going to spend time online looking up complicated brine recipes anymore. THanks for a great go-to recipe! This one is going into my “everyday” recipe book. It will be used frequently.
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- by: Melissa Goff
- 12 years ago
I have never ever brined like this before. Marinading meats yes, soaking them in sugar, salt and water…no. I had been debating for years to do so and stuck to my guns and did. This was the 1st recipe I tried and decided to make 2 chickens opposite soaking methods and then smoke them…well as the voters in the family had it…the brine won. And in that I’m pleased to say I’ll be brining again thank you. It was simple and yet super easy. I kept to the recipe but as I see the recipe can be built up on with layers of flavors. I’m impressed by the result of the mmm’s and aww man’s out of my family. TY for the great 1st experience in brining***note after brining for 2 days, I wrapped in bacon before smoking and it turned out quite well.
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- by: Love2cook
- 9 years ago
Great basic brine! You really can’t go wrong, and brining is the secret to moist meats. I put a cheap pork butt in the brine overnight and slow smoked it the next day on the grill. Even after 10 hours on the grill, the meat was super moist. One suggestion: remember, when removing the meat from the brine, to rinse the meat under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels and then apply your rub.
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- by: Dick Tebaldi
- 9 years ago
I used a similar recipe to brine 1″ pork chops I got from Costco! Wow! What a difference the brining makes! You have to work at it to over cook them! Supper start..turned them often in my gas grill for browning, then into my smoker. added a molasses-mustard glaze and voila! Perfect! Pork can wind up dry without brining, but this flavors and keeps the moisture in so the chops are delectable.
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- by: Tom Lonewolf
- 7 years ago
I substituted 1/2 of the amount of water with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. I added a few Tbsp of both garlic powder and onion powder along with a few Tbsp of black and cayenne pepper and cut the salt content in half. I smoked a rabbit and a few steelhead trout fillets and the results were amazing. Even people who werent fans of smoked foods loved these. I have eaten rabbit many ways but this will be the only recipe I use from now on. Doing a duck and a few squirrels this weekend.
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- by: Brad
- 5 years ago
KEY STEP: RINSE OFF THE MEAT BEFORE COOKING/SMOKING! otherwise it will be too salty. The ratio is correct, according to Cooks Country, of 1 cup salt to 1 gallon water. My family doubles the brown sugar, 2 cups per gallon, or half cup in this recipe. If you’re doing fish, like salmon, quadruple the sugar. You can add any kind of spice you like to the brine. We often add a generic “pickling spice” with great results. We’ve brined whole pork butts for a week before slow cooking or indirect grilling = best ham you’ve ever eaten! Bonus: this is how brisket becomes corned beef.
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- by: Sassysouthernprincess
- 3 years ago
I followed this recipe as is, only increasing the quantity it to cover a roaster chicken. I brined the chicken overnight and added a container of fresh poultry herbs to the cavity before putting it on a rotisserie spit on my BGE grill . The chicken turned out perfectly and is my new go to for all rotisserie/ grilled/ smoked meats . I can?t wait to try it for the smoked Thanksgiving turkey
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