Twice-Brined Oven Roasted Chicken/Turkey. The Best Recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner!
The juiciest, most succulent, and flavorful oven-roasted chicken with crispy chicken skin made using both a wet and dry brine. The perfect Thanksgiving bird!
So, why brine? Check out the caption in my instagram post below.
Swipe to see how the meat just falls off the bone, like butta!!
Ingredients
Step 1: Wet Brine (12-24 hours)
- 1 whole spatchocked chicken bone-in & skin-on is a must!
- 1 onion cut into fourths
- 2-3 Celery stalks and leaves
- ¼ cup of Ginger and garlic paste or ½ garlic and 2 inch piece of ginger
- ½ cup of sugar
- ⅓ cup of salt kosher salt is best
- ½ gallon of water
- 1 lemon (juice and peel)
- Fresh herbs: thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary (optional)
- 1 Chicken bouillon
- 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning
- Spices – use all or whichever you have
- 3 tablespoons of whole coriander seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of whole black peppercorns
- 10 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4-6 cardamom pods
Step 2: Dry Brine (12-24 hours)
- Garlic & herb seasoning with salt
- Cajun seasoning optional
Step 3: Roasting (1-2 hours)
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 6 garlic cloves
- Olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the brine spices in a large pot for a few minutes.
- Then add the rest of the ingredients for the brine and bring to boil.
- Cool it down by adding one gallon add 1 gallon of ice cold water or ice cubes.
- Place the raw chicken in it (skin side down) and set in the fridge or cool area for 8-12 hours or 24 hours for best results.
- Remove the chicken from the brine after set hours, rinse under cold water and pat dry.
- Put the dry brine on the chicken. Make sure to get under the chicken skin. This will help draw out moisture from the chicken for crispy chicken skin. Leave in fridge uncovered for another 12 to 24 hours.
- After 24 hours (ideally) take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Simultaneously soften the butter.
- Get the butter under the skin and layer on the thickest parts (breast and thighs). Drizzle olive oil on top of the chicken skin. Season with salt and pepper.
- Lay the chicken skin side up on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath. (The pan will collect the juices and drippings which you can use for gravy).
- Bake uncovered at 375 F for an 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the juices run clear. If the chicken browns too quickly, cover loosely with an aluminum foil tent leaving room for ventilation.
- Broil or increase the temperature for the last couple of minutes to reach the desired color.
Note: If you are doing this for turkey, increase the ingredients and cook time by three.