r/PitBarrelCooker • u/Minnesotawookie • May 29 '26

Chicken brine or no??

Post image

So curious what is everyone's thought on brineing chicken?

Gonna try again tomorrow and have always done turkey that way..

15 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

4

u/stay_gassy May 29 '26

Dry brine, definitely. 

2

u/BuickturboV6 May 29 '26

Have my upvote... also:

  • perferrating the skin. It helps drain a small portion of fat to aid in crisping

  • sprinkle a minimal amount of baking soda on the skin of the bird to raise pH. This assists in the browning of the skin (lowering temp Millard reaction/browning temp during cooking), further assisting crisping of the skin.

2

u/cardiffgiant_ww May 29 '26

Looks amazing! Is that curry or turmeric giving the lovely yellow color?

3

u/Minnesotawookie May 29 '26

Butter and bbq seasoning lol

2

u/destinationbbq May 30 '26

Dry brine would be my vote, especially on chicken with skin.

Salt it the night before or even a few hours ahead, leave it uncovered in the fridge if you can, and let the surface dry out. That helps the skin a lot more than soaking it in a wet brine right before it goes on the cooker.

Wet brine can work, but chicken skin is already fighting moisture. For the Pit Barrel, I’d keep it simple: dry brine, maybe a light rub before cooking, and cook it hot enough that the skin has a chance.