Easy Eats: Brined Barbecued Chicken Breasts

Brining is the secret to incredibly tender and tasty barbecued chicken breasts. It locks moisture in, tenderises and seasons the chicken all the way through.

Kelly GibneyChef
  • prepare
  • cook
  • 4 servings
  • Easy
A plate showing some sliced brined and barbequed chicken breasts alongside a salad of lettuce, avocado and red onion.
Photo credit:Kelly Gibney

Flavour additions:

Citrus: Slice fruit and add to your brine for a bright note

Herbs: Very aromatic herbs like rosemary, thyme and oregano all work well. Roughly a small handful will be enough.

Peppercorns: 1-2 tablespoons of whole peppercorns add brilliant flavour to a brine

Garlic: Smash 3-4 cloves of garlic with the widest end of your knife and throw into the brine. Alternatively, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder works well, too.

Sugar: Sugar can help balance out the flavor nicely and also help with browning. Once tablespoon will do it.r additions

Ingredients

  • 1 litre water
  • 3 Tbsp table salt
  • 4 chicken breasts

Instructions

  1. Place the water and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until completely dissolved. Add any additions if using (see below). Add chicken breasts. There must be enough space so that every piece is completely submerged.
  2. Soak for as little as 1 hour and up to 3 hours (4 hours at absolute maximum). Remove from the brine and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
  3. Drizzle generously with oil before cooking on the barbecue. Chicken breasts will usually take 14-16 minutes (turning once), depending on the size. Check that the chicken is no longer pink in the middle or use a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached an internal temperature of 75 degrees Celsius. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  4. Cooks note: Outside of BBQ season, you can bake brined chicken breasts in the oven.
    Cook at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

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