There are 1001 ways (plus) to make chicken. One problem often faced when making a whole bird is that the white meat gets overcooked or the dark meat comes out undercooked. A simple solution is using brine. Beer brine infuses meat with flavor and tenderizes at the same time.This isn’t a difficult recipe. It involves brining your chicken, applying a dry rub, and grilling the bird.
Ingredients
BRINE INGREDIENTS
3lbwhole chicken
2bottles Belgian ale(3 if you want one for yourself!)
2tbspbrown sugar
1tbspchipotle powder
1tbsppink salt
½tspdill
½tsponion powder
1tsppink peppercorns
1garlic clove(smashed)
RUB INGREDIENTS
You have a lot of options for a chicken rub. You can buy one you like from the supermarket. Or you can blend up one of your own. Here’s one blend to try:
1tbsphoney powder
1tbspflaked salt
3tspHerbs de Provence
1tspgarlic powder
1tsponion powder
1tspsmokey paprika
1tspcitrus zest(lemon, lime, or orange)
½tspblack pepper
You can serve the chicken as-is. If you’re looking for sauce ideas(consider:)
Buffalo-style hot
Caribbean jerk
Garlic chili
Chimichurri
Ginger
Honey mustard
Mango
Mushroom cream
Sesame
White wine
Instructions
Mix your brine in a plastic container large enough to hold the whole chicken.
Put the chicken in the brine in the refrigerator
Leave them for 8 hours, turning the chicken every two hours
Preheat the grill to 350F
Drain the chicken
Pat it dry inside and out
Sprinkle the rub evenly on the chicken, making sure to get some inside **
Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid
After 1 hour, check the meat. It needs to be at 165F before removing.
It may take another 30 minutes of grilling, particularly if you have a larger bird.
** You can also put aromatics inside the cavity, such as a small whole onion, an orange, and a sprig of thyme.
Notes
For even juicer meat, put a tbsp of butter underneath the chicken skin right at the top of the bird. You can also slip some under the skin on the legs.