Beer Brined Roast Chicken Recipes

VERMONT BAKER'S ROAST CHICKEN WITH BEER GRAVY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the baking powder, paprika, lemon zest, sugar, 2 tablespoons salt and some pepper. Set aside.
• Remove the giblets from inside the chicken. Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels, inside and out.
• Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt mixture. Place chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours to dry brine.
• Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven; remove the other racks. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pour about half of the beer into a glass--and drink it. Place the half-empty can on a baking sheet or roasting pan and drop the garlic cloves into the can. Place the chicken on the can so it's "standing." (If you're cooking for a crowd, this is a good way of roasting more than one chicken at a time.)
• Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 to 170 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, 75 to 90 minutes.
• Allow to rest, covered in foil, while you make the Beer Gravy. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pan drippings for the gravy.
• Carve the chicken and serve with Beer Gravy.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour to make a roux: cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is slightly brown. Whisk in the brown sugar to combine. Add the chicken stock, beer and drippings and whisk to combine.
• Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire and horseradish and whisk to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking, until the gravy thickens, about 3 minutes.

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.

BEER-BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Line 2-quart bowl or saucepan with 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add water, kosher salt and brown sugar; stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Stir in beer. Add chicken. Tightly seal bag; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Line 13x9-inch pan with foil. Remove chicken from brine; rinse thoroughly under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, in pan. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to dry chicken skin. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all rub ingredients except oil; set aside.
• Heat oven to 375°F Brush oil over chicken. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture; rub into chicken skin. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and drumsticks). Let stand 15 minutes for easiest carving.
• Time-Saver Tip:
• You can skip the step of refrigerating the brined chicken 1 hour to dry the skin. This step results in a crispier skin, a technique used in Chinese cooking.

BEER-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot. Add the chicken in batches and cook over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 1 minute.
• Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley.

BEER-BRINED BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine the beer, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice and cardamom pods in a bowl; stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.
• Put the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and add the brine; seal and refrigerate 2 hours.
• Prepare the grill: For a charcoal grill, pile 3 to 4 pounds briquettes in the grill; ignite and let burn until the coals are ashy. For a gas grill, preheat to high.
• Prepare the chicken: Remove from the brine and pat dry; reserve the orange zest and cardamom. Rub the olive oil all over the skin. Loosen the skin on the breasts and legs with your fingers; rub 1 garlic clove under and over the skin. Combine the brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper; rub under and over the skin of the chicken and inside the cavity.
• Pour half of the remaining beer can into a disposable 8-inch-square pan. Add the reserved orange zest to the pan. Poke 3 or 4 holes into the top sides of the beer can using a paring knife. Add the remaining 3 smashed garlic cloves and the reserved cardamom pods to the can.
• For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to both sides in two piles; nestle the pan with the beer between the coals and replace the top grill grate. For a gas grill, reduce the heat to medium on one side and turn off the burners on the other; place the pan under the grate on the unlit side.
• Set the chicken over the beer can, inserting the can into the cavity so 1 inch of the can is exposed. Set on the grill grates over the drip pan so the chicken balances on the can and legs like a tripod. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. If using charcoal, this will take about 1 hour 20 minutes; add a handful of briquettes to each bank of coals every 30 minutes to maintain the heat. If using gas, it will take about 1 hour 5 minutes; carefully rotate the chicken halfway through.
• Remove the chicken from the grill, discard the can and transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes before carving.

HOW TO COOK AN OVEN-ROASTED BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wet Rub: Mix all together the olive oil, thyme, rosemary, sage, a bit of salt and pepper; and garlic. Rub all over the chicken.
• Dry Rub: Mix all together the paprika, kosher salt, pepper onion salt, pepper, white sugar and brown sugar. Rub the chicken with a bit of olive oil and then coat the chicken with the dry rub.
• Preheat your oven to 375 or 190.6°C You may have to remove the second rack in your oven and move the other rack lower, so that the chicken will fit in while standing upright.
• In a large bowl, apply your rub of choice all over the chicken. Rub under the wings, legs, and even inside of cavities. Leave the chicken in the bowl until you are ready to place it on your can.
• Place the can on a baking sheet or oven-safe griddle. Place the chicken over the can. Open the rear cavity of the chicken and carefully place it over the can, so only about an inch of the can is showing.
• Place the chicken in the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 165 or 73.9°C Depending on the size of your chicken, this can take about 75-90 minutes or so. Once the chicken has reached the appropriate internal temperature, let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

BRINED ROASTING CHICKEN

Steps:

• For brine, combine the first seven ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature., Remove giblets from chicken; discard. Place cold water in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Place in a roasting pan. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, turning several times., Discard brine. Rinse chicken with water; pat dry. Skewer chicken openings; tie drumsticks together. Brush with oil. Place chicken in a roasting pan. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 80-90 minutes or until a thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings (cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly)., Remove chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Pour drippings and loosened browned bits into a measuring cup; skim fat and discard. Add enough broth to measure 1 cup. , In a small saucepan, combine flour and broth mixture until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken.

ROAST BRINED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix together salt, brown sugar, and water in saucepan until sugar and salt dissolve.
• Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, add herb/spices and allow to cool to room temp.
• Place chicken in a food-safe plastic bag and add slices of 1 lemon to the bag or place in the chicken cavity.
• Add the brine to the bag, making sure the chicken is covered completely.
• Seal bag, removing as much air as possible, and refrigerate for 24 hours, agitating brine mixture from time to time.
• The next day, remove chicken from the brine and discard brine.
• Rinse chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place chicken in a roasting pan and stuff cavity with additional sliced lemon, fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
• Tuck additional garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken, if desired.
• Rub skin with unsalted butter and seaon with salt and pepper.
• Roast chicken at 400F until the internal temp reaches 170F and the leg moves easily in the joint, 1 1/2- 2 1/2 hours.

BUTTERMILK-BRINED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won't fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)
• Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you're so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that's not essential.
• Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees with a rack set in the center position.
• Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.
• Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.
• After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.
• Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.