Brine chicken or pork to keep it juicy
Soak meat in a salt-sugar brine before cooking to reduce drying out.
Make a brine with water, salt, and sugar, fully submerge the meat, and refrigerate. Brining time depends on thickness; don’t under- or over-brine.
The short version
- Fully submerge meat in brine
- Don’t exceed 8 hours
- Dry the surface before cooking
How to do it
- 1
Make brine: mix 3 cups water with 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar.
Watch this step - 2
Pour brine over meat so it’s fully covered; refrigerate.
Keep it chilled while brining.
Watch this step - 3
Brine about 1 hour per 2 lb of meat (adjust for thickness).
Do not brine less than 30 minutes or more than 8 hours.
Watch this step - 4
What goes wrong
Leaving meat in brine too long
Keep brining under 8 hours
Cooking brined meat wet
Pat dry before frying
Why it works
Salted brine helps meat retain moisture during cooking and seasons it more evenly.
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