Technique · Marinade · All year
Poultry Dry Brine
4.6 · community
5m
Prep
0m
Cook
Easy
Level
2
Energy
Salt, time, and refrigerator air: the zero-liquid brine that seasons deeply AND dries the skin to crackling. The roast-chicken upgrade with no downside.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
6
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: Enough for one whole bird
Equipment
Bowl or jar
Whisk
Zip-top bags
Prep checklist
Kosher Salt — per 2 kg of bird
Sugar — optional, aids browning
Whole Black Peppercorns — cracked
Thyme — or herbs of the roast to come
3 steps
Method
1
Mix and sprinkle evenly over the whole bird — top, bottom, and a pinch inside. No rinsing, ever.
2
Refrigerate UNCOVERED on a rack 12–48 hours. The salt draws moisture, dissolves, and reabsorbs deep into the meat while the air dries the skin to parchment.
720 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
The uncovered part scares people and is precisely the point: dry skin is what shatters. 24 hours is the sweet spot.
3
Roast as planned — skip added salt, expect the best skin of your life.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Unused marinade keeps 5 days refrigerated. Once it touches raw protein, discard it — or boil 3 full minutes to serve as a sauce.
Freezing
Freeze protein IN the marinade: it seasons as it thaws. 2 months.
Reheating
Marinades aren't reheated — but boil any used marinade for 3 full minutes if you want to serve it as a sauce (it touched raw protein).
Make ahead
Mix up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate; marinate proteins in zip bags so cleanup is nothing.
Wine pairing
Follows the finished dish.
Beer pairing
Follows the finished dish.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Applies to whatever you marinate
Garnish
Reserve a spoonful (before it touches raw meat) to finish the cooked dish
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
2
Salty
4
Sour
3
Bitter
0
Umami
3
Heat
1
Per serving
Nutrition
2
kcal
0g
protein
0g
carbs
0g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
Asked and answered
Questions
48 hours won't make it too salty?
No — 1.5 tbsp per 2 kg is self-limiting. Longer mostly means deeper seasoning and drier skin, both good. Past 3 days the texture starts curing toward charcuterie.
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Your notes
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