Brining Guide - from Cooks Illustrated
Brining Guidelines
This chart can be used for general guidelines; however, in some cases recipes will specify different formulas and times:
| CHICKEN | Cold Water | Table Salt | Sugar | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) | 2 quarts | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 1/2 to 1 hour |
| 2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each) | 2 quarts | 1 cup | 1 cup | 1/2 to 1 hour |
| 4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (whole breasts, split breasts, whole legs, thighs, and/ordrumsticks | 2 quarts | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup | 1/2 to 1 hour |
| 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each) | 2 quarts | 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup | 1/2 to 1 hour |
| TURKEY | ||||
| 1 turkey (12 to 17 pounds) | 2 gallons | 1 cup | * | 6 to 12 hours |
| 1 turkey (18 to 24 pounds) | 3 gallons | 1 1/2 cups | * | 6 to 12 hours |
| 1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 8 pounds) | 1 gallon | 1/2 cup | * | 3 to 6 hours |
| PORK | ||||
| 4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12 ounces each), 1 1/2 inches thick | 1 1/2 quarts | 3 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons | 1 hour |
| 1 pork roast (3 to 6 pounds) | 2 quarts | 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup | 1 1/2 to 2 hours |
