Dry-Brined Chicken Breasts
Published June 9, 2021
- Total Time
- 55 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 5dried bay leaves, crushed into small pieces
- 1teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2½teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 1packed tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2teaspoons garlic powder
- 2large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)
- Vegetable oil
- Lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
249 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 39 grams protein; 421 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a spice grinder, blitz the bay leaf pieces and peppercorns until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the salt, brown sugar and garlic powder, and rub it all together with your fingers.
- Step 2
Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise into two pieces of equal weight, creating one shorter, thicker piece and one longer, thinner piece. Place the four chicken pieces on a large plate or sheet pan and sprinkle generously on all sides with the spice mixture, moving the chicken around to catch any fallen spices. Refrigerate, uncovered, to dry-brine for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour (any shorter and the osmotic brining process won’t complete; any longer and you’ll end up with deli meat).
- Step 3
When ready to cook, take the chicken out of the fridge and heat a large skillet with a lid over high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet. Carefully add the chicken pieces, smooth sides down, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the bottoms are browned but not burnt, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover the pan and cook until the other sides are browned and the internal temperature at the thickest part of the meat reaches 155 degrees, another 5 to 7 minutes. You may want to pull the longer, thinner pieces off the heat a minute or two sooner, as they may cook faster.
- Step 4
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for at least 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute. The meat will continue to cook as it sits and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can also check for doneness by cutting into the chicken; it should look white and juicy and no longer pink. Slice the chicken against the grain (that is, perpendicular to the parallel fibers that run within the breast) and serve with lime wedges if you’d like. You can also keep the meat whole and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 4 days.
Private Notes
Comments
Lay the breast down on the cutting board, place your hand flat on top. With your cutting hand, cut the breast down the length of the breast, very carefully. You're cutting it parallel to the board, so that now you have 2 cutlets. The top one is usually a little shorter, and thicker. It's a little easier to do this, if the breast is slightly frozen, and the knife is sharp. Be very careful, and pay attention to keeping the knife parallel between the board and your hand.
Um, no. That's the way to make cutlets. One can, but that's not what he's calling for here. He states to cut crosswise, which simply means cutting in half across the roughly the middle, skewing slightly toward the thicker side, so that one ends up with two halves, one being slightly thicker and shorter than the other.
I learned that not all kosher salts are created equal and therefore when it calls for Diamond to use that brand, and if not, cut the salt in half. Other kosher brands are saltier than Diamond.
As tasty as it was easy. I followed this to the letter, though i know from experience to remove as much of the dry ‘brine’ from the surface before cooking and also to pat any protein dry as much as possible before adding to the pan will promote browning over steaming. So, i did not experience any of the excessive saltiness other readers commented on.
I used frozen chicken breasts. Followed all directions, turned out impressively juicy, just a bit salty. I served over rainbow chard, with green beans and corn on the cob. Looking forward to the leftovers in sandwiches. Took a bit longer for some of the pieces of chicken to cook, I had massive breasts. So easy.
This worked perfectly just as written. Well-seasoned, moist chicken breasts. I'd dare say fool-proof.