Perfect Chicken Brine

• servings: 16 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

16 cups water

¾ cup kosher salt

⅔ cup white sugar

¼ cup dried sage, or to taste

¼ cup dried basil, or to taste

2 heads garlic, crushed and chopped

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 large bay leaf

Directions

Bring water, kosher salt, sugar, sage, basil, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaf to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat, about 20 to 30 minutes minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until salt and sugar are dissolved completely, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let brine sit at room temperature for 2 hours to let the dried herbs steep and enhance the flavor of the brine. Refrigerate to finish cooling before using, at least 1 hour.

Nutrition

• Calories: 47 kcal
• Total Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Sodium: 4279 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 1 g