Roasted Chicken
The secret to great roasted chicken is a great brine. The Journal of Food Science, among other publications, established that the salt in the brine breaks down the muscle fibers of the meat, allowing both moisture and flavor from the brine to penetrate the meat.
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For brine:
2 whole chickens
½ c. kosher salt
½ c. brown sugar
1 lemon, sliced
½ c. whole garlic cloves
½ bunch sage
½ bunch thyme
½ bunch oregano
2 gallons water
For roasting:
20 whole peppercorns
6 whole garlic cloves
½ bunch sage
½ bunch thyme
½ bunch oregano
1 lemon, cut in half
24-48 hours before roasting, brine chicken. Add salt, sugar, lemon, garlic, herbs, and one gallon of water to a large container, stirring until all ingredients are mixed. Remove the internal organs from chickens (if included) and rinse. Add chickens to the container, then enough water to completely cover. Stir until ingredients are well distributed throughout container. Refrigerate until ready to roast.
When ready to roast, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chickens from the brine and pat dry. Divide roasting ingredients in half. Stuff each half of the ingredients in each chicken cavity, ending with the lemon. Place chickens breast side down on a large roasting pan.
Bake chickens for 60-90 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 180 degrees. Tent chickens with heavy aluminum foil, and let rest 5-10 minutes.
After the chickens have rested, collect the juices from the roasting pan to make Chicken Gravy.