I finally stopped brining my poultry and got better results

Everyone in this industry swears by brining. Wet brine, dry brine, all that. I did it for years. Then about 6 months ago I got slammed during a Friday night service and forgot to brine the chicken thighs. I just seasoned them with salt and pepper an hour before service and cooked them the same way. The texture was actually better. More natural, not that weird spongy thing brine can do. The flavor was cleaner too. I kept testing it. Did a side by side with 10 pounds of chicken. No brine won every time for texture and taste. Now I only brine if I'm doing a whole bird that needs extra moisture. Anyone else ditch brining or am I the only one?

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lunashah28d ago

You tried a side by side with 10 pounds of chicken? That's dedication lol. I did something similar with turkey breast a while back and ended up ditching the brine too. The texture gets way too soft and almost rubbery if you overdo it, especially with smaller cuts like thighs. Now I just salt them a few hours ahead, let them sit in the fridge uncovered, and pat them dry right before they hit the heat. The skin actually crisps up better that way too. It's one of those things where everyone says you gotta do it, but real world results can say different.