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    Recipes » Entrees » Dry Brine Chicken - Spatchcocked & Smoked

    Dry Brine Chicken - Spatchcocked & Smoked

    Published: Dec 16, 2019 · Modified: Mar 29, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases ·

    Jump to Recipe

    A few years ago I discovered how easy (and cheap) it is to cook a chicken whole when you remove the spine. At Costco you can get 2 full chickens for around $13! The legs would be a couple of meals for me and then I'd use the breasts for chicken salad for the rest of the week. I cooked this meal weekly for years but got out of the habit recently. This week I scrolled across Serious Kitchen's article on Dry Brining and I was intrigued. I've always wanted to try to brine a bird, but it honestly just seems like such a pain when I'm perfectly happy with the results as they are! Ultimately it's worth the effort. This dry brine chicken had crispy skin and the meat fell off the bone.

    smoked dry brine chicken on a traeger with thyme and mustard spatchcocked
    Jump to:
    • Dry Brine vs Wet Brine
    • Spatchcock
    • To Smoke or to Bake
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Dry Brine vs Wet Brine

    The difference between a normal brine and a dry brine is that a normal brine is a wet brine. You basically make a salty bath and let the chicken sit in the water for a day. This loosens up the meat fibers of the chicken and makes it moister. Dry brining is just putting the salt directly on the bird and allowing it to work its magic more directly. Dry brining seemed way more achievable so I gave it a shot.

    smoked dry brine chicken on a traeger with thyme and mustard spatchcocked
    After salting

    Spatchcock

    First thing you do is spatchcock the bird. This might seem intimidating, but spatchcocking a chicken is honestly SO easy when you give it a shot. First, flip the bird over and then use a pair of scissors to cut down each side of the spine. Once you've got the spine out, flip the bird back over and press down until it flattens. You can use regular scissors, but I highly recommend getting a pair of chicken shears. These are my favorite! You will get a clean cut without much grip strength.

    smoked dry brine chicken on a traeger with thyme and mustard spatchcocked
    After rub

    For the brine, mix together the salt and baking powder. Take a pinch of the mixture and, holding your hands 10 inches above the bird, let out an even stream of salt onto the bird. Once you've coated the bird well let it rest for 12-24 hours in the fridge uncovered. You can rinse the bird off after it's sat or you can leave the salt on. It will make your bird saltier so it's up to you!

    If you want to mix up the spices you can honestly do any that you like! Chili Lime, Thyme Mustard, and Jamaican Jerk are some of my favorites to use. The one listed here is for Thyme Mustard and imparts a really great chicken flavor that will go with almost any sides you're serving.

    smoked dry brine chicken on a traeger with thyme and mustard spatchcocked

    To Smoke or to Bake

    Adam has a Traeger and I like to put it to work whenever I can so I smoked this chicken. If you don't have access to one (or don't like smoked chicken), just use the oven! Besides adding smoke flavor, the brine adds most of the moisture to this dry brined chicken and relies less on the smoker than normal. Just preheat the oven to 400 and roast for 45 minutes, just like in the smoker.

    I will definitely dry brine chicken for all of my future birds, smoked or baked. This was one of the moistest and most flavorful birds I have had in a long time. Plus it was super easy! Adam and I were out late last night with friends, plus I spent the day painting my table blue. I was really happy that all I needed to do was pop the bird in the oven to get lunch on the table.

    Try dry brining all of your cuts of meat the day before cooking! It will add a depth of flavor to your meals that you haven't experienced before. I recommend checking out Roasted Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme to see how this works in a one pan meal!

    smoked dry brine chicken on a traeger with thyme and mustard spatchcocked

    I can't wait for you to try this! Let me know what you think and what spices you used. I'd love to see your pictures so tag me @thatzestlife!

    Don't throw away the chicken bones or the spine when you are done eating this delicious bird! Throw them in a bag in the freezer and when you have a whole chicken or two, make Chicken Bone Broth! It's super simple and a great base for soups and other dishes.

    Recipe

    dry brined spatchcock smoked chicken

    Dry Brined Chicken - Spatchcocked and Smoked

    Everyone loves a really juicy chicken with crispy skin. Dry brining is much easier than wet brining and yields a juicy well-seasoned bird that can be finished in the oven or in the smoker.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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    Prep Time 1 d 30 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 354 kcal

    Equipment

    • Smoker optional

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 whole chicken

    For the Dry Brine

    • 1 tbsp baking powder
    • ¼ cup salt

    For the Rub

    • dried thyme
    • ground mustard
    • ground onion powder
    • ground garlic powder
    • ground sage
    • ¼ cup olive oil

    Instructions
     

    • About 24 hours before you want to cook the bird, combine salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Remove the spine from the chicken and set aside. Taking a pinch of salt at a time, hold your hands about 6 inches above the bird and liberally apply to the entire bird, on all sides. Rub into the chicken. Refrigerate uncovered for up to 2 days, a minimum of 24 hours.
    • When you're ready to cook, either preheat the Traeger or the oven to 400 degrees. Cooking times should not vary dramatically between the two.
    • Remove the chicken and on a cutting board, apply liberal amounts of all the seasonings listed under "Rub". The quantity depends on the size of the bird, but you want a lot of the seasonings on the bird. Apply under skin as well if you are able. Use olive oil liberally to help distribute the seasonings.
    • Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 160 for the breasts and 165 for the thighs.
    • Let rest for 10 minutes and then carve and serve!

    NOTES

    If you are sensitive to salt, you can wipe off the salt mixture before applying the rub. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 24gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 5017mgPotassium: 241mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 178IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 1mg

    If you make this recipe, be sure to tag @thatzestlife in your photo! I would love to see what you made!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brandon

      December 27, 2020 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      Well this was wonderful! Thanks, Megan!

      Reply
      • Megan

        December 29, 2020 at 7:11 pm

        Thanks for trying Brandon!

        Reply
    2. Jeannette

      January 08, 2021 at 5:17 am

      5 stars
      This will definitely overtake the regular roast chicken. I can't believe how easy spatchcocking is! The steps make it so easy to follow.

      Reply
      • Megan

        January 16, 2021 at 5:33 pm

        The spatchcocking makes it so much easier to cook evenly!

        Reply
    3. Katherine

      January 08, 2021 at 7:57 am

      5 stars
      I need to try this way of cooking chicken! Thanks for breaking it down step by step.

      Reply
      • Megan

        January 16, 2021 at 5:34 pm

        Can't wait for you to try it!

        Reply
    4. Jacqueline Meldrum

      January 08, 2021 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      That rub sounds so tasty, I really must try it.

      Reply
      • Megan

        January 16, 2021 at 5:34 pm

        This is my go to rub!

        Reply
    5. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      January 08, 2021 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      This looks perfect for barbecuing too. I've never made a dry brine so definitely trying this out.

      Reply
      • Megan

        January 16, 2021 at 5:34 pm

        The dry brine is a game changer. It make the bird much more flavorful and tender!

        Reply
    6. Helen

      January 08, 2021 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      That chicken looks so crispy and delicious. Definitely giving this a try - thanks!

      Reply
      • Megan

        January 16, 2021 at 5:35 pm

        Thank you! I hope you enjoy.

        Reply
    7. Dannii

      March 23, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      5 stars
      I have never cooked chicken this way, but it looks perfectly cooked and delicious.

      Reply
    8. Beth

      March 23, 2021 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy! This looks so yummy and tasty! Can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!

      Reply
    9. Andrea

      March 23, 2021 at 4:33 pm

      5 stars
      I've never tried dry brine before. It sounds much easier than wet brining. The final spices on this chicken sound marvelous and the chicken looks divine.

      Reply
    10. Cate

      March 23, 2021 at 4:42 pm

      This chicken looks so flavorful and delicious, thanks for the simple recipe can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    11. Michelle

      March 23, 2021 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      So simple and juicy! The brine really makes it!

      Reply

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    I am here to help you take recipes that you find anywhere and make them your own and even better. Follow the recipes or read all my suggestions of what you might do to mix them up! Cooking is all about making sure it tastes good to you but it takes practice! Follow along on my journey through healthy and not so healthy eating while I live my zest life.

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