Written by Martin Seymour | Editor, The Mayfair Foodie | About Me
Brining is one of those quiet kitchen techniques that feels like a bit of a secret once you’ve tried it — a simple salt treatment that turns out juicier, better-seasoned meat with almost no effort. I first tasted brined chicken at The Farm shop wine bar, Mayfair; the chef there showed me trays of chicken in wet brine for their rotisserie chicken. I had to order it, and I was sold. If I have time, I always brine chicken and pork.I feel it really adds to the flavour the difference was hard to argue with
So here’s everything I’ve learned about brining: what it actually does, the different methods, how much salt to use, how long to leave it, and the handful of mistakes worth avoiding.
What Is Brining?
Brining simply means treating meat with salt before you cook it — either by soaking it in salted water, or by rubbing salt straight onto the surface — so that it’s seasoned all the way through and holds on to more of its moisture during cooking. That’s really the whole idea: salt, time, and a noticeably juicier result.
It’s used everywhere, often without us thinking of it as brining: the salt cure on bacon, the soak that gives you a properly seasoned roast turkey, the quick dip that keeps prawns plump. Once you understand the principle, you can apply it to almost anything.
How Does Brining Work?
There are two things going on, and they’re worth understanding because they explain every decision you’ll make later.
First, seasoning. Salt doesn’t just sit on the surface — given time, it travels into the meat, seasoning it right the way through rather than only skin-deep. That’s why a brined chicken tastes seasoned in the middle of the breast, not just on the outside.
Second, moisture. Salt gently changes the proteins in the meat so they hold on to water more effectively and squeeze out less of it when heated. With a wet brine the meat also takes on a little extra water. The upshot is the same either way: less moisture lost in the oven, and meat that stays succulent even if you slightly overcook it — which, on a lean chicken breast, is easily done.
Wet Brine vs Dry Brine vs Equilibrium Brine
There are three approaches you’ll come across. None is “best” outright — they suit different jobs.
| Method | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wet brine | Dissolve salt (and often sugar and aromatics) in water and submerge the meat | Lean cuts and whole birds where you want maximum juiciness |
| Dry brine | Rub salt straight onto the surface and rest, uncovered, in the fridge | Anything where you want crisp skin or a good crust — poultry, pork, steak |
| Equilibrium brine | Weigh salt as a fixed percentage of the meat plus water, so the saltiness self-limits | Longer brines and anyone who wants foolproof, un-oversaltable results |
The short version: a wet brine adds the most juiciness but needs a big container and fridge space, and can slightly soften skin. A dry brine is far less faff, needs no liquid, and dries the surface beautifully for crisp skin — it’s the one a lot of cooks reach for on poultry. An equilibrium brine is the technical option: because you set the salt as a percentage of the total weight (roughly 1–2% is typical), the meat can only ever reach that saltiness, so you physically can’t over-salt it even if you forget it overnight.
The Benefits of Brining
- Juicier meat — less moisture is lost during cooking, so it stays succulent.
- Seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.
- Better texture, and a little forgiveness if you slightly overcook.
- Crisp skin and better browning — especially with a dry brine, which dries the surface.
- More flavour — aromatics in the brine carry gentle background notes into the meat.
Which Meats Should You Brine?
It comes down to how lean the cut is. The leaner and more prone to drying out, the bigger the payoff — and a few things are better left alone.
| Meat / cut | Brine? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken & turkey (whole birds, lean breast) | Yes — biggest difference | Lean and dries out easily; wet or dry both work brilliantly |
| Pork chops & pork loin | Yes | Lean and prone to drying; brining is transformative |
| Pork belly | Optional | Already fatty, so less essential — but it seasons through nicely |
| Prawns / shrimp | Quick brine | 15–30 minutes firms the texture and seasons fast |
| Lean white fish (cod, haddock) | Short brine only | 15–30 minutes firms the flesh — don’t overdo it |
| Beef steaks & roasts | Dry brine, not wet | Salt ahead for a better crust; a wet brine isn’t needed |
| “Enhanced” / pre-salted supermarket poultry | No | Often already injected with a salt solution — brining makes it too salty |
One to watch: check the label on supermarket chicken and turkey. Some is sold “basted” or “enhanced,” meaning it’s already had a salt solution added — brine that on top and it’ll come out far too salty.
A Basic Brine Ratio to Start From
This is the part that trips people up, and it’s exactly why there are so many different brine recipes about — salt type matters enormously. A cup of flaky or coarse salt weighs far less than a cup of fine table salt, so the same “1 cup per litre” can be mild or mouth-puckering depending on what’s in your cupboard. The fix is simple: weigh your salt. Here’s a reliable all-purpose wet brine to build from.
| Ingredient | Amount (per 1 litre water) | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 1 litre | The base — scale up until the meat is submerged |
| Salt | 50–60g | The essential bit; aim milder (50g) for long or overnight brines |
| Sugar (optional) | 25–50g | Balances the salt and helps browning |
| Aromatics (optional) | To taste | Peppercorns, bay, garlic, herbs, citrus peel |
That works out at roughly a 5–6% salt brine, which suits brines measured in hours. For longer, overnight jobs, ease back towards 40–50g per litre so it stays gentle. If you’d rather not think about it at all, use the equilibrium method: weigh the meat and water together and add salt at about 1.5–2% of that combined weight — then you can’t over-salt it however long it sits.
How Long Should You Brine?
Longer isn’t better — over-brine and the meat turns spongy and too salty. As a rough rule, allow about an hour per 500g for smaller cuts, but don’t exceed the upper limits below. These times are for a standard 5–6% wet brine; dry-brining generally runs longer and is done uncovered in the fridge.
| Meat / cut | Wet brine time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prawns / shrimp | 15–30 minutes | Any longer and they turn rubbery |
| Fish fillets | 15–30 minutes | Delicate — keep it brief |
| Chicken pieces (breasts, thighs) | 30 minutes – 2 hours | Quick and effective |
| Whole chicken (1.5–2kg) | 4–12 hours | Overnight is easy and reliable |
| Pork chops | 1–8 hours | A couple of hours is plenty |
| Pork loin / joint | 8–24 hours | Give a big joint the full time |
| Whole turkey (5–6kg) | 12–24 hours | Plan fridge space in advance |
For a dry brine, think overnight and beyond: a whole chicken is great with 8–24 hours uncovered in the fridge, a turkey happily takes 1–3 days, and steaks or chops benefit from anywhere between 45 minutes and a full day. The longer the surface dries, the crisper the skin.
How to Wet Brine, Step by Step
- Dissolve the salt (and sugar, if using) in a portion of the water. Warming it in a pan helps things dissolve and lets you steep any aromatics — but this is important: let it cool completely before it goes near the meat.
- Top up with the remaining water, cold, so the whole brine is properly chilled.
- Submerge the meat fully in a non-reactive container — food-grade plastic, glass or stainless steel, never bare aluminium. Weigh the meat down with a plate if it bobs up.
- Refrigerate for the time in the table above. Always brine in the fridge, never at room temperature.
- Lift the meat out, discard the brine, and pat the surface really dry with kitchen paper before cooking — a dry surface is what gives you colour and crisp skin.
How to Dry Brine, Step by Step
- Pat the meat dry, then season all over with salt — a rough guide is about 1% of the meat’s weight, or a generous, even scattering. Add pepper or dried aromatics now if you like.
- Sit it on a rack over a tray and leave it uncovered in the fridge for the time above. Uncovered is the secret — it dries the surface for the crispest skin.
- No need to rinse. Pat away any surface moisture and cook straight from there.
Adding Flavour: Aromatics and Add-Ins
Salt does the heavy lifting, but a brine is also a lovely vehicle for gentle background flavour. Bruised garlic, peppercorns, bay, thyme, rosemary and sage all work; so do citrus peel, star anise, coriander seed and juniper. For something a bit different, part of the water can be swapped for cider, apple juice or even a splash of soy for umami depth.
Two tips: warm the aromatics with the salt to coax out their flavour, and then — the golden rule again — cool the brine completely before the meat goes in. Don’t expect miracles from aromatics alone; they add a whisper, not a shout. The salt is what matters.
Brining and Food Safety
Nothing complicated here, but a few rules are worth following to the letter, since we’re usually dealing with raw poultry.
- Always brine in the fridge. Below 5°C, never at room temperature — warm salty water is a happy home for bacteria.
- Cool hot brine first. If you heated it to dissolve the salt or steep aromatics, let it go completely cold before adding the meat.
- Use a non-reactive container. Food-grade plastic, glass or stainless steel — salt reacts with bare aluminium.
- Keep it submerged. Weigh the meat down so all of it stays under the brine.
- Never reuse brine. Once it’s touched raw meat, tip it away.
- Cook to a safe temperature. Brining doesn’t change this — chicken still needs to reach 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
Brining for Christmas & Thanksgiving
If there’s one time of year brining really earns its keep, it’s the festive season — because the star of the table is usually a turkey, and turkey is exactly the kind of large, lean bird that dries out if you so much as look at it wrong. A brine is the single easiest insurance policy against a dry Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.
Should you brine a turkey?
Absolutely — it’s one of the best things you can do to it. Turkey is lean, it’s big, and it spends a long time in the oven, all of which conspire to dry out the breast. Brining seasons it through and helps it hold on to moisture, so you get a juicier bird with far less white-knuckle carving. Both wet and dry brining work beautifully.
The turkey-sized problem (and the easy fix)
Here’s the catch everyone hits: a whole turkey submerged in a bucket of wet brine simply won’t fit in most fridges, especially the week before Christmas when the fridge is already bursting. The neatest answer is to dry brine instead. Rub the bird all over with salt, sit it uncovered on a tray or rack, and it takes up no more room than the turkey already would — no bucket, no gallons of liquid. As a bonus, dry brining dries the skin, so you get a crisper finish, which is exactly what you want on a roast turkey. For most people, this is the answer.
Wet-brining a turkey without fridge space
If you’ve set your heart on a wet brine and there’s no fridge space, you can brine in a cool box — but this is where you have to be careful, because raw poultry sitting in water that’s too warm is genuinely risky. Follow these rules to the letter:
- Stay below 5°C the whole time. This is non-negotiable. Between roughly 5°C and 63°C bacteria multiply fast, so the brine and bird must stay colder than that from start to finish.
- Don’t trust “it’s cold outside.” A garage, shed or outhouse can easily swing above 5°C even in a British winter. Put a fridge thermometer in the brine and actually check it.
- Use a proper insulated cool box, not a thin bucket, and keep it topped up with plenty of ice or sealed frozen ice packs. Replace them as they melt.
- Keep it cold, covered and submerged. Lid on, bird fully under the brine and weighted down, out of any sun and off warm floors.
- If in doubt, don’t. If you can’t reliably hold it below 5°C, dry brine in the fridge instead — it’s just as effective and completely safe.
How long to brine a turkey
For a wet brine, a whole turkey (5–6kg) wants 12–24 hours. For a dry brine, give it longer and let the skin dry out properly — 1 to 3 days, uncovered, in the fridge. Whichever you choose, pat it thoroughly dry before it goes in the oven, and cook it to a safe 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part of the thigh.
One to check: self-basting turkeys
Lots of supermarket turkeys are sold “self-basting” or “basted,” which means they’ve already been injected with a salt solution. Don’t brine these on top, or you’ll end up with an over-salted bird. Check the label — if it’s already been treated, skip the brine.
Don’t forget the pork
Turkey isn’t the only festive centrepiece worth brining. Fresh pork joints, loin and belly all take beautifully to a brine — same lean-cut logic, same juicy payoff. The one big exception is gammon: gammon is already cured pork, so it’s effectively been brined for you. In fact you often want to do the opposite and soak a gammon in fresh water before cooking to draw out some of the salt — so don’t brine your gammon, or Christmas dinner will be a very salty affair.
Common Brining Mistakes to Avoid
- Over-brining. Too long in the salt and the meat turns spongy and overly salty. Respect the upper time limits.
- Measuring salt by the cup across different types. Flaky, coarse and fine salts weigh wildly differently — weigh it, or you’re guessing.
- Brining pre-salted or “enhanced” meat. Check the label; enhanced supermarket poultry is already salted.
- Adding meat to warm brine. It’s a food-safety risk and works less well — cool it fully first.
- Not drying the surface afterwards. Wet skin won’t brown or crisp. Pat it properly dry.
- Forgetting to ease off the salt elsewhere. The meat is already seasoned, so go lighter with added salt in the rest of the dish.
Brining in Action
My Brined Roast Chicken
I recently brined a chicken in a sugar and salt brine with bay leaves and peppercorns, and left it overnight — about 10 hours. You can see how plump the bird looked when it came out. Once it was brined, I spatchcocked it and roasted it. Was it worth the effort? Totally. The chicken was beautifully moist, and there was enough left over for a sandwich the next day — still juicy, which is really the point.
Brined Pork Belly
The pictures above show some lovely organic pork belly slices that I brined in much the same solution, this time for around 12 hours. On this one I marinated the pork belly in Asian spices afterwards. I noticed it cooked a little quicker than usual. And the important bit, the taste test — the results were impressive, and my pork belly received rave reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you rinse meat after brining?
With a dry brine, no — just pat away surface moisture. With a wet brine, patting dry is usually enough; give it a quick rinse only if you’ve used a particularly strong or salty brine.
Can you brine meat for too long?
Yes. Over-brining leaves meat spongy and too salty. Stick to the time ranges for the cut, or use the equilibrium method, which won’t over-salt however long it sits.
What’s the difference between a wet brine and a dry brine?
A wet brine soaks the meat in salted water and adds the most juiciness; a dry brine rubs salt onto the surface and gives crisper skin with far less faff. Both season right through.
Do I need to add sugar to a brine?
No — it’s optional. Sugar balances the salt and helps the surface brown, but a plain salt brine works perfectly well.
What kind of salt is best for brining?
Any pure salt works — the key is to weigh it rather than measure by volume, because flaky and coarse salts take up far more space than fine table salt for the same weight.
How much salt do I use per litre of water?
A good all-purpose wet brine is around 50–60g of salt per litre of water (a 5–6% brine), eased back to 40–50g for long or overnight brines.
Do I have to brine a chicken before roasting?
You don’t have to, but it makes a real difference — chicken is lean and dries out easily, so brining is one of the simplest ways to guarantee a juicy roast.
Can you brine and marinate?
Yes, but not at the same time. Brine first for moisture and seasoning, then pat dry and marinate for surface flavour. Doing both at once muddies the results.
Does brining make meat salty?
Seasoned, not salty, if you get the balance right. Follow the ratios and times, and remember to go lighter with salt elsewhere in the dish.
Can I brine frozen meat, or freeze meat after brining?
Defrost fully before brining. You can freeze meat after brining — many people brine, then freeze, so it’s ready to cook — just don’t refreeze meat that was previously frozen.
Can I reuse brine?
No. Once brine has been in contact with raw meat, discard it — don’t save it or use it for another batch.
Can you brine at room temperature?
No — always brine in the fridge, below 5°C. Salted water left warm is a food-safety risk.
Final Thoughts
Brining is about as close as cooking gets to a guaranteed win: a bit of salt, a bit of time, and meat that comes out juicier and better seasoned with almost no skill required. Start with the basic ratio, respect the timings, keep it in the fridge, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Once you’ve got the hang of it on a chicken, try it on pork chops or a turkey and you’ll never look back.
