Whiskey Brined Roast Chicken
The days are getting cooler, it’s time to break out some comfort food. This whiskey brined roast chicken is a perfect fit for a day like today.
This is a combination of a few different recipes and techniques that we have tried over the years. We started brining years ago with our Thanksgiving turkey. The results were always juicy and delicious so we carried that over to our roast chicken whenever we plan far enough ahead. The brine takes a little more planning because you have to prepare the brine the night before, but it is worth it!
The roast chicken itself is a combination of a few different techniques also. The simple addition of the aromatics to the cavity impart subtle flavors to the chicken and really give it that extra special touch.
By roasting the carrots and potatoes under the chicken they soak up all that flavor from the juices of the chicken. This makes for an easy one pan meal with the chicken as the main dish and the roasted potatoes and carrots as the side.
I like to make a simple pan gravy with the extra drippings as well. Just take the drippings, some celery salt, garlic and poultry seasoning. Add a roux to thicken and you are ready to serve.
I also love to serve this with some homemade buttermilk biscuits. We have a never fail biscuit recipe you should try. Light, flaky and buttery good every time.
Like many of our other recipes, this brined roast chicken is easy to change up to make it however you like. Leave out some of the seasonings or add some of your own to make it your own.
Scott
Whiskey Brined Roast Chicken
Ingredients
Brining
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1 cup whiskey
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 Tbs ground pepper
- 4 bay leaf
- 1 roaster chicken 5 to 7 pounds
Roasting
- 1 lemon halved
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 1 bunch fresh rosemary
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbs butter melted
- 2 onion
- 4 carrots cut in half lengthwise
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 4 potatoes quartered
- olive oil
Instructions
The Brine
- Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers.
- Put the chicken in a container large enough to hold the chicken and brine, add enough water to cover the chicken first to gauge how much water will be needed before adding all the other ingredients.
- Mix the salt, sugar, whiskey and spices in the water to dissolve. Submerge the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- About an hour before roasting remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with paper towels and set on a rack over a platter or roasting pan (to catch the drippings) in the fridge. This allows the skin to dry out a bit so that when you roast you can get nice crispy skin.
Roasting the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Stuff the cavity of the chicken with most of the fresh thyme, rosemary, sage, lemon, 1/2 onion, and whole garlic cloves. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper (the brine adds saltiness, so do not use too much salt on the outside of the chicken). Place the onions, potatoes, celery and carrots, in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, rosemary and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
- Roast the chicken for 45 minutes uncovered until the skin browns, then lower the oven temp to 375 and tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Continue to roast another 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh (internal temperature should read around 150 on an instant read thermometer – the carryover heat will bring it up to around 160 while it rests).
- Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes to allow the chicken to rest and the juices to redistribute. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
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