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Best Brined Roast Chicken





Brine Time
8 hrs




Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins




Total Time
10 hrs 15 mins

This one roasts at a lower temperature to keep the brine seasonings from scorching.

 

Chinese Star Anise-Orange Roast Chicken (0211)




  Chinese Star Anise-Orange Brine or
  Mexican Tropical Chile Brine
 1 chicken, 3* to 4 1/2 lbs., lumps of fat and tail removed, rinsed
  About 1 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil
  Accompaniments
Step 1
1

Prepare brine. Put chicken breast-down in brine, weight with a small plate, cover, and chill at least 8 and up to 12 hours.

Step 2
2

Drain chicken (discard brine) and pat completely dry inside and out. Rub chicken all over with oil, then set breast-up on a V-shaped rack in a 12- by 17-in. roasting pan; tuck wing tips under if you like. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°.

Step 3
3

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally through thickest part of breast reaches 160°, 45 to 55 minutes for a smaller bird or 1 to 1 1/4 hours for a larger one; after 30 minutes, if any areas start to get dark, tent them with foil. Transfer chicken to a warm platter and let stand in a warm place about 10 minutes.

Step 4
4

Serve chicken with accompaniments.

Step 5
5

*To find small (uncooked) chickens, try markets that roast rotisserie birds (which are small) on-site.

Step 6
6

Make ahead: Up to 1 day, brine chicken as directed, then drain and chill.

Step 7
7

Nutritional analysis per serving for Mexican Chicken: 411 Cal., 55% (224 cal.) from fat; 43g Protein; 25g Fat (8 g sat.); 9g Carbo (5g Fiber); Sodium n/a; 134mg Chol

Step 8
8

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving for Chinese Chicken.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories 425Calories from Fat 52
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g39%

Saturated Fat 6.8g34%
Cholesterol 134mg45%
Sodium 0.0mg0%
Total Carbohydrate 5.4g2%

Dietary Fiber 0.8g4%
Protein 43g86%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.