Description
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.
Ingredients
- ¼ cups Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 whole Chicken
- FOR THE RUB:
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Sage
- ¼ cups Olive Oil
Preparation
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 smoker or the oven to 400ºF. Cooking times should not vary dramatically between them.
Remove chicken and on a cutting board, apply liberal amounts of all the rub seasonings. 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 internal temperature of the bird reaches 160ºF for the breasts and 165ºF for the thighs. Let rest for 10 minutes and then carve and serve!
Note: If you are sensitive to salt, you can wipe off the salt mixture before applying the rub.
