Brine Cornish Hen: Salt Ratio and Time
Published
For one Cornish hen of 1 1/2 lb (0.68 kg), dissolve 43.2 g (1.52 oz) of salt in 0.75 quart (0.71 L) of water, a 6.09% brine, and refrigerate the hen in it for 2 to 3 hours. The time is for whole hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb (0.57 to 0.68 kg) each.
A stronger 7.61% brine takes 54 g (1.91 oz) of salt for the same 0.75 quart and shortens the time to 1 hour.
Quick answer
For cornish hen, use a 6.09% brine: 57.6 g (2 oz) of salt per quart of water. Brine 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) for 2 to 3 hr.
- Diamond Crystal kosher, per quart of water
- 3/8 cup
- Morton kosher, per quart of water
- 1/4 cup
- Table salt, per quart of water
- 3 Tbsp
- For 1.5 lb (0.68 kg)
- 43.2 g (1.5 oz) of salt in 0.75 quarts (0.71 L) of water
- Time window
- 2 to 3 hr
Warnings
Do not brine meat that is labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher (Morton Salt, It's Time To Brine). Destination BBQ (Brining math explained) says enhanced, self-basting and kosher meat has already been salt-treated and is essentially pre-brined, and that you might dry-brine it very lightly or not brine it at all.
Brine in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below. Do not brine at room temperature.
Discard the brine after use. Do not reuse brine that held raw meat, poultry or fish.
Do not brine longer than 3 hr. America's Test Kitchen gives 3 hours as the longest time at this strength. Amazing Ribs reports a test by Greg Blonder in which a half-pound boneless chicken breast held about 1.5% salt inside after 8 hours in a 6% brine, and calls an internal level of 1.5% to 2% much too salty to eat. That test shows meat becomes too salty over hours; it does not set the maximum shown here.
Notes
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults limit sodium to less than 2,300 mg per day. Brined and fermented food contains added salt.
The water shown is a default of 0.5 quarts per pound of food. Use enough water to cover the food completely. The salt follows the water: if you use a different amount of water, enter it and the salt changes with it.
Cornish hen calculator
Enter your own weight, brine strength and water amount, choose your salt type, and get the salt by weight and volume and the time.
Open the cornish hen calculatorBrine strength
The calculator has two strengths, both percentages of the water weight. The brine percentages explainer describes that basis.
| Strength | Salt percentage | Salt per quart of water | Salt per gallon of water | Time for 1.5 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard About 6.09 g of table salt per 100 g of water, from America's Test Kitchen. Similar to the 5.7% to 6% that Cook the Story and Amazing Ribs give for whole birds. see warning | 6.09% of water | 57.6 g (2 oz) 3/8 cup Diamond Crystal kosher 1/4 cup Morton kosher 3 Tbsp Table salt | 231 g (8.1 oz) 1 3/4 cups Diamond Crystal kosher 1 cup Morton kosher 3/4 cup Table salt | 2 to 3 hr |
| Stronger, short About 7.61 g of table salt per 100 g of water for about 1 hour, from America's Test Kitchen. see warning | 7.61% of water | 72 g (2.5 oz) 1/2 cup Diamond Crystal kosher 3/8 cup Morton kosher 1/4 cup Table salt | 288 g (10.2 oz) 2 1/8 cups Diamond Crystal kosher 1 1/4 cups Morton kosher 1 cup Table salt | 1 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warning
Do not brine longer than 1 hr. America's Test Kitchen gives 1 hour for hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds and 1 hour 15 minutes for hens of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Applies to: Stronger, short.
Standard (6.09%) is the default. It comes from America's Test Kitchen's roast stuffed Cornish hens recipe: 1 cup of table salt (or 2 cups of kosher salt) in 5 quarts of cold water for six hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb, refrigerated for 2 to 3 hours. The percentage is a little above the 5.7% to 6% that Cook the Story and Amazing Ribs give for whole birds, so the calculator keeps it as its own strength with its own time.
Stronger, short (7.61%) comes from two America's Test Kitchen grill-roasted hen recipes, which agree: 1 cup of table salt in 4 quarts of water for four hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb, for 1 hour. For hens of 1 1/2 to 2 lb the recipes add 15 minutes. The University of Illinois Extension and Napoleon Grills give the same 7.61% for table salt with much longer times, so for hens this strength rests on one publisher.
Choose the standard brine when you can plan 2 to 3 hours. Choose the stronger brine for a one-hour window, or when the hens are in the 1 1/2 to 2 lb range, which the standard brine does not cover.
The Splendid Table gives 4 to 8 hours for whole chickens and Cornish hens, but it states no salt amount, so the calculator does not pair it with a strength. The America's Test Kitchen window is used as the shorter maximum.
Salt and time by weight
Enter the weight of one hen, or the combined weight of hens of similar size, without the brine. The tables show a single set of weights from 1.25 lb to 2 lb (0.57 to 0.91 kg).
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.25 lb (0.57 kg) | 36 g (1.3 oz) | 1/4 cup | 2 1/2 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp | 0.63 quarts (0.59 L) | 2 to 3 hr |
| 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) | 43.2 g (1.5 oz) | 3/8 cup | 3 Tbsp | 2 1/2 Tbsp | 0.75 quarts (0.71 L) | 2 to 3 hr |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) not recommended | 57.6 g (2 oz) | 3/8 cup | 1/4 cup | 3 Tbsp | 1 quart (0.95 L) | 2 to 3 hr |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warnings
This combination is outside what the sources support, so the calculator does not recommend it. See the other messages for the reason. Applies to: 2 lb (0.91 kg).
The source time table for this food ends at 1.5 lb (0.68 kg). At 2 lb (0.91 kg) the time is not covered, so the result shows the last row and is not recommended. Applies to: 2 lb (0.91 kg).
The stronger brine:
| Food weight | Salt by weight | Diamond Crystal kosher | Morton kosher | Table salt | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.25 lb (0.57 kg) see warning | 45 g (1.6 oz) | 3/8 cup | 3 Tbsp | 2 1/2 Tbsp | 0.63 quarts (0.59 L) | 1 hr |
| 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) see warning | 54 g (1.9 oz) | 3/8 cup | 1/4 cup | 3 Tbsp | 0.75 quarts (0.71 L) | 1 hr |
| 2 lb (0.91 kg) see warning | 72 g (2.5 oz) | 1/2 cup | 3/8 cup | 1/4 cup | 1 quart (0.95 L) | 1 hr 15 min |
Weigh the salt when you can. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts.
Warning
Do not brine longer than 1 hr 15 min. America's Test Kitchen gives 1 hour for hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds and 1 hour 15 minutes for hens of 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Applies to: 2 lb (0.91 kg).
At the standard strength, one 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) hen needs 43.2 g of salt: 3/8 cup of Diamond Crystal kosher, 3 Tbsp of Morton kosher or 2 1/2 Tbsp of table salt. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts, so weigh the salt. The kosher versus table salt guide covers the difference.
Warning
This combination is outside what the sources support, so the calculator does not recommend it. At the standard strength, the source time table ends at 1.5 lb (0.68 kg). At 2 lb (0.91 kg) the time is not covered, so the result shows the last row and is not recommended.
Note
The water shown is a default of 0.5 quarts per pound of food. Use enough water to cover the food completely. The salt follows the water: if you use a different amount of water, enter it in the calculator and the salt changes with it.
For several hens, the America's Test Kitchen recipes brine four to six hens together in 4 to 5 quarts of water. To follow that, enter the water amount in the calculator and the salt follows it.
Handling hens
The standard strength is sourced only for hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb (0.6 to 0.7 kg), so larger hens are not recommended at that strength. The stronger brine covers up to 2 lb (0.9 kg) with an extra 15 minutes, 1 hour 15 minutes in all, for hens over 1 1/2 lb. Remove the hens at the time in the table for the strength and size you use.
Pat the birds dry afterward, as Amazing Ribs says a wet surface steams and does not brown, and Destination BBQ says to air-dry the skin. Amazing Ribs prefers a dry brine for skin-on poultry, which the dry brine chicken guide covers. Cook to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. The shared steps are in how to brine meat.
Safety
Warning
Do not brine longer than 3 hr at the standard strength. America's Test Kitchen gives 3 hours as the longest time at this strength. At the stronger strength, do not brine longer than 1 hr (hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb) or 1 hr 15 min (hens of 1 1/2 to 2 lb). America's Test Kitchen gives 1 hour for hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb and 1 hour 15 minutes for hens of 1 1/2 to 2 lb. The guide to over-brining has the salt-uptake test and what to do about meat that stayed in too long.
The refrigeration, brine disposal and pre-salted meat rules in the calculator above apply to every wet brine and are explained in the brine food safety guide. In short: brine at 40°F (4°C) or below, throw the brine out after use, and do not brine poultry sold as basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher. The USDA FSIS says those labels mean a solution was added during processing.
Practical problems
The hens are larger than 1 1/2 lb. Use the stronger brine, which has a row for 1 1/2 to 2 lb hens, and keep to its 1 hour 15 minute limit.
You have only one hen. Use the water amount in the table, which scales with the weight, and make sure the hen is fully covered.
Other poultry. A whole chicken takes hours at the standard strength, and the chicken brine time chart lists all the cuts.
Frequently asked questions
How long should you brine a Cornish hen?
At the default 6.09% strength a hen of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb (0.57 to 0.68 kg) takes 2 to 3 hours, with 3 hours as the maximum. The stronger 7.61% brine takes 1 hour for the same size hen.
How much salt does a Cornish hen need?
For one 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) hen at the default strength, use 0.75 quart (0.71 L) of water and 43.2 g (1.52 oz) of salt. That is 3/8 cup Diamond Crystal kosher, 3 Tbsp Morton kosher or 2 1/2 Tbsp table salt.
Can you brine a 2 lb Cornish hen?
Not at the standard strength. The source covers hens of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb (0.57 to 0.68 kg), so 2 lb (0.91 kg) is flagged not recommended. At the stronger strength a 2 lb hen is 1 hour 15 minutes.
Can you brine Cornish hens overnight?
No. The maximum is 3 hours at the default strength and 1 hour 15 minutes at the stronger one. The Splendid Table gives 4 to 8 hours for whole chickens and Cornish hens but states no salt amount, so the calculator does not pair it with a strength.
Should you brine a Cornish hen that is labeled kosher or self-basting?
No. Morton Salt advises against brining meat labeled basted, enhanced, marinated or kosher, and Destination BBQ says such meat is essentially pre-brined.
Sources
- Roast Stuffed Cornish Hens (America's Test Kitchen)
- Grill-Roasted Cornish Game Hens on a Charcoal Grill (America's Test Kitchen)
- Poultry: Basting, Brining, and Marinating (USDA FSIS)
- Wet Brining vs Dry Brining (AmazingRibs.com)
- It's Time To Brine (Morton Salt)
- The Simple Blonder Brine recipe (AmazingRibs.com)