Dry Brine Chicken: Salt per Pound and Time

A dry brine for chicken is salt rubbed on the surface with no water. The calculator's default is 0.31% of the chicken's weight, about 1/2 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal per pound. For a 4 lb (1.81 kg) chicken that is 5.6 g (0.2 oz) of salt, salted for 2 hours to 1 day in the refrigerator.

A dry brine adds no liquid. If you would rather soak the bird, the whole chicken wet brine guide covers that method, and wet versus dry brine compares the two.

Salt amount

The calculator has three amounts for chicken. All of them are a percentage of the chicken's weight, weighed before salting.

• Light, 0.31%: about 1/2 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal per pound, 2 hours to 1 day. AmazingRibs and Char-Broil both give 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound. It is the lowest of the three amounts and the calculator's default.
• Bone-in pieces, 0.46%: 3/4 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal per pound for skin-on pieces, 6 hours to 1 day, from America's Test Kitchen (ATK).
• Standard, 0.62%: 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal per pound for a whole chicken, 6 hours to 1 day. ATK and Milk Street both give about this amount.

The sources differ on how much salt a chicken needs. AmazingRibs and Char-Broil give 1/2 teaspoon per pound, while ATK and Milk Street give 3/4 to 1 teaspoon per pound. None of the sources names a salt brand in the light amount, so the calculator reads "kosher salt" as Diamond Crystal, the lightest of the three common salts. Choose the amount that matches how salty you want the meat, and start at the default if you are unsure.

Salt and time by weight

Weights are for the whole chicken or the bone-in pieces together. The amount is by weight first, then by volume for each salt type, because the same volume of different salts weighs different amounts. A teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs 2.8 g, Morton kosher 4.8 g and table salt 6 g, so weighing is the reliable way to measure. The kosher versus table salt guide explains the difference.

Light, 0.31% (default)

Bone-in pieces, 0.46%

Standard, 0.62%

How to dry brine chicken

1. Weigh the chicken before salting and find the row for your weight and salt type in the table above.
2. Measure the salt, preferably on a scale.
3. Spread the salt over the surface. ATK puts salt in the cavity and under the skin of the breasts and legs for a whole chicken, and between the skin and meat for pieces.
4. Set the chicken on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet in the refrigerator, at 40°F (4°C) or below, for the time in the table. Wrap it first if you follow ATK and are salting past 12 hours.
5. Cook the chicken without rinsing it. AmazingRibs says not to rinse the salt off before cooking.
6. Cook to a safe temperature. FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F (74°C) for poultry.

Covered or uncovered

The sources differ on covering. Milk Street leaves the chicken uncovered in the refrigerator overnight and says the salt acts as a drying agent, so the skin dries and crisps when roasted. ATK sets the chicken on a rack and wraps it in plastic if it is salted for longer than 12 hours.

The calculator does not choose between them. ATK wraps the chicken only when it is salted for more than 12 hours, so for shorter times both sources leave it unwrapped. Past 12 hours the two differ, and the whole time stays at or below 24 hours either way.

Why the time stops at 1 day

Salt on the surface pulls moisture out of the meat. The moisture dissolves the salt, and the resulting brine is reabsorbed. ATK says the salt also changes the muscle proteins so they hold more of their own juices, and AmazingRibs describes the same sequence, with the salt drawing water out first and the meat taking it back in.

Milk Street says the longer the chicken sits, the more flavorful it becomes, and it says not to go past 24 hours. ATK gives 24 hours as the longest time, and Char-Broil gives 24 hours with its plastic-bag method and states no maximum, so the calculator stops there. The guide on over-brining covers how too much salt or time affects meat in general.

Practical problems

• The chicken is too salty: Check the salt type first. The Morton note above applies, and table salt is denser still, at 6 g per teaspoon. Count any salt in a rub or a pan sauce as well.
• The skin is not dry: Milk Street credits the uncovered rest, with the salt acting as a drying agent, for dry skin that crisps when roasted. ATK's wrapped option is a different setup.
• You are short on time: The default light amount can be salted for as little as 2 hours. The other two amounts start at 6 hours.
• You want more than one chicken or a larger bird: The calculator accepts 2 lb (0.91 kg) to 8 lb (3.63 kg). Enter the weight in the calculator for the exact salt.

Safety and sodium

The salted chicken stays in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time, and the time stays at 1 day or less. The food safety guide for brining covers handling in more detail.

Related guides

Chicken breasts that are cooked on their own are covered in the chicken breast wet brine guide. The dry brine time chart puts every dry brine food side by side, and the dry brine turkey guide applies the same method to a larger bird. The chicken brine time chart lists wet brine times across cuts.