Dry Brine Spatchcock Chicken: Salt Amount, Time

A dry brine for a spatchcock chicken is salt applied to the skin and meat with no water. The calculator's default is 0.21% of the chicken's weight. For a 4 lb (1.81 kg) chicken that is 3.8 g (0.13 oz), about 1 1/4 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal, uncovered in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.

None of the pages the calculator uses is specifically about dry brining a spatchcocked chicken. The numbers come from recipes for butterflied or spatchcocked chickens, listed below. The dry brine chicken guide covers whole chickens and pieces from general salting sources, and wet versus dry brine compares salting with soaking.

Salt amount

Weigh the whole chicken before it is spatchcocked. The times apply to a whole chicken, spatchcocked (butterflied), of 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. The calculator accepts 3 lb (1.36 kg) to 6 lb (2.72 kg).

• Light, 0.21%, 6 to 24 hours: from The Kitchn's grilled spatchcock chicken. The dry brine is 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt mixed with 2 tablespoons of jerk seasoning for a 4 to 5 pound chicken, refrigerated uncovered on a rack for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. That is 4.2 g on about 4.5 lb, or 0.21 percent. ATK's grill-roasted butterflied chicken uses about 0.31 percent for 1 to 24 hours. The lower amount and the longer minimum are used.
• Standard, 0.58%, 1 to 24 hours: from ATK's pollo al mattone, a butterflied chicken cooked under a brick. It uses 4 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal for a 4 to 4 1/2 pound chicken: 3/4 teaspoon under the skin of each breast and each leg and 1 teaspoon in the cavity. The chicken can be refrigerated uncovered for up to 24 hours. The Kitchn's sheet pan spatchcocked chicken works out to about 0.66 percent and gives the 1 hour minimum, so the minimum for this amount comes from The Kitchn.

The sources do not agree on the amount, and none of them is a page about dry brining a spatchcocked chicken. Choose the light amount if you want the lightest salting any of these recipes shows, and the standard amount if you want the level of the pollo al mattone recipe. ATK's general chicken salting page, which does not mention spatchcocked or butterflied chicken, gives 1 teaspoon per pound, about 0.62 percent, for a whole chicken for 6 to 24 hours. That page is not used for the numbers above.

Which salt the amounts assume

The Kitchn's grilled recipe and ATK's grill-roasted recipe say "kosher salt" without a brand, so the calculator reads it as Diamond Crystal at 2.8 g per teaspoon, the lightest of the three common salts. The Kitchn's sheet pan recipe says 2 teaspoons of fine salt or double that of coarser kosher salt, and the page does not name a brand.

Salt and time by weight

Amounts are by weight first, then by volume for each salt type. A teaspoon of Diamond Crystal weighs 2.8 g, Morton kosher 4.8 g and table salt 6 g. The same volume of different salts weighs different amounts, and weighing is the reliable way to measure. The kosher versus table salt guide explains the crystal differences.

Light, 0.21%, 6 to 24 hours (default)

Standard, 0.58%, 1 to 24 hours

How to dry brine a spatchcock chicken

1. Weigh the whole chicken before spatchcocking, then spatchcock it and find the row for your weight, salt type and amount.
2. Measure the salt, preferably on a scale. ATK puts it under the skin of the breasts and legs and in the cavity, and The Kitchn rubs it on with the seasoning.
3. Set the chicken on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate it uncovered at 40°F (4°C) or below for the time in the table.
4. Cook the chicken. ATK's pollo al mattone page says to pat the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking.
5. Check the temperature with a thermometer. FoodSafety.gov lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for chicken, turkey and other poultry.

Uncovered in the refrigerator

The sources leave the chicken uncovered. The Kitchn's grilled recipe sets it skin side up on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and says dry brining dries out the skin for crispiness, and ATK says the chicken can be refrigerated uncovered for up to 24 hours. AmazingRibs also leaves poultry uncovered on a rack in a pan so the skin dries out a bit, and says salt penetrates chicken and turkey skin.

Choosing a time within the window

The light amount lists 6 to 24 hours and the standard amount lists 1 to 24 hours. The 1 hour minimum is The Kitchn's, and the sources do not say how the result differs between 1 hour and 24 hours. The 24 hour limit applies to both amounts.

The over-brining guide explains why meat has a maximum brine time.

What the salt does

According to AmazingRibs, salt on the surface draws water out of the meat, the water dissolves the salt, and the meat reabsorbs the moisture and brings the salt in with it. The article also says the salt alters the proteins so they retain more water.

Practical problems

• The chicken is too salty: Check the salt type first. The same volume of Morton kosher gives about 1.7 times as much salt by weight as Diamond Crystal, and table salt gives more than twice. Count any salt already in a seasoning or rub.
• A larger or smaller chicken: The times apply to 3 1/2 to 5 pounds. The calculator accepts 3 lb (1.36 kg) to 6 lb (2.72 kg), so enter your weight in the calculator.
• Chicken that is not spatchcocked: The dry brine chicken guide lists amounts for whole chickens and pieces. For soaking a whole bird in water, see the whole chicken wet brine guide.
• Comparing foods: The dry brine time chart lists every dry brine food, and the chicken brine time chart covers wet brining by cut.

Safety and sodium

Keep the chicken at 40°F (4°C) or below the whole time. The brining food safety guide covers refrigerator handling.