Pour Coffee In Your Chicken Brine For An Even Tastier Experience

Brining chicken results in incredibly juicy, tender meat that is evenly infused with rich spices and flavors. Salt brines can relax muscle proteins to prevent moisture loss during the cooking process. Brines that contain sugar, herbs, and other seasonings allow those flavors to penetrate deep within the meat so that it's seasoned from within. For an even tastier chicken brine, consider using black coffee. Tasting Table spoke with Dennis Littley, the chef and culinary expert behind Ask Chef Dennis, for some tips.

Littley gave us deeper insight into the benefits of adding coffee to a wet brine when preparing chicken. "Adding coffee to your brine adds a rich, savory taste to your chicken that won't make it taste like you put coffee in it," he says. "It has roasted and slightly bitter elements that will enhance the natural flavors of your meat by providing a counterbalance. This process provides the opportunity for the chicken to rest and absorb all of the liquid components of the brine (salt and sugar) allowing for greater retention of moisture."

These benefits even extend beyond the cooking process, according to Littley: "When cooked, coffee enhances browning, but specifically when grilling or roasting chicken as the roasted flavors in the coffee are enhanced when combined with the charred/caramelized flavors of the grilled/roasted chicken." Brining chicken also helps you avoid a classic mistake: Overcooking your meat and allowing it to get dried out. For the best results, choose the coffee type and roast carefully, and only use black coffee.

Because brining chicken is important to its final flavor and texture, you should take care when choosing the coffee. "I would recommend a medium or dark-roasted coffee," Littley says. "These types of coffee have full bodied, smooth and low acidity. If you use light-roast coffee, the sharpness may compete with the chicken instead of add[ing] to its flavor. Another great way to get a smooth, mellow flavor from your coffee is through cold-brewed coffee. This type of brewing is typically less acidic and has less bitterness [than] other forms of brewing."

There are also some coffee beans you should steer clear of, as they could add unpleasant notes or overpowering aromas or flavors. "In general, I would advise against using flavored coffee," he continue. "Flavored coffee is going to overpower the entire dish and add an artificial element to it." 

You should also pay attention to the undernotes represented in the coffee you choose, and consider those flavor notes when building a meal around your brined chicken. Make sure you're choosing other dishes that complement the flavors the coffee will infuse in your chicken. Littley offers some pairings: "Some foods pair very well with a coffee-brined chicken including; garlic, smoked-paprika, black-pepper, thyme, rosemary, brown-sugar/molasses, and citrus/orange peels. All of these ingredients complement the roasted flavor profile and do not overpower it."

Littley also has tips on how to properly use this chef-approved coffee trick for better chicken: make sure to properly time the brining process. "It's important to remember that timing plays a role in how much flavor the chicken absorbs from the brine," he says. "Too long and the chicken may absorb [too] much flavor and become overly dominant and possibly even slightly bitter. The goal here should be to develop a subtle depth of flavor in addition to a richer overall flavor." Brining your chicken for longer than two hours can cause it to get mushy, as well.

A too-short brining period may also be detrimental, as the flavors may not have time to fully penetrate the meat. You should aim for at least 30 minutes for roasted, broiled, braised, or grilled chicken. However, you should consider an overnight brine for fried chicken. Because the chicken will be fried in extremely hot oil, it is at a greater risk of becoming shrunken, dried out, and tough if it isn't properly prepared first. Letting your chicken marinate overnight can significantly reduce moisture loss during the frying process and allow the brine's flavors to fully infuse with the meat, resulting in perfectly seasoned, juicy, tender fried chicken.