WOULD IT SURPRISE you to learn that the secret to deeply flavorful roast chicken is beer? It surprised us.
Let us back up for a moment. Over the years, we’ve learned that it’s best to treat a chicken with salt before roasting, whether it be through a brine (submerging the bird in a salt solution) or a “dry brine,” which entails rubbing the chicken with salt (and other seasonings). The salt seasons the meat and also chemically helps it retain moisture during the cooking process.
Through our testing, we foundis, and that acidity helps tenderize the meat during an overnight brine. And while acidity can inhibit browning, that effect is negated by sugar—both the sugar in the beer and the brown sugar we add to this brine. Patting the brined bird dry and rubbing it with oil before roasting also helps encourage dark, flavorful browning. The resulting roasted chicken emerges from the oven with beautiful mahogany skin.
