Herbie Creative Recipes

Smoky Citrus Heritage Rooster Brine

Name: Smoky Citrus Heritage Rooster Brine
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1440 min
Total time: 24 h 30 min
Yield: 1 gallon brine (1 bird)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 gallon water; 1/4 gallon pineapple juice, or 2 cups pineapple juice + 2 cups water; 1/2 cup kosher salt (or 6 tbsp table salt); 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar; 1 orange, sliced with peel; 1 lemon, sliced; 1 whole onion, quartered; 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

One-gallon smoky citrus brine with pineapple juice, citrus, Worcestershire, and smoked paprika for an older rooster or chicken.

Condiments American 1 gallon brine (1 bird) Prep 30 min Cook 1440 min Total 24 hrs 30 min

5.0 (1 review)

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Ingredients

3/4 gallon water
1/4 gallon pineapple juice, or 2 cups pineapple juice + 2 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt (or 6 tbsp table salt)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 orange, sliced with peel
1 lemon, sliced
1 whole onion, quartered
4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large pot, combine 2-3 cups water with salt, sugar, honey, paprika, cayenne, mustard seed, garlic, onion, citrus, bay, peppercorns, and Worcestershire.
Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Prep
Add pineapple juice and remaining cold water to reach 1 gallon total liquid. Chill completely before adding the bird.

Cooking
Submerge the chicken and refrigerate 12-24 hours.
Rinse well, pat dry thoroughly, and optionally air-dry in the fridge 4+ hours before smoking or cooking. Apply a light rub if desired.

Notes

Custom mix of smoky BBQ and citrus brine flavors using pantry spices.

Reviews

5.0

1 review

5 stars 1
4 stars 0
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1 star 0

Anonymous 2026-08-12

Smoky citrus brine. Chicken came out juicy.