Tried brining my chicken thighs for 6 hours instead of overnight and they came out way saltier

I always figured longer = better with brines, you know? Last week I had a rush order for 40 covers and only had 6 hours to brine the thighs before service. Figured they'd be under-seasoned but nope, they were actually borderline too salty. Guess the smaller cuts don't need as much time as the whole birds. Anyone else run into this with dark meat vs white meat timing?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_henderson17d ago

Last time I did chicken thighs I only brined them 4 hours and they came out spot on. The salt penetrates faster in smaller cuts, especially dark meat. You probably don't need more than 4-5 hours max for thighs.

kellymurphy17d agoMost Upvoted

Dark meat's got more fat and connective tissue, so it can handle a stronger salt hit before it tips over into oversalted territory. But the brine still works faster on those thighs since they're not as thick as a whole breast or bird. Four hours has been my sweet spot for years, anything past six and you're basically curing them. I'd rather pull them early and let the salt settle during the rest than risk a salt lick on the plate.