Question about injecting meat

[junep]

My new Charbroil just finished the 45 minute seasoning, and I have my shopping list ready to head to the store with me; but I bought one of those injectors I've seen people using on you tube and BBQ shows, but what do you inject with and how much do you know how to use?

Normally I just roast a chicken seasoned with salt and pepper in and out, and  stuffed with some garlic, orange, apple and onion wedges, and sit it on top of more of those with some celery, carrots, etc. and pour over more orange juice and pale dry sherry. So all those flavor permeate the meat and make a lovely, natural sauce; but since I read that you don't stuff a chicken when cooking in the big easy, I figure the only way to get flavor must be to inject it and use some kind of a rub; but I have no idea what to use or how much to use. I could probably find some recipes on line for what to inject, but have no idea how much to use for a 3 lb chicken! Thanks for any help.

[Pam Gould]

I usually brine my birds, but yours is small..go for a stick of butter, I add gahhlick and whatever else flavor I like.    .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[Pappymn]

Brining works great. But as Pam said, butter with some herbs is really good too. One stick should be enough for a small chicken

[Tailgating is my game]

I like  chicken with S & p some garlic powder & just that.  The big easy cooks it so good as is. I think some people put butter under the skin......

[junep]

I usually brine my birds, but yours is small..go for a stick of butter, I add gahhlick and whatever else flavor I like.    .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

Thanks. I couldn't find a 3 lb chicken on sale. I had to settle for a 5 lb; but I'll just roast that one in the oven if friends want to come for dinner Friday or Saturday. I had to go to a second store where I found a 4 lb one. So I'll probably cook that one for myself and eat a lot of leftovers. 

[junep]

Brining works great. But as Pam said, butter with some herbs is really good too. One stick should be enough for a small chicken

I think I'll do just that. Thanks for your suggestion.

[junep]

I like  chicken with S & p some garlic powder & just that.  The big easy cooks it so good as is. I think some people put butter under the skin......

Thanks, I'll salt and pepper in an out, and rub it with some butter that I've melted with some crushed garlic, since I try to use fresh garlic whenever possible (I grow my own, and have just harvested several bulbs). I too, like a bit of garlic flavor in my roast chicken and usually put a couple of cloves in the cavity when roasting.

[TMB]

BUTTER!!!  I love to add spices to butter and inject then coat the skin with the leftover injection

[teesquare]

And...as much as I hate to offer this advise as a healthy alternative... I have used chicken broth with seasoning that have been steeped or simmered in it.

And - if you can - allow some time to let the seasoning method of choice some time to permeate the meat and spread itself around a in the muscle tissues. Bear in mind - it is best to chill any injection material to 40F or lower  - and keep the chicken cold as you can too. Food safety announcement over now....

[junep]

Butter should be it's own food group. I'll have to try that - just better and spices? I'm thinking I could melt the butter with some sliced fresh garlic and and a few fresh sage leave, salt and maybe a touch of cayenne, and use that. I have a recipe for rock cornish hens that calls for putting a few fresh sage leaves under the skin and it's a delicious recipe, so maybe seasoning the butter with the sage, garlic, butter and maybe a touch of lemon might be a nice marinade to inject and use on the outside as well. I'll just use a quarter of a lb of butter as one member suggested, and take a chance. Thanks!

BUTTER!!!  I love to add spices to butter and inject then coat the skin with the leftover injection

[junep]

Good advice. I think I could probably use a herb, spice, garlic, lemon juice infused butter on the exterior, then use chicken broth with the butter mix as the injection marinade. I do like food experimenting. Now I just have to figure when I'll be able to try this!

And...as much as I hate to offer this advise as a healthy alternative... I have used chicken broth with seasoning that have been steeped or simmered in it.

And - if you can - allow some time to let the seasoning method of choice some time to permeate the meat and spread itself around a in the muscle tissues. Bear in mind - it is best to chill any injection material to 40F or lower  - and keep the chicken cold as you can too. Food safety announcement over now....

[Pam Gould]

Butter should be it's own food group. I'll have to try that - just better and spices? I'm thinking I could melt the butter with some sliced fresh garlic and and a few fresh sage leave, salt and maybe a touch of cayenne, and use that. I have a recipe for rock cornish hens that calls for putting a few fresh sage leaves under the skin and it's a delicious recipe, so maybe seasoning the butter with the sage, garlic, butter and maybe a touch of lemon might be a nice marinade to inject and use on the outside as well. I'll just use a quarter of a lb of butter as one member suggested, and take a chance. Thanks!

BUTTER!!!  I love to add spices to butter and inject then coat the skin with the leftover injection

a small suggestion..watch if you put herbs on the outside of the chicken..they will burn in the big easy...put under the skin or in your marinade.   .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

[Hub]

My favorite injection for chicken is EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) infused with garlic.  Mash and mince five or six garlic cloves until they are very fine textured and mix in the olive oil without making any blockage for the injection needle.  Use about 2/3 of your injection (half a cup for a 4-5 lb. bird) in the breasts -- injecting both deep and shallow, lots of small injections to distribute evenly.  The remaining 1/3 goes in the meaty portions of the legs, same method.  Thighs don't really need the injection as much due to their excellent natural fat/lean balance but you can add a little if you want.

Injections in meats that tend to be dry (e.g. chicken breast meat and brisket) can make a huge difference in juiciness and contribute a little extra flavor to bland meats, too.  As several suggest, you can use butter for extra richness.  I like the EVOO because it doesn't overpower the chicken meat flavor quite as much.

Here's a "Basics" article on marinades, injections, and brines:  http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=17977.0

Hub

[Tailgating is my game]

Butter should be it's own food group. I'll have to try that - just better and spices? I'm thinking I could melt the butter with some sliced fresh garlic and and a few fresh sage leave, salt and maybe a touch of cayenne, and use that. I have a recipe for rock cornish hens that calls for putting a few fresh sage leaves under the skin and it's a delicious recipe, so maybe seasoning the butter with the sage, garlic, butter and maybe a touch of lemon might be a nice marinade to inject and use on the outside as well. I'll just use a quarter of a lb of butter as one member suggested, and take a chance. Thanks!

BUTTER!!!  I love to add spices to butter and inject then coat the skin with the leftover injection

a small suggestion..watch if you put herbs on the outside of the chicken..they will burn in the big easy...put under the skin or in your marinade.   .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.

What did the chicken say to Pam?






You are getting under my skin


I have never done that but it sounds great......I got to try that without pulling the skin apart

[Pam Gould]

TG..just put 1 finger under the skin and start going across chicken skin sideways..it will separate easily for ya to do what ya gotta do..good luck..it's easier than you think.. .☆´¯`•.¸¸. ི♥ྀ.