How to Inject a Whole Chicken

Got a late start on your dinner? Want to have something really awesome, but you are not sure what? Of course, this article presumes that you have enough warning to thaw out a chicken (or go buy one).

Ingredients

2 ounces of butter
2 cups apple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1 whole chicken, thawed

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Injection Mixture

1
Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan.
2
Bring the liquid to a boil.

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3
Allow to cool to room temperature.
4
Inject into the chicken.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Injecting the Chicken

1
Pour the infusion into something like a tall shot glass so that the syringe will work.
2
Be aware that you must be very careful with the needle and do not puncture the skin. Your chicken will leak all of the flavorful juices out.
3
Find places where you can enter the meat without compromising the skin.
4
Use two full syringes for each breast. This will help keep your breasts from being so dry.
5
In the legs, you will need to find a point of entry at the very bottom where the feet were.
6
Continue infusing the chicken, until you have used all of the mixture. Try to share it equally on both sides of the bird.

Community Q&A

Question

How long do I let this injection stay in the chicken before I cook it?

Stephen Granat

Community Answer

You may cook the chicken immediately after injection, but waiting allows the injection to penetrate more of the meat, spreading the taste. Most recommend waiting at least an hour and some say up to 24 hours is best. I shy away from the very long wait times since injections that contain salt and/or acid (i.e. lemon juice) can tend to make the meat mushy. I prefer 3 hours to overnight (8 to 12 hours) at most.
Question

How long do I inject the chicken before cooking? Is the cooking time reduced, and if so, by approximately how long?

Michele

Top Answerer

You can inject chicken right before cooking, or place it in a plastic bag or bowl with the remaining marinade and let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour (up to 24 hours). The longer it sits, the more time the marinade has to work its way into the meat. The cooking time will remain the same, but always go by temperature, not time. Internal temperature should be 155 degrees F for white meat, 165 for dark. Allow to sit for 5 minutes so the residual heat will bring the chicken up to perfect temperature without drying it out.