Think of chicken like a sponge—but a picky one. A boneless, skinless chicken breast is thin and eager to soak up flavor, so it only needs 30 minutes to 2 hours. Leave it longer, and it turns into a mushy, sad sponge. Nobody wants a sad sponge for dinner.
On the other hand, a whole chicken or bone-in thighs are tough cookies. They can handle a longer bath, from 4 to 12 hours. Just don’t push it past 24 hours, or your chicken might start plotting revenge (also, it gets weirdly mushy).
And drumsticks? They’re the Goldilocks of poultry. 2 to 6 hours is your sweet spot. Too short, and they’re bland. Too long, and they’ll taste like they’ve been swimming in a science experiment.
