Recipe

Better Beer Can Chicken Recipe

Add Step-by-Step Photos	Lillyann / All my dishes 1 year, 10 months ago The master recipe for the beer-can chicken, the show stopper that will dazzle your family and friends. If you’ve never made beer-can chicken before, start here, and once you’ve mastered the basic procedure, there’s no limit to its variations. N... More Prep:15m Cook:90m Servings:4	Lillyann
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Ingredients

The Chicken

1 can (12 ounces) beer ( I always use a Bud =)

1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

2 tablespoons All-Purpose Barbecue Rub (recipe below) or your favorite commercial rub

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

4 cloves of crushed garlic

1 small onion, chopped

salt and pepper

BBQ Rub

1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sweet paprika

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

BBQ Rub

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. (Your fingers actually work better for mixing the rub than a spoon or whisk does.) Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 6 months. Makes about 3/4 cup

The Beer Can Chicken:

Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer (3/4 cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks, or reserve for another use (Drink it!)

If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Put a couple cloves of crushed garlic, some onion, some salt and pepper in the beer. Set the can of beer aside.

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water and then drain and blot dry, inside and out, with paper towels.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of rub and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.

If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod, so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can. If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer mixture and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all of the wood chips or chunks on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 180°F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 11/4 to 11/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you’ll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter. If cooking on a roaster: Use oven mitts or pot holders to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.

Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.

Variations - You can also barbecue a chicken on a can of cola, lemon-lime soda, or root beer. Use a "tall boy" (16 ounce) can of beer to barbecue a capon or duck. Use a "mini" (8 ounce) can of beer to barbecue a game hen.

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Comments

cheryilyn 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Haven't tried this yet, but will in the near future

jenniferbyrdez 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Love beer can chicken and the kids got a new grill for Christmas. Can't wait.

shirleyoma 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Love beer can chicken! what can I say... 5
lol

kochhexe 1 year, 10 months ago said:
I've never heard of this strange american custom of bbqing chicken - but i am certain my son and his friends will love it. i'll be sure to surprise them as soon as bbq season is here again! thank you for posting and sharing!

mrtnzangel8 1 year, 10 months ago said:
We do alot of drunken chickens in the summer and sometimes in the oven through winter. We like to use a cajun spice rub. Great post!

wolfpackjack 1 year, 10 months ago said:
This looks awesome... 5 5 5 I say!!.... thanks.

lillyann 1 year, 10 months ago said:
I NEVER wait for the "season" to make this =) Not even in Chicago. We'd had enough of Turkey after this past Thanksgiving, so this was our Christmas feast. BBQ'd 3 of them outside--in Chicago--on Christmas day. It was fun and much better than deep fried turkey!

winny 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Making these for the Super Bowl party too! Love the version of rub.

werblondz 1 year, 10 months ago said:
This sounds fantastic I can't wait to try it. I use my grill all the time even in the dead of winter here in WI too! I can't believe that I haven't tried this myself yet......I will soon!

gingerlea 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Used to fix all the time when lived in Panhandle and Mississippi. Can't grill where we now live to really miss it.

zena824 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Make beer can chicken all the time... Will try this variation...thanks for the wonderful post!!!!

vulcans_grill 1 year, 10 months ago said:
Beer can chicken, Bud beer...stop, your killin me!!! No one is that perfect...lol

knoxcop 1 year, 10 months ago said:
I've read about this kind of chicken for a long time. Tell me---does the beer have an effect on the flavor of the chicken, or is it more for novelty purposes?
Thanks,
--Kn0x--

juliecake 1 year, 7 months ago said:
I've seen many variations of this but I do believe your is one of the best!! Thanks will be trying this soon.

lincolntoot 1 year, 5 months ago said:
Making this tonight. Can't wait - sounds delicious. Thanks

lincolntoot 1 year, 5 months ago said:
Made this tonight as I said and will make this again and again and again!!! Was so good!!!

mrtnzangel8 1 year, 2 months ago said:
I stand corrected...we did this with a BBQ rub and it was fantastic! Way better than the cajun spice. :)

rottman 2 months, 4 weeks ago said:
Tried this last evening. Dynamite! Thanks. The combination of adding the garlic, onion, etc to the beer, and the excellent rub, make this recipe outstanding.

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