Editor's note:The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's Web site,girlsatthegrill.com.
This is the basic recipe for beer-can chicken. The origin of this recipe has as many stories as there are grill cooks.
The one I like best goes something like this: A barbecue pit master had been drinking beer—the officially sanctioned barbecue-circuit beverage—all day when he realized that he was going to need to eat something if he was going to last all night and into the next morning tending his slow-cooked barbecue. So, he opened his rig (a smoker-grill that is large enough for several whole hogs) and set his beer down on the cooking grate to get something small to cook from his cooler. He picked up a chicken and put it on top of his half-full can of beer without noticing what he was doing. He looked for his beer, couldn't find it, and popped open another one without a second thought. That is, until he opened the grill an hour later and, lo and behold, perched on the grates of his rig was the first beer-can chicken!
Regardless of the story, it is truly the best chicken you have ever tasted!
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
Step 1
Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
Step 2
Remove neck and giblets and pat dry chicken with paper towels. Brush chicken all over with oil and season with 2 tablespoons dry rub or simply with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 3
Open beer can, pour out about 1/4 cup of the beer, and make an extra hole in top of the can with church-key can opener. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of the dry rub inside beer can (it might fizz up a little bit at the top, but don't worry, that is normal).
Step 4
Hold chicken above the can of beer and slide the chicken over the can, making sure the legs are in front of the can. The legs will act as a tripod, steadying the chicken as it cooks. The chicken will appear to be "sitting" on the grate. Fold the wings back behind the chicken—this is called "wings akimbo."
Step 5
Place chicken on the beer can in the center of the grill's cooking grate. Make sure the legs are in front of the can, supporting the chicken.
Step 6
Cook chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
When removing chicken from grate, be careful not to spill contents of beer can, as it will be very hot. Use a pair of locking tongs and grab the bottom of the beer can and place on a platter or cutting board to cool.
Leave a Review
Reviews (12)
Back to TopLove this recipe! Comes out great EVERY SINGLE TIME!
bcreight
Littleton, CO
12/10/2017
自11月…我决定尝试这个in the oven. So far, I've made this twice and it's the best chicken of my life! The first time I used PBR (a lighter beer), the second time a darker bear from 1st Amendment in San Francisco. The chicken is sooo moist and the skin perfectly golden and crispy. I baked this in the oven at 350 for at least an hour and a half. The second time, I did two birds at a time, so it was probably closer to 2 hours... the meat just fell from the bone. It was incredible!! I cook them in my large All Clad roasting pan, and surround the birds with fingerling potatoes, brussel sprouts, and gizzards. I have used a rub both times with a mixture of Michael Chiarello's (Napa Style) Chardonnay and Oak Smoked Salt with provencal herbs. Also about equal parts of EVOO and clarified butter (ghee - which has a much higher smoke-point and lower salt content). I brush this mixture over the bird before cooking, then baste several times throughout the baking process (as you would a turkey). At the end, be sure to pour the remaining beer out of the can and keep this liquid along with any other that accumulates in the bottom of the pan. This will be the base of the best chicken stock of our life! This might just become a weekly tradition in my household.
NapaCruiseDir
Napa Valley, California
11/20/2013
Loved this! Used a charcoal grill with indirect heat. My spice rub was what I had on hand...a 1/4 cup Italian seasoning, 1/2 t. garlic powder,2 T. of low sodium season salt and 1T. Wye River Spicy Black Formula. Used rub inside and out side of bird. I also set the beer and bird in a disposable aluminum pan. 7 lb.chicken took about 1 3/4 hrs. For a side dish I cut white potatoes into large wedges, drizzled with olive oil and used some of the dry rub for the potatoes. Put them in a disposable aluminum pan covered with foil and put them on the grill while the bird was resting.They needed to be tossed a few times so they didn't burn on the bottom. A fresh green salad and voila! The meal was fabulous and I will do it again, and again!
packygirl
Hampton MD
7/19/2012
做这道菜现在和两次b的两倍een DELICIOUS! Our charcoal grill would not fit a chicken once the lid goes on so made it on gas grill. A 4 lb chicken took about 1 1/2 hours on med low indirect heat. SO moist and tender!!
Explaaaurra
Lancaster PA
8/21/2011
Have been skeptical about these recipes and was pleasantly surprised. Have used a vertical roaster for years with great success, tried this technique and was very happy with the results. My husband kept raving about it. Didn't use a beer can since don't like the idea of cooking on an aluminum can--bought a chicken roaster for the process (on sale at Williams Sonoma) which seemed more stable. Used some blackening spices and added some hot peppers to the beer. Didn't use chips. Turned out great--very moist meat, crispy skin, great flavor. This is a very good technique and anyone can do it at any skill level.
Anonymous
highland park il
7/26/2011
Wow!! We used beer, our favorite spices and cooked it on the charcoal grill with some mesquite. It was super moist and DELICIOUS. So easy.
Mamacujo
Jax, Fl
8/16/2010
Beer is just option to use for this method of cooking whole chicken. I have used pineapple juice, cola, etc and all seem to work nicely. I usually add a bay leaf and a few other things to the liquid like chopped garlic or rosemary to ramp up the flavor. I find this to be my favorite method for cooking chicken on the BBQ or in the oven.
azamuner73
2/2/2010
I've been making this for years, though I use a smoker - I also use Season-All inside & out of the chicken before I add the other ditties. I insert 5 to 6 cloves of garlic under the skin of the breast, thighs & legs - more in cavity of the chicken if there is room after inserting a cut up apple or pear. Rosemary leaves and garlic is awesome too. I always use a cheap beer - a single that is larger than a 12 oz though I don't know how many oz the can actually is. I use cherry or apple wood chunks in the smoker with the regular charcoal briquets - for a slightly sweet taste in the meat. (The fruit inside the chicken cavity also adds a little sweetness as well).
Anonymous
8/5/2009
Haven`t tried the oven yet, but it works in the oven. 350*f Meat temp to 180* Done. @ one hour fifteen to thirty Minutes. Good Luck
Tennscot
Tenn./Scotland
6/17/2009
Has anybody attempted to make this in the oven? I live in an apartment so I can't do this on the grill/bbq, but I'd love to make this for my Dad for dinner on Father's Day.
kcdy
6/11/2009
I found it a very easy and fun recipe. Used an interesting spice rub from my local spice shop and added dried onions. Additionally, I put some of the rub in between the meat and skin of the chicken. Since I live in Colorado, I used good old Coors beer. The end result was moist and delicious! I look forward to trying it again with a different rub/beer combo for new flavors. After reading the last reviewer's troubles with a charred chicken, I made sure to keep my heat a little to the low side, and the chicken came out a delectable, crispy brown on the outside.
neighbornancy
Denver, CO
9/20/2008
got all the information - put the chicken on my gas grill - left the center jet off for indirect cooking - 10 minutes later I opened the grill and had a charcoal black chicken looking right at me......are you kidding!
toidi1
St Louis, MO
6/26/2008
