Classic Beer Can Chicken Recipes

BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, about 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, salt, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Place the half-full can of beer in the center of a plate.
• Rinse chicken under cold running water. Discard giblets and neck from chicken; drain and pat dry. Fit whole chicken over the can of beer with the legs on the bottom; keep upright. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix into the top cavity of the chicken. The beer may foam up when the seasonings fall inside the can. Rub the remaining seasoning mix over the entire surface of the chicken.
• Place the chicken, standing on the can, directly on the preheated grill. Close the lid and barbeque the chicken until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the grill and discard the beer can. Cover the chicken with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

THE BEST BEER CAN CHICKEN EVER

Steps:

• Preheat grill for medium heat. If using charcoal, push coals to the side of the grilling area for indirect heat.
• Pour stout beer into an empty 12-ounce soda can and drop Thai chilies and garlic cloves into the can. Mix brown sugar, dry mustard, garam masala, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, onion powder, garlic powder, and nutmeg in a bowl.
• Rinse the chicken and coat the skin with the entire batch of spice rub. Place soda can containing beer mixture onto the prepared grill and sit the chicken upright onto the can.
• Grill chicken over indirect heat until juices run clear and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone, reads at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 45 minutes. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before serving.

HOW TO COOK AN OVEN-ROASTED BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wet Rub: Mix all together the olive oil, thyme, rosemary, sage, a bit of salt and pepper; and garlic. Rub all over the chicken.
• Dry Rub: Mix all together the paprika, kosher salt, pepper onion salt, pepper, white sugar and brown sugar. Rub the chicken with a bit of olive oil and then coat the chicken with the dry rub.
• Preheat your oven to 375 or 190.6°C You may have to remove the second rack in your oven and move the other rack lower, so that the chicken will fit in while standing upright.
• In a large bowl, apply your rub of choice all over the chicken. Rub under the wings, legs, and even inside of cavities. Leave the chicken in the bowl until you are ready to place it on your can.
• Place the can on a baking sheet or oven-safe griddle. Place the chicken over the can. Open the rear cavity of the chicken and carefully place it over the can, so only about an inch of the can is showing.
• Place the chicken in the oven and roast to an internal temperature of 165 or 73.9°C Depending on the size of your chicken, this can take about 75-90 minutes or so. Once the chicken has reached the appropriate internal temperature, let it rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

CLASSIC BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat
• 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.
• 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).
• 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."
• 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.
• 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.

BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place wood chips in bowl. Pop tab of each beer can, and make 2 additional holes in each top, using a church-key opener. Pour half the beer from each can over the chips. Add additional beer or water to cover chips, soak them for 1 hour, and drain.
• Set up grill for indirect grilling.
• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon barbecue rub in neck cavity and 2 teaspoons in main cavity of each chicken. Add 1 tablespoon rub to each open, half-full can of beer. (Don't worry if it foams up.) Season outside of each bird with 2 tablespoons rub.
• Stand beer cans on work surface. Holding each chicken upright, lower it over can so that can goes into main cavity. Pull chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod: the chicken should sit upright over can. Carefully transfer chickens to grill in this position, placing them in center over drip pan, away from heat.
• If using charcoal, toss half the wood chips on each mound of coals. If using gas, place chips in smoker box. Barbecue chickens until nicely browned and cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours, keeping temperature about 350 degrees. (If using charcoal, replenish coals as needed.) The internal temperature of the birds (taken in thickest part of thigh) should be at least 165 degrees.
• Carefully transfer birds to platter in same position. To carve, lift bird off can, and discard can.

BASIC BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Apply your favorite spice rub, if desired, under and on skin of one 3- to 4-pound whole chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• "Stand" the chicken onto an open beer can (filled halfway with beer or seasoned liquid from the article in the August issue) so that the can is inside the cavity. Stand upright on grill. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat (see specifics below) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 175°F.
• **For charcoal grill:**Rake hot coals to the sides and roast chicken over drip pan containing a half an inch of water for one hour. Add 12 more briquets; leave uncovered until smoking. Recover and continue cooking.
• For gas grill: Leave one burner off and put chicken over unlit burner for cooking time.

BEER-CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove neck and giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out, if desired, and pat dry. Coat chicken lightly with oil and season with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the rub; set aside.
• Preheat a grill: If using a charcoal grill, make a fire in your grill. When the charcoals are completely covered in gray ash, hold your hand about 5 inches above the grill grid; count how many seconds you can comfortably leave it there. When you can hold it there for 2 to 3 seconds, you have medium-high heat and are ready to grill. If you are using a gas grill, heat the grill for 15 minutes with the lid closed. Before beginning to cook, reduce the temperature by turning off the knob for the center section and turning remaining knobs to medium-high.
• Open the beer can and pour out about 1/4 cup; make a second hole in the top of the can using a church-key can opener. Place beer can on center of grill and "sit" the chicken on the beer can by placing the cavity over the can.
• Cover grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the breast or 180 degrees when inserted into the thigh. If using barbecue sauce, brush on chicken during the final 15 minutes of cooking.
• Carefully transfer chicken to platter by holding the beer can with tongs while you remove the chicken. Let stand 10 minutes before carving.

JUICIEST BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Set up your grill for indirect cooking.
• On a charcoal grill, this means spreading the coals around the outer edges, but not directly below the food.
• On a gas grill the outer burners are lit, but not the middle one.
• Once the grill is covered (which it should always be for indirect grilling) the circulating heat works like a convection oven, so there is no need to turn the food.
• Remove neck and giblets.
• Discard.
• Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels.
• Rub chicken lightly with oil, then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub.
• Set aside.
• Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full).
• Place beer can on a solid surface.
• Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can.
• Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its two legs and the can like a tripod.
• Cook chicken over high indirect heat, with the grill cover on for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife.
• Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.