Beer Can Chicken Recipe
Have you heard of Beer Can Chicken? It’s a fun, tasty way to prepare chicken, and it appeals to anyone who loves a combination of tender meat, crispy skin, and the flavor of beer. The basic concept with any beer can chicken recipe is to cook the chicken in a standing position, held up by a beer can with about half of the beer still inside. Yes, it looks rather odd, but you’ll get chicken that’s virtually bathed in steamy beer on the inside and that has a crispy skin on the outside.
It’s tough to define what makes the best beer can chicken recipe, because while the basic cooking method is the same with most recipes (although the dish can be prepared either on the grill or in the oven), the differences come in the variety of spices in the rubs that are used to flavor the skin. We like the following recipe; it’s simple and straightforward.
Ingredients
- 1 4-pound whole chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
- 1 opened, half-full can of beer at room temperature
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp black pepper
Recipe
1. Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken.
2. Mix the spices in a small bowl, rub the chicken with the olive oil, and then sprinkle the spices over the chicken.
3. Making sure the beer can is open and filled only half way, lower the chicken onto the open can so that it is sitting upright.
To cook a beer can chicken in the oven
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, roast for an hour, and then raise the heat to 425 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes to add crisp to the skin.
To cook a beer can chicken on the grill
4. Prepare the grill for indirect heat. Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, cover, and leave the chicken to grill for at least an hour.
5. Then, check the chicken every 15 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160-165 degrees F. A 4-pound chicken usually takes about 1 ½ hours to complete the cooking process. When the chicken is done, you should be able to poke it deeply with a knife in the thigh and the juices should run clear, not pink.
When you remove the chicken from the grill, be careful. The beer can and the beer inside of it will be hot. Try using a metal spatula under the beer can and tongs to hold the top of the chicken. Let chicken cool for 10 minutes and then carefully lift the chicken off the can. Voila! Beer Can Chicken!
Variations
You can try a wide array of spices in the rub, such as a teaspoon each of dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground ginger, dried sage, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, along with two cloves of garlic, smashed, added to the beer.
We’ve also seen recipes that even add bacon, using half a pound of bacon with a third of the bacon placed in the top cavity of the chicken and the rest down the outside, held to the chicken with toothpicks during cooking.
Then serve and enjoy!
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