Beer Can Chicken

Grilled beer can chicken is deliciously moist! You can't taste the alcohol - it just keeps the chicken really juicy and tender.

Start your grill preheating (you only need one burner on low heat). Then gather the ingredients for your spice rub.

Any good spice rub will work with this recipe. It's okay to use a store-bought rub if you have a chicken or rib bbq rub that you like. Or, you can mix one up using spices from your pantry. Feel free to experiment to fit your tastes!

The one in this picture used:
1/4 cup paprika
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tbls granulated sugr
2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

Clean out the cavity of the chicken to make sure the kidneys and giblets are removed.

Rinse the chicken in cold water, then pat with paper towels to dry.

And of course make sure that you thoroughly sanitize your hands and workspaces after handling the chicken.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of spice into the cavity. Insert another tablespoon under the skin of the chicken and try and spread it out evenly. Finally, rub another tablespoon of spice all over the skin on both sides.

You will need a tall can of beer to hold your chicken. Any brand will do, so if you have a 20 ounce can of beer on hand, feel free to use that. Otherwise, you can buy single cans of beer in the refrigerator section of most liquor stores. I chose fosters because their keg-style can is wider and sturdier than the slightly cheaper budweiser.

Pop open the tab on the can and empty out 1/4 of the beer. I'm not into beer so I poured it down the drain, but feel free to drink it if you like!

You want to make a few more small holes to let the vapors escape into the chicken. You can use the pointy end of a beer bottle/can opener for this. I did not have one handy, so I tapped an awl into the top a few times.

Pour the extra spice rub into the beer can.

Keeping the can upright, place it into the cavity of the chicken.

Plug the top of the chicken so that the vapors are sealed in. I used a peeled onion, but you could also use a potato, lemon, or lime.

Since you started preheating your grill during the first step, it should be nice and hot by now.

Move the chicken to the grill and stand it up with the legs spread apart (this will help maintain balance). You want to cook it indirectly, so put it next to the burner that is turned on.

Close the grill and let the chicken cook on low indirect heat until the internal temperature reaches 185-190 degrees (F). If your chicken come with one of those handy pop-tabs it will tell you when it is done. Otherwise, you can monitor the tempetature with a meat thermometer.

My six pound chicken took an hour and fourty five minutes.

Like I said before, you will know your chicken has finished when it has reached the right internal temperature (185-190 F). When your chicken is finished, the outside will be crispy, but the meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender. Carefully remove the chicken from the grill. Place the finished chicken on a plate and discard the beer and can.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving

Serve with your choice of sides; I reccomend mashed potatoes and corn.

Bon appetite!


For those of you who are interested, this cost $1.50-$2 a serving. My six serving chicken cost:
$6 chicken
$3 beer
(?) spices - you are only using a little of each spice, so we'll say a couple dollars.