Beer Can Chicken (or Drunken Chicken)
This is a summertime favorite around my house. It is a super-simple way to make an amazing-tasting chicken on the grill or on the smoker. With this recipe, you don’t need any special equipment, just a can of beer for each chicken and some spices, and you can make the most incredibly moist and tasty chicken – one that you’ll remember for a long time.
The recipe calls for a chicken rub made from “your favorite spices”. If you don’t know where to start, you can use our Chicken Rub recipe, or use what my nephew Rod (that’s him in the pictures) used for this particular cookout – McCormick’s Chicken Rub, Cayenne Pepper (just a little!), Lemon Pepper, and Garlic Powder.
(Click to see full-sized)
Beer Can Chicken (aka Drunken Chicken) – Spices and beer on the grill or smoker make for a super tasty and moist chicken. – Chicken ((roasting chicken)), Olive Oil, Beer, Chicken Rub ((your favorite spices)), You will need a large bowl, meat thermometer, serving fork and barbecue spatula.; Prepare your rinsed and dried chicken by rubbing olive oil all over. Then apply your rub all over the outside of the chicken as well. To add the rub under the skin, make horizontal slits above the shoulders and breasts. Stuff some of your rub into the slits. Since the chicken will be in an upright position, the spices will drain down and soak into the meat. ; Preheat the barbecue grill to 350 – 400 degrees F. If you are using a smoker, preheat to 200 degrees F. Preheat for about 15 minutes.; Prepare the Chicken for the Grill: : Pour out about 1/4 to 1/2 of the beer before placing it in the chicken. Add some of your spice mixture to the beer for extra flavor. Open up the rear of the chicken to prepare it for beer can insertion. Place the beer can in your large bowl and gently push the chicken over top, as if sitting on the beer can. Place the chicken on the grill.; Insert Thermometer: : Depending on the size of your chicken and the heat of your barbecue, cooking time will vary. You can expect to cook the chicken for about 1-1/2 hours on the grill, or about 4 hours on the smoker, but the best way to ensure you have a fully cooked chicken is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer deeply into the breast, but take care not to touch any bone. Chicken should be cooked until it reaches 185 degrees F internal temperature.; Get Ready to Serve: : When the internal temperature has been reached, remove the chicken from the grill. You can place a barbecue spatula underneath the can and a serving fork into the chicken to remove it. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Remove the beer can, but realize it is REALLY hot, as are its contents. Keep the chicken upright until you’re ready to remove it. It’s best if you can have two people for this operation. One to hold the chicken steady and one to carefully remove the can. Use oven mitts! Make sure everyone involved protects their hands from the heat. ; Carve and enjoy this incredibly moist chicken.; – We named these guys Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Yummy. I know, those are duck’s names, but it was the best we could come up with at the time 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken (roasting chicken)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Can Beer
- 2 Tbsp Chicken Rub (your favorite spices)
Servings: Chicken
Instructions
- You will need a large bowl, meat thermometer, serving fork and barbecue spatula.
- Prepare your rinsed and dried chicken by rubbing olive oil all over. Then apply your rub all over the outside of the chicken as well. To add the rub under the skin, make horizontal slits above the shoulders and breasts. Stuff some of your rub into the slits. Since the chicken will be in an upright position, the spices will drain down and soak into the meat.
- Preheat the barbecue grill to 350 – 400 degrees F. If you are using a smoker, preheat to 200 degrees F. Preheat for about 15 minutes.
Prepare the Chicken for the Grill:
- Pour out about 1/4 to 1/2 of the beer before placing it in the chicken. Add some of your spice mixture to the beer for extra flavor. Open up the rear of the chicken to prepare it for beer can insertion. Place the beer can in your large bowl and gently push the chicken over top, as if sitting on the beer can. Place the chicken on the grill.
Insert Thermometer:
- Depending on the size of your chicken and the heat of your barbecue, cooking time will vary. You can expect to cook the chicken for about 1-1/2 hours on the grill, or about 4 hours on the smoker, but the best way to ensure you have a fully cooked chicken is by using a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer deeply into the breast, but take care not to touch any bone. Chicken should be cooked until it reaches 185 degrees F internal temperature.
Get Ready to Serve:
- When the internal temperature has been reached, remove the chicken from the grill. You can place a barbecue spatula underneath the can and a serving fork into the chicken to remove it. Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Remove the beer can, but realize it is REALLY hot, as are its contents. Keep the chicken upright until you’re ready to remove it. It’s best if you can have two people for this operation. One to hold the chicken steady and one to carefully remove the can. Use oven mitts! Make sure everyone involved protects their hands from the heat.
- Carve and enjoy this incredibly moist chicken.
Cook's Notes
We named these guys Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Yummy. I know, those are duck's names, but it was the best we could come up with at the time 🙂
