# Beer Can Chicken



## kitchenelf (Nov 1, 2004)

*Beer Can Chicken and Rub*

Beer Can Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 4# or more)
about 2 TBS chopped white onion
3 TBS softened butter

First the rub:

1 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (packed)
2 Tablespoons paprika  (if you have smoked paprika it's great!)
¼ tsp. Cayenne pepper (or ground red pepper)
1 Tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder 

That’s pretty much it unless you start looking on the Internet to get different ideas. 

Open top of beer can as much as you can.  Remove half the beer.

Take about 2 TBS chopped onions and add them to beer along with 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS spice mixture.  Add spice mixture very slowly as the beer will foam up.  It helps to add the spice mixture last too.

Thoroughly dry chicken inside and out.  Cover chicken inside and out with softened butter then rub in spice mixture on outside and inside.  Rub a bit to make sure it sticks as it gives the bird a better flavor.  But under the wings then tuck wings back behind it's "head".

Place chicken on beer can to form a tri-pod (beer can is one support and bird’s legs or other two supports.

Cook using INDIRECT heat for approximately 2-3 hours - just spread charcoal around the bird.  Check after 2 hours though - legs should wiggle and juices run clear when poked at leg/thigh area.  Using a gas grill, with one burner turned off will probably take closer to 2 ½ hours. Turn bird 180° after about 1 hour so side closest to the side turned on doesn’t overcook.   If you decide to smoke it, which I have done - it takes about 4-5 hours.

And most important – when you set that bird on the can APOLOGIZE to it 

I make up a huge batch of rub so it lasts through the summer.


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