# Beer Can Chicken in the oven?



## Alix (Sep 2, 2012)

It is pouring buckets out there and windy to boot. I'd like to do a beer can chicken tonight, do you think I could do the beer can chicken in the oven?


----------



## Cerise (Sep 2, 2012)

Absolutely.  Take a look at Bundt Pan beer can chicken.  You can make an entire dish w/ vegetables using beer or wine.


----------



## Alix (Sep 2, 2012)

Bundt pan beer can chicken? Is that on here?


----------



## Cerise (Sep 2, 2012)

Alix said:


> Bundt pan beer can chicken? Is that on here?


 
Haven't done a search here, but have made it (TNT). They are all pretty much the same.


bundt pan chicken - Google Search

And, you can do bunt pan chicken on the grill, as well.


----------



## Alix (Sep 2, 2012)

Deal, thanks!


----------



## Cerise (Sep 2, 2012)

You're welcome. A favorite of mine is Crispy Chinese roast chicken:

Crispy Chinese Roast Chicken In A Bundt Pan! Recipe - Food.com - 125396

A duck would be kewl too.


----------



## Katie H (Sep 2, 2012)

Alix said:


> It is pouring buckets out there and windy to boot. I'd like to do a beer can chicken tonight, do you think I could do the beer can chicken in the oven?



I've done it many times.  It doesn't have the smoky flavor that you get from the grill, but it tastes just as good.

Sometimes I use an empty beer/soda can and fill it with white wine and tarragon for a really heavenly alternative.  I've also interchanged fresh rosemary for the tarragon with equally tasty results.


----------



## Alix (Sep 2, 2012)

OMG Cerise, that looks DIVINE! Thanks!

Katie, I'm actually using a coke can cuz all the beer in my house is in bottles. I'd not given much thought to the liquid I was going to use. My veggie side is going to be balsamic flavored so I need to complement the flavors in the chicken marinade. Any suggestions?


----------



## acerbicacid (Sep 2, 2012)

What a brilliant idea to use wine and tarragon for roasting the chicken Katie H.    Now why didn't I think of that


----------



## Katie H (Sep 2, 2012)

acerbicacid said:


> What a brilliant idea to use wine and tarragon for roasting the chicken Katie H.    Now why didn't I think of that



The taste is wonderful and the aroma during cooking...........mmmmmm!


----------



## DaveSoMD (Sep 2, 2012)

I am SOOOO trying this next time I roast a chicken!!!!!


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Sep 2, 2012)

The beer can method is simply a means to keep the chicken vertical. It could be used with about any roasting method. In an oven I think you could set a dish under it and collect the juices, then use that in a sauce _a la minute_.


----------



## Cerise (Sep 2, 2012)

You're welcome, Alix.



DaveSoMD said:


> I am SOOOO trying this next time I roast a chicken!!!!!


 
You naughty boy, you.  
The Naughty Way to Roast a Chicken | The Kitchn

Check out the vertical roaster.  The Bundt pan is cool, 'cause you could make the whole dinner in it (i.e. cut up potatoes, carrots, onions).


----------



## Merlot (Sep 2, 2012)

I have cooked it many times in the oven, it works great although I dont use the bundt pan, I just use the regular method.


----------



## Caslon (Sep 2, 2012)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> The beer can method is simply a means to keep the chicken vertical. It could be used with about any roasting method. In an oven I think you could set a dish under it and collect the juices, then use that in a sauce _a la minute_.




A beer can is nice and cheap for keeping it vertical. I prefer to use a chicken roasting stand myself. A test site did a comparison using the beer can method and without.  They found no real benefit, and were just short of calling it an urban legend. They found that the beer in the can did nothing to flavor the chicken.

If using the beer can method and a full sized chicken, I'd suggest buying a tall boy 16 oz can.


----------



## Cerise (Sep 3, 2012)

How to Make a Bundt Pan Chicken - YouTube


----------



## taxlady (Sep 3, 2012)

I'm wondering if you could do that upside down. That way the dark meat would be the most exposed to heat and cook faster. It would also mean that the juices inside the chicken would drain towards the white meat.


----------



## Zhizara (Sep 3, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I'm wondering if you could do that upside down. That way the dark meat would be the most exposed to heat and cook faster. It would also mean that the juices inside the chicken would drain towards the white meat.



That's what I was thinking.  I imagine the breast would be more moist and tender that way.  GMTA


----------



## taxlady (Sep 3, 2012)

Zhizara said:


> That's what I was thinking.  I imagine the breast would be more moist and tender that way.  GMTA


GMTA?


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 3, 2012)

taxlady said:


> GMTA?



Great Minds Think Alike...


----------



## taxlady (Sep 3, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Great Minds Think Alike...


Thank you.


----------



## Alix (Sep 3, 2012)

Well I did this in the oven on my stand. It was lovely! I used Kokanee beer, tossed in a couple cloves of garlic and a pile of sage and thyme. Rubbed the outside with lemon and salt. It was DELISH! I don't remember who said the beer doesn't flavor the chicken, but just as a note, the beer might not flavor the chicken, but the herbs inside the beer definitely were noticeable. 

My family want to try Cerise's recipe next time, so that's going to be our next chicken dinner.


----------



## Caslon (Sep 3, 2012)

Alix said:


> Well I did this in the oven on my stand. It was lovely! I used Kokanee beer, tossed in a couple cloves of garlic and a pile of sage and thyme. Rubbed the outside with lemon and salt. It was DELISH! I don't remember who said the beer doesn't flavor the chicken, but just as a note, the beer might not flavor the chicken, but the herbs inside the beer definitely were noticeable.
> 
> My family want to try Cerise's recipe next time, so that's going to be our next chicken dinner.



Just messing with you, but the other flavorings coming from putting stuff in the beer can ?  I suppose so...especially for convenience , but wouldn't coating the inside of the cavity with flavorings do even better, thus leaving only the liquid in the can to keep it moist.

Also..I mentioned using a 16 oz. beer can for full sized chickens. For even better stand placement, most stores now sell bigger 24 oz. single beer cans.


----------



## Alix (Sep 4, 2012)

Caslon, I've roasted a LOT of chickens using a lot of different methods of "flavoring". I've found that brining just imparts moisture, not flavor so any flavoring in the brine is useless. 

Rubbing stuff in the cavity or stuffing things in the cavity imparts delicate flavor to the chicken, but the aroma is the biggest thing. We taste with our noses first I have heard. I don't find the taste to be significantly different between rubbing stuff in there or just dumping it in the beer.  

I've only done a couple of beer can chickens, and I find them to be moist and tender without brining. Since I have largish hands, going the lazy way and dumping stuff into the beer to flavor this little chicken was far more appealing than attempting to cram my hand inside the chicken to rub herbs in there.

So, my conclusion is that if I don't have the time to brine a bird to make it tender and juicy, I'll cram a can up its rear end and roast it that way. I'll continue to use various herbs for flavoring (in the beer) cuz I'm a lazy bum!

One thing I sure do miss are the farm chickens I used to get. They were the size of small turkeys and sooooo tasty. Ah well, c'est la vie.


----------



## Zhizara (Sep 10, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I'm wondering if you could do that upside down. That way the dark meat would be the most exposed to heat and cook faster. It would also mean that the juices inside the chicken would drain towards the white meat.



I got a chicken and a beer, so I tried to do it this way.  The neck area was too tight, so I clipped either side of the backbone...  too big.  I settled on pouring the beer over and under the chicken along with sage, tarragon, thyme, garlic powder and some dried minced onions. 

I put the chicken breast side down in the liquid and am braising it (covered) in a stew pot.  I'll turn the chicken over in an hour.

I'm not going to get crispy skin, but it is there for the flavoring.

I'm wondering if those chicken stands can work upside down.


----------



## buckytom (Sep 11, 2012)

alix, i have to disagree about brining only adding moisture, not flavour.

i've been working on a copycat brine for pork chops that's specific reason is to add flavour (garlic and bay) as well as moisture. 

the secret my be that alcohol is added to the brine, so the flavours may be carried along into the meat tissue as alcohol soluble. i'm not sure, though. just a thought.


----------



## Andy M. (Sep 11, 2012)

If you've ever used the Good Eats recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, you'll see that brining delivers flavor to the bird.  It's all about what you put in the brine.  I've never used alcohol in a brine.


----------



## taxlady (Sep 11, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> If you've ever used the Good Eats recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, you'll see that brining delivers flavor to the bird.  It's all about what you put in the brine.  I've never used alcohol in a brine.


Isn't it also a question of how long you brine?


----------



## Andy M. (Sep 11, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Isn't it also a question of how long you brine?




If you brine long enough for the brine to be effective, it will deliver.  "Long enough" depends on the size and shape of the meat.  Flat pieces like chops take less time while thicker pieces like poultry or roasts take longer.


----------



## Zhizara (Sep 11, 2012)

The beer can chicken, without the can, was incredibly tender and moist.  

I've never brined chicken (high blood pressure), and after making it this way, I probably never will.

I got 3+ cups of broth, plus enough to mix with a packet of chicken gravy mix.  Really rich and yummy.  No salt was used in this dish except for whatever might have been in the beer.


----------



## taxlady (Sep 11, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> If you brine long enough for the brine to be effective, it will deliver.  "Long enough" depends on the size and shape of the meat.  Flat pieces like chops take less time while thicker pieces like poultry or roasts take longer.


If you brine long enough (a week or so), the meat becomes less moist and salty.


----------



## Alix (Sep 11, 2012)

buckytom said:


> alix, i have to disagree about brining only adding moisture, not flavour.
> 
> i've been working on a copycat brine for pork chops that's specific reason is to add flavour (garlic and bay) as well as moisture.
> 
> the secret my be that alcohol is added to the brine, so the flavours may be carried along into the meat tissue as alcohol soluble. i'm not sure, though. just a thought.



I should clarify that I was referring only to poultry, not pork. I've found that brining does transfer flavours to pork. I'd love that recipe when you perfect it. 



Andy M. said:


> If you've ever used the Good Eats recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, you'll see that brining delivers flavor to the bird.  It's all about what you put in the brine.  I've never used alcohol in a brine.



Andy, I'm referring mostly to my own taste buds and my family's. We do not detect a noticeable flavor when we brine poultry with any kind of aromatics or other stuff. Now when I rub the poultry, that's when we get the flavor boost. Perhaps our taste buds are just not sensitive enough?


----------



## Andy M. (Sep 11, 2012)

Alix said:


> ...Andy, I'm referring mostly to my own taste buds and my family's. We do not detect a noticeable flavor when we brine poultry with any kind of aromatics or other stuff. Now when I rub the poultry, that's when we get the flavor boost. Perhaps our taste buds are just not sensitive enough?



I don't know, Alix.  Maybe the flavors in your brine aren't strong enough.  Do you cook your brine to release flavors?


----------



## Alix (Sep 11, 2012)

No. Cook my brine? I've never really heard of that. I use boiling water to dissolve the salt and sugar, but I never thought about cooking the brine with the other stuff in order to enhance the flavor. *forehead slap* It sounds so simple when you mention it I wonder why I never thought of it. 

Do you have a particular brine you like for poultry Andy? I've got a little chicken that is going to get done tomorrow. I'd like to experiment.


----------



## Andy M. (Sep 11, 2012)

Not a specific recipe.  I use salt, sugar, veggie broth (Better than Bouillion) peppercorns, allspice berries bay leaves, thyme, etc.  Use any combo that appeals to you for the herbs and spices.  When I use a brine like this, I put all the ingredients in a pot except for half the liquid.  I bring it to a boil an simmer for 15 minutes or so to draw some of the flavors out.  Then I add the other half of the liquid in the form of ice cubes.  Stir and by the time the ice is melted. the liquid is a cool temp that's OK to brine in.


----------

