Beer Can Chicken

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Max1

Head Chef
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
1,543
Location
Detroit, Michigan
This is for one chicken for 2 double everything except butter.
You will need the following:

For the Bird:
4TBSP Vegetable Oil
4TBSP Kosher Salt

For the Rub:
1 stick of unsalted sweet butter
1TBSP Garlic Powder
1TBSP Onion Powder
1tsp Italian Seasoning
1tsp Sage
1tsp Rosemary
1tsp Thyme
1tsp Oregano
1tsp Poultry Seasoning (I prefer Bells)

For the Beer Can:
1 Med Sized Onion
6 Cloves of Garlic
4TBSP Soy Sauce

For the can:
Empty half of the can contents into a glass and reserve. Roughly cut onion and mince garlic, add both to beer can. Add in 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning to can also. Cut off 2 TBSP of butter and add to can. Set aside.

For the Bird:
Take half of the stick of butter put into bowl (if cold microwave for 10 to 15 secs, careful not to melt.) Now add all dry ingredients for the rub into bowl with butter. Stir until all the herbs are well mixed into the butter. Now take the butter mixture and place between the breast and the skin of the chicken. Once this is done you can place the beer can and its contents into the cavity of the chicken. After the beer can is inserted in the cavity balance the bird so it stays upright. Before you place the chicken on the grill rub the whole chicken down with Vegetable Oil, and then give it a good dusting with the Kosher Salt, this will make the skin nice and crunchy.

When on the Grill:
Take remainder of beer add Soy Sauce to the beer and every 30 minutes or so baste the bird.

Cook Times:
Depending on how high you have your heat the cook times may very. I run my Charcoal Grill at about 225-250 the whole time. This would almost be like smoking. For me and my set up it can take anywhere from 2 and a half hours to 3 hours to cook the chicken thru. You can add alittle smoke if you like, but I would not over do it. Just a few chips is all it take for this.

Here are the pictures of Beer Can Chicken :P Hope you enjoy!

Your can see my 55 gallon drum that I am using for my UDS in the background LOL....
1.jpg

2.jpg

3.jpg

4.jpg

5.jpg

When grilling beer can chicken you want to stay around 225-250
6.jpg
 
I love that smoker in the back ground. Post some detailed picts of it inside and out. Looks like a Horizon?
 
Think I see my cherry one owner Red Snapper lawn mower in the back ground too. Oh no..thats still at my house. Fine looking birds.
 
I will get you some pictures of that smoker Tri Tip, sorry for the delayed response, I have been really busy with school lately. Will try to get them posted in the next few days.
 
Sorry I missed the party ;) U could have droped a piece off on the way to skool :)
Looks good
 
I am not a real big skin eater, but yeah it was crisp. To get the skin extra crisp, rub on about a TBSP of oil on the surface of the skin then follow with some Kosher salt, makes it extra crisp.

MI Smoke your welcome anytime brother, just remember some Beer! LOL!
 
Hey gang.

I'm going to give this a shot tonight, and although Max's sounds incredible (I do love butter!) I'm going to go with a different recipe. I'm going to make a rub of garlic/chili powder/salt/black pepper smoked with just a little mesquite as it is quite potent. For beer I thought a guinness up the birds butt would be nice.

My question is about brining, cooking time, and temp.

Brining, is it worthwhile? I was thinking of covering in salt for about 2 hours in the fridge before smoking.

Temp. Some places suggest as much as 350 (indirect of course). I feel this is high heat for smoking. Max, you call for 250, I think that this makes more sense.

The time depends on the temp, but i was thinking about 250-300 for 2 1/2 hours or so. Sound about right?

First time trying this so we shall see, pics to follow and any feedback is appreciated!!!
 
Hey gang.

I'm going to give this a shot tonight, and although Max's sounds incredible (I do love butter!) I'm going to go with a different recipe. I'm going to make a rub of garlic/chili powder/salt/black pepper smoked with just a little mesquite as it is quite potent. For beer I thought a guinness up the birds butt would be nice.

My question is about brining, cooking time, and temp.

Brining, is it worthwhile? I was thinking of covering in salt for about 2 hours in the fridge before smoking.

Temp. Some places suggest as much as 350 (indirect of course). I feel this is high heat for smoking. Max, you call for 250, I think that this makes more sense.

The time depends on the temp, but i was thinking about 250-300 for 2 1/2 hours or so. Sound about right?

First time trying this so we shall see, pics to follow and any feedback is appreciated!!!


Beer can chicken is not worthwhile and is a waste of beer. It simply doesn't work, period.

Brine or Cover with salt, pat dry and let dry in the fridge for a couple hours. There's no real reason other than beer drinking time to 'smoke' a chicken. Cook the chicken indirect (spatchcocked preferably) between 325º-350º until the breast hits 155º and the thighs are a minimum of 165º. This will give you an incredibly moist chicken along with crispy skin.
 
I hate to say this, really I do, but I have to agree with bucket head on this. I've done them spatchcocked a lot and also put a cookie sheet over it, weighed down with 2 bricks. Cooks incredibly fast, comes out moist and with crisp skin!
 
Well your gettng some good tips here. Forget the beer can nonsense. Spatchcocking just sounds nasty so I go ahead and split them. Good hot n fast as suggested. 350 is about right. If your eating at home cook skin down and do not flip. Do not spill the juice with collects in the concave depression on the guts side. Bring to 175 in the "THIGH"..no do not poke holes in the breastes. If the thighs are done the breastes will be real done..no need to check. Get rub under the skin. No need to brine. Marinate overnight in Eyetalian dressing..Kraft 7 Seas Viva Eyetalian is hard to beat. If if takes longer than hour to cook 4 halves thats too slow. After bringing to temp wrap in foil and let rest at least one hour in the insulated box. Throw them back on the fire and glaze both sides flipping once with your favorite tomater based bbq sauce with enough honey or maple syrup in it to make it sweet. Do not apply the glaze more than once or it will rob the spices of flavor.
 
Last edited:
Heard from a co-worker about beer chicken. Sounded great, I wanna try this just to see for myself.
 
Back
Top Bottom