Beer Can Chicken: The Tailgate Recipe You’ll Be Making All Year Long

By Chilled Magazine

Grilling is pretty matter of fact.

You pick your protein, marinate or season it, and slap it on the grill, and let it do its thing. The best grilled meat is left to work its magic on the grill, not fussed about and continuously flipped over and over again. But sometimes you get impatient and just want your meat to cook without having to worry about whether or not you are overcooking it and turning it into something that more closely resembles a hockey puck than a tender cut of meat.

There’s a simple solution for these people: the aptly named beer can chicken. Simply put, you place a chicken on top of a can of beer and place it on a grill. The grill does the rest and you are left with a moist, tender, delicious chicken that is perfectly paired with a nice IPA, pale ale, or hefeweizen. Not only is this way of cooking chicken perfect for the winter season, you just put it on the grill and run back into your warm house. Givet it a try on Beer Can Appreciation Day, January 24th.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken

Photo Courtesy Samuel Adams

Sam Can Chicken

Courtesy of Chef David Burke

Ingredients:

  • 1 Whole Fryer Chicken (Approx. 3 to 5 lbs.), with Giblets Removed
  • 1 can Samuel Adams Boston Lager
  • 1 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped Ginger
  • 1 tbsp. Chopped Garlic
  • 1 tbsp. Ketchup
  • 1 tsp. Mustard
  • 2 tbsp. Honey
  • 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tbsp. Lemon Juice, Freshly Squeezed
  • 1 Stainless Steel Cooking Funnel (Will Need for Cooking)

Preparation:

  1. Create chicken marinade by mixing all the ingredients (except the chicken) in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add chicken to marinade and marinate for 2 hours.
  3. Heat grill (on high, or until coals are ready for cooking). Open beer. Remove about a tablespoon of beer from the can. Using a grill fork or knife, punch a few holes in the top of the can. Place your chicken right-side up on the can. It should sit up straight. Tip: Be sure to place the beer can as far into the chicken as you can, as if you were balancing the chicken on the can.
  4. Place a stainless steel funnel over the top of the chicken and cover the funnel hole with foil (this will allow the steam to circulate and keep chicken moist). Tip: The funnel should be fit with the wide opening over the chicken (like a hat). Cut a small hole at the top of the chicken to allow steam to go in and out.
  5. Place the beer can chicken in the middle of the grill. Let cook for about one hour, or until it reaches the temperature of 165 F.

For Conventional Ovens: Set oven to 375 F. and cook on bottom rack. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

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