Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is not a gimmick

It’s actually a great way to grill a bird and keep it tender and juicy

It’s become so popular that you can even buy  a beer can rack!

The idea behind it is as the bird cooks, the beer will heat up and sort of steam the inside of the chicken keeping it nice and moist

We are also going to brine this chicken ahead of time so you know this will have to be good!

We are starting off with a 7.5 pound oven stuffer roaster that I placed in a pot

Cover with 12 cups of cold water but leave room for the brining liquid

For the brining liquid we will need 4 cups of water, 1 cup of kosher salt, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, a 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns

Place all the ingredients into a separate pot and bring to a boil

Whisk until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat and allow to cool completely

Once completely cool, add to the chicken, cover and refrigerate overnight

Remove the chicken and discard the brining liquid

Rinse the chicken off completely inside and out to remove any excess salt

Pat dry and set aside

Now for the fun part

The beer!

Now you can just place a can of beer in the cavity and balance it on the grill but a rack is much more stable

I’m using 1-12 ounce beer, I’m going to pour 1/4 of it out (and drink it), so there will be a little room in the can, we will also need 4 garlic cloves and 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

I like to remove the tab from the beer and punch some more vent holes in the top

Now you can just use the beer as is but I don’t think it would hurt to have some nice garlic and herbs wafting up through the bird

So I’m going to add 4 garlic cloves and 2 fresh rosemary sprigs right into the can

Place the beer in it’s holder

Now lets season up that chicken

We used 2 tablespoons of softened butter, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

Rub the butter all over the chicken

Then sprinkle with all the seasonings

Place the bird over the beer can rack

Houston we have lift off

Place the bird on a 375 F preheated grill over indirect heat (meaning the burner directly under the bird is off)

Cook for 45-55 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 170 F (I personally don’t trust those little thermometers that come with the bird)

Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes before serving

Enjoy!!!

Tools used to make this recipe

Simply Bamboo Valencia Bamboo Cutting Board

Wilton Cookie Pan

Stainless-Steel Beercan Chicken Rack

Architec Carving Board, Gripperwood

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