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–+ servings
beer can chicken on a bbq cooking

Beer Can Chicken

Simply.com
The best chicken you will ever taste cooked on a BBQ sat on top of half a can of beer!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Party Food
Cuisine 🇺🇸 American
Servings 4
Calories 514 kcal
How Difficult Easy

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken about 2kg
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
  • 330 ml beer room temperature, opened and half-full
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves chopped, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the grill:
    If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.
  • Season the chicken and rub it with oil:
    Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the chicken, if the chicken came with them. Mix the salt, pepper, and thyme in a little bowl, and rub it all over the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil.
  • Lower chicken onto half-filled beer can:
    Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer (drink the other half!) If you want, you can put a sprig of thyme (or another herb like rosemary or sage) in the beer can.
    Lower the chicken onto the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright, with the can in its cavity.
  • Grill on indirect heat:
    Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, using the legs and beer can as a tripod to support the chicken on the grill and keep it stable.
  • Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour. After an hour, check the chicken and refresh the coals if needed (if you are using a charcoal grill).
  • Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
  • The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, and the internal temperature of the grill. A 4-pound chicken will usually take around 1 1/2 hours.
  • If you don't have a meat thermometer, a way to tell if the chicken is done is to poke it deeply with a knife (the thigh is a good place to do this), if the juices run clear, not pink, the chicken is done.
  • Carefully transfer the chicken to a tray or pan:
    I say "carefully" because the beer can, and the beer inside of it, is quite hot. One way to do this is to slide a metal spatula under the bottom of the beer can. Use tongs to hold the top of the chicken.
  • Lift the chicken, beer can still inside, and move it to a tray. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off of the can. If it gets stuck, lay the chicken on its side, and pull out the can with tongs.

Notes

Oven Instructions: You can also roast a chicken this way in the oven. Just place it as directed on an open half-filled can of beer, sitting up, in a roasting pan on the lower rack of your oven. Roast at 190°C/350°F until done (about an hour fifteen to an hour and a half for a 4-pound chicken).
For an alcohol-free version of this recipe, use an open can of baked beans (remove the label) instead of the beer. The chicken juices will run into and flavour the baked beans, which you can then use as a side dish for the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 36gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 0.01g
Keyword bbq, beer, chicken
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