Beer Can Chicken

Recipe courtesy Steven Raichlen

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Rated 5 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
2 hr 30 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
2 hr 0 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 large whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
  • 3 tablespoons Memphis Rub (or your favorite dry barbecue rub
  • 1 can (12 ounces) beer

Directions

Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets and set aside for another use. Rinse the chicken inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot dry inside and out, with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the rub inside the body and neck cavities, then rub another 1 tablespoon all over the skin of the bird. If you wish, rub another 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture between the flesh and skin. Cover and refrigerate the chicken while you preheat the grill.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling, placing a drip pan in the center. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat to high; then when smoke appears, lower the heat to medium.

Pop the tab on the beer can. Using a 'church key'-style can opener, make 6 or 7 holes in the top of the can. Pour out the top inch of beer, then spoon the remaining dry rub through the holes into the beer. Holding the chicken upright, with the opening of the body cavity down, insert the beer can into the cavity.

When ready to cook, if using charcoal, toss 1/2 the wood chips on the coals. Oil the grill grate. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan. Spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod, to support the bird.

Cover the grill and cook the chicken until fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 to 12 fresh coals per side and the remaining wood chips after 1 hour.

Using tongs, lift the bird to a cutting board or platter, holding a large metal spatula underneath the beer can for support. (Have the board or platter right next to the bird to make the move shorter. Be careful not to spill hot beer on yourself.) Let stand for 5 minutes before carving meat off the upright carcass. (Toss the beer can out along with the carcass.)

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 20 reviews

  • on July 17, 2011

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    This was really good. I used a paste-rub from a jar, and it turned out really well. It gets really dark very quickly when you do it in the BBQ, but that could have to do with using a wet rub as opposed to a dry. Either way it had no effect on the taste of the chicken, and produced a fine meal. I intend to use this recipe again, and recommend it to anyone. Two thumbs up.

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  • on December 18, 2009

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    Drunk chicken is the best chicken there is! It has the most flavor and is the juciest chicken ever. I have made a lot of drunk chickens and have never had complaints. I always rub vegetable oil or olive oil on the skin along with my rub. This gives the skin a nice golden color and also makes it crispy. In the beer itself I always put 2 cloves of garlic halved and a serrano pepper seeded. This will be the best chicken you have ever eaten! Steven Raichlen always has great recipes and this is one of them.

    Gabe (www.southtexasbarbecue.com

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  • on May 31, 2009

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    I have made this chicken many times out of "Grill" another one of this authors cookbooks. It is always Awesome. I previously used good old budweiser but recently used Rolling Rock (pale ale. This was by far the best ever. Not as yeasty. The chicken just pored juice. Even left overs the next day were juicy! I use the basic barbeque rub out of this same cookbook (on everything and the basic barbeque sauce at the very end... My side is very simple. Smoke roasted baked potatoes. Just wash the potatoes very well, poke really well so the smoke penetrates, and put a little melted butter on the potatoes. I put the potatoes around the chicken (if really large I microwave for a few minutes to give a head start then indirect grill for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Perfect every time! Steven, thank you!

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