Description
Beer can chicken is one of those dishes that seems complicated but honestly just requires you to prop a bird upright on a beer can and let your oven do the heavy lifting for perfectly crispy skin and juicy meat throughout.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and poultry:
- 1 large chicken
- 1 tall slender can light beer
Seasonings and oils:
- 1 brine
- 1 spice rub for chicken
- 1 large sprig rosemary
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetables:
- 8 small potatoes
- 3 small onions
- 4 ears of corn
Instructions
- Prepare your brine using half of a standard turkey brine recipe, then refrigerate it until completely cooled.
- Rinse your chicken thoroughly and remove the giblets and neck, then place it inside a large food-grade zip-top bag.
- Set the bagged chicken into a large pot to keep it upright, pour the cooled brine over it, seal the bag while removing excess air, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Mix together your chosen spice rub and set it aside.
- Position your beer can chicken rack into a disposable aluminum pan, then place that pan on a foil-lined sheet tray.
- Heat your grill or oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit about 3 hours before you plan to serve dinner.
- Drain and discard the brine, rinse your chicken under cold water, pat it dry completely, and brush 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil across the outside skin.
- Pour out about 1/4 cup of beer from the can, insert a large rosemary sprig into the opening, remove and discard the pull tab, then place the can in the center of your rack or pan.
- Hold your chicken upright over a cutting board and coat it generously inside and out with the spice rub mixture.
- Slide the chicken over the beer can with the legs pointing downward, trim off the wing tips with kitchen shears and discard them, then check that the chicken sits firmly without tipping.
- Arrange your prepared vegetables around the bottom of the pan and around the chicken, using a few potato pieces to stabilize the chicken if needed.
- Brush the 8 halved or quartered small potatoes, 3 halved or quartered small onions, and 4 pieces of cut corn with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, then sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Roast your chicken in the 350-degree Fahrenheit grill or oven with the lid closed for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, depending on the chicken’s size, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove your roasted chicken from the heat and let it rest for 15 minutes covered loosely with foil, then return the vegetables to the pan during this resting time to brown and crisp them further.
- Carve and slice your chicken as you would any roasted bird, then plate it alongside the hot vegetables.
- Drizzle the pan drippings collected at the bottom over each portion before serving.
Notes
- Pat your chicken completely dry before applying the rub, as moisture prevents the seasoning from sticking properly to the skin.
- Check that your chicken sits upright without wobbling on the beer can, since an unstable bird cooks unevenly and risks tipping into the pan.
- Pull corn out halfway through cooking if it’s already tender, then return it during the last 15 minutes so the vegetables finish together without becoming mushy.
- Save the pan drippings and pour them over your carved chicken and vegetables, as this concentrated liquid adds rich flavor to every bite.
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Roasted Chicken
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 378 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 418 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg