Beer Can Chicken

The first beer can chicken I remember having was when a friend's father grilled this up for a family dinner. Except he called it a beer butt chicken. I actually don't remember much about the meal, but it's such a classic meal to grill that I had to find a recipe and give it a try myself. Enter the Neely's from Food Network.

Pat's Beer Can Grilled Chicken

Beer Can Chicken Rub:
2 Tb. smoked paprika
2 Tb. salt
2 Tb. onion powder
1 Tb. cayenne pepper
1 Tb. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder

For the chicken:
4 lbs. chicken, washed and dried
Vegetable oil
Beer can chicken rub
1 - 12 oz. can beer

For the rub, mix all the ingredients together. I halved the amounts so I wouldn't have any leftover. But extra rub can be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Rub the chicken and its cavity with the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with rub mixture, remembering to season the cavity. Pour out 1/4 of the beer and sit the chicken on top of the beer can. Place the chicken in the center of the hot grill and cover. Cook the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Once cooked, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Sorry I didn't get a picture of the whole chicken sitting on the can.

So the chicken took about an hour and 15 or 20 minutes to cook. The dark meat definitely takes longer to cook, so test the temperature in the thigh. And one of the legs definitely caught on fire while on the grill. But the meat turned out so moist and tender. The skin was crisp and flavorful.

Other than cleaning out the chicken (gross!) this was easy, easy, easy. If possible set the chicken on the beer can near the grill. That way you don't have to carry the chicken all the way to the grill. And we definitely leaned it against the top part of the grill just to ensure that it didn't topple over in the middle of cooking.

I think this chicken was about four pounds and there was enough for Wes and me to have leftovers the next day, which were still yummy. Give this chicken recipe a try. It's so easy and takes no time at all to prep. Yes, it's a bit gross, but the end result is worth it!

Happy cooking!