Recipe

Beer Can Chicken

Not a novelty — beer can chicken actually produces incredibly moist meat and crispy skin every time. The beer steams the chicken from the inside while the grill crisps the outside. Documented from Big George's Fourth of July method.

By Luis Ramirez(Updated )

Prep

20 min

Cook

1 hr 15 min

Rest

15 min

Total

1 hr 35 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Yield

Method

indirect-grilling

Wood

Mesquite

Internal Temp

170-175°F

Fuel

charcoal

Jump to IngredientsJump to Instructions

What You Need

Ingredients

  • 1-3 whole chickens (around 3 1/2 pounds each)
  • 1/2 cup of BBQ rub
  • A few handfuls of mesquite wood chunks

Equipment

  • 1 charcoal grill large enough to cover an upright chicken (a classic Weber Kettle will do just fine)
  • 1 aluminum drip pan
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Charcoal
  • 1 pair of long tongs
  • 1 pair of BBQ mitts
  • An instant-read meat thermometer

Step by Step

Instructions

  1. 1

    Step 1

    Set up your grill for indirect heat. Place a drip pan in the center of the charcoal grill. This is a good time to soak your wood chips in water. Light your charcoal with a chimney starter. After the briquettes are lit, pour them around the drip pan. If any fall in, remove them with tongs and place them along the outside. Add some unlit briquettes around the perimeter and allow them to light.

  2. 2

    Step 2

    Rinse and clean your chicken inside and out, then pat dry. Don't forget to remove the gizzards and neck bone.

  3. 3

    Step 3

    Pop open a can of beer for each chicken. Quality doesn't matter here — domestic suds will do just fine. Empty out about a third of the beer and dispose of it however you see fit. Punch a couple of holes on the top with a church key can opener and sprinkle some BBQ rub in the beer can.

  4. 4

    Step 4

    Big George likes to use Konriko's Jalapeno All Purpose Seasoning. A little last-minute garlic powder always seems to help. Sprinkle the skin of the chicken liberally with your favorite BBQ rub. Then shove the prepared can of beer up the chicken's butt. Stick it far enough up there so that you can form a tripod with the two legs and the can of beer. The can should always remain upright. Place the chicken onto the grill over the drip pan. If you're barbecuing more than one bird, position each so they don't touch each other and aren't over the direct heat. Create two envelopes with heavy-duty aluminum foil for your wood chunks. Add the wood, seal, and perforate the outside several times with a fork or knife. Place each envelope over the direct heat on each side of the grill.

  5. 5

    Step 5

    Cover the grill and wait. Depending on size, a chicken should take about 1 to 1.5 hours on a charcoal grill. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh — you're looking for 165°F. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. The beer steams the chicken from the inside while the grill crisps the outside. It's one of the simplest and most impressive things you can do on a backyard grill.

Pro Tips

  • A little last-minute garlic powder always helps
  • If doing multiple birds, make sure they don't touch each other
  • Keep all birds positioned over the drip pan, not over direct heat
  • Removing the can requires care — a little twist helps, but hold the bird steady
  • Recipe documented from Big George's annual Fourth of July cook

Equipment

  • Charcoal grill (Weber Kettle works great)
  • Aluminum drip pan
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Charcoal chimney starter
  • Long tongs
  • BBQ mitts
  • Instant-read meat thermometer
chickenbeer can chickengrilledindirect heatmesquite4th of julyclassic