Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Beer-can chicken . . . it's a beauty

Beer and grilling have long fascinated me. Combine them and you get beer-can chicken which is quick and tasty. Preparation is easy, beginning with a whole chicken, spice rub and beer.

Beer and grilling have long fascinated me. Combine them and you get beer-can chicken which is quick and tasty.
Preparation is easy, beginning with a whole chicken, spice rub and beer. Be creative with the spices used to coat the chicken, although I like ground cumin, paprika, garlic salt and black pepper. A word of caution, don’t use an unopened can of beer. Drink half of it, then throw a few spices into what’s left. Plop the chicken, butt first, onto the can and slow cook it on low to medium heat in your barbecue for an hour to an hour and a half.
You’ll get a super-moist chicken with thin and crispy skin.
It can get difficult balancing the bird on your grill but if you do, use an old tin plate to catch the grease. Better yet, buy the devices made specifically for the job. I’ve seen them as cheap as $6.
There are plenty of websites devoted to this pastime with so many recipes, you’ll need a pallet of suds.
It’s so good that I’m thinking of graduating to the big leagues with beer can turkey. Let’s see . . .  I’d have to get a bigger barbecue and the process would definitely call for one of those oversized cans of beer, yes I could definitely handle that.