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beer can chicken recipes

Delicious Beer Can Chicken Recipe

This beer can chicken recipe delivers incredibly juicy meat with crispy, flavorful skin, thanks to the steam from the beer as it grills. You’ll love how easy it is to make and how impressive it looks when served. Pair it with grilled vegetables, potato salad, or corn on the cob for a perfect backyard feast.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Easy Beer Can Chicken Brine - Optional

  • 8 cups water
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 3 cans beer, 12oz

Beer Can Chicken Ingredients

  • 2 cans beer, 12oz, lager style
  • 10 tbsp lemon juice
  • ¼ cup barbecue sauce
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 fryer chickens, 3 lbs ea

Instructions
 

MOPPING SAUCE

  • Pour half the beer from each can into a bowl.
  • Add the lemon juice, barbecue sauce, 2 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of pepper.
  • Leave each beer can half full of beer and set it aside.

BEER CAN CHICKEN

  • Preheat a gas grill to medium-high; leave one burner off.
  • If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash.
  • Spread the coals in an even bed on one side of the grill.
  • Clean the cooking grate.
  • Blot the chickens dry and season with the remaining 2 tsp salt and the remaining 1 tsp pepper.
  • If you are using vertical roasters, add the reserved beer to the reservoirs in the roasters, assemble the roasters, and set the chickens on the roasters.
  • If cooking the chickens on the beer cans, set the cans on the grill over direct heat and carefully lower the chickens onto them.
  • Position the legs so that they balance the chickens. Grill over direct heat, covered, until golden, using a clean cotton mop to daub the chickens every 10 minutes with the mopping sauce, about 20 minutes.
  • Move the chickens to indirect medium heat and continue to cook them until they are rich brown and cooked through (165 degrees F), another 40 minutes.
  • Remove the chickens from the beer cans or roasters, transfer them to a platter, and let them rest for 15 minutes.
  • Cut into quarters with a kitchen fork and boning knife. Serve on a heated platter or plates.
Keyword poultry, chicken, beer can, grilled, grilling