Beer Can Chicken
intro
Tender, fall-off-the-bone whole chicken infused with smoky beer aroma, coated in savory spice rub, grilled upright for crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep chicken and rub
Remove giblets from the 1.8kg whole chicken, then pat the chicken completely dry (including the inner cavity) with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper until evenly combined. Rub the entire chicken (skin and cavity) with 2 tablespoons olive oil, then coat every surface with ¾ of the spice rub, reserving the remaining ¼ for later.
Prepare the beer can
Open the 355ml (12oz) can of light lager, pour out 177ml (half the can) so 177ml of beer remains inside. Use a manual can opener to poke 2 extra vent holes in the top of the can to allow steam to escape during cooking, then sprinkle the reserved ¼ of the spice rub directly into the remaining beer in the can.
Mount chicken on can
Hold the seasoned chicken upright with its cavity facing down, then lower it carefully onto the prepared beer can so the can slides fully into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a stable tripod base with the bottom of the can, so the chicken stands upright without tipping. Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken’s back to prevent them from burning during grilling.
Preheat grill for indirect heat
Preheat your gas or charcoal grill to 180°C (350°F), set up for indirect heat cooking: for gas grills, turn off the burners directly under where the chicken will sit; for charcoal grills, push fully lit ashed-over coals to opposite sides of the grill, leaving an empty cool zone in the center. Lightly oil the grill grates to prevent sticking.
Grill chicken until cooked
Carefully transfer the upright chicken (on its beer can base) to the cool indirect zone of the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for 60 to 75 minutes, maintaining a consistent internal grill temperature of 175–180°C (345–355°F), until the thickest part of the chicken thigh reaches an internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer, and skin is deep golden brown and crispy. Avoid opening the grill lid unnecessarily to prevent temperature drops.
Rest and carve chicken
Using heavy-duty tongs and a wide metal spatula for support, carefully transfer the hot chicken (still on the beer can) to a clean cutting board. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute through the meat. Carefully lift the chicken off the beer can (note: the can and remaining beer will be extremely hot), discard the can, carve into pieces, and serve.
Tips
2.Always cook the chicken over indirect, not direct high heat; direct heat will burn the outer skin long before the inner meat reaches a safe internal temperature.
3.Use heavy tongs and a sturdy spatula to move the cooked chicken, as the beer inside the can reaches boiling point during grilling and can cause severe burns if spilled.
OMG this recipe was an absolute game changer for my weekend cookout! I’ve tried beer can chicken a dozen times before and it always came out dry, but following these steps gave me the juiciest bird with perfectly crispy skin. All my buddies raved about it and asked for the recipe. 10/10 would make again.
Made this for Sunday family dinner last night and my kids literally fought over the last drumstick! SO good, the rub had just the right amount of smoky sweetness without being too spicy for the little ones. I paired it with grilled corn and coleslaw, total hit.
I was intimidated to try beer can chicken because I thought it’d be super fussy for a weeknight meal, but the 1hr15min cook time is totally doable! I prepped the rub the night before for meal prep, threw it on the grill right when I got home, and had dinner on the table before my kid finished his homework. Crispy, juicy, no mess.
Wait, so I tried this last night and my chicken kept tipping over on the grill! Did I do something wrong? The flavor was amazing when I finally got it to stay put, but I spilled half the beer trying to prop it up twice. Any tips for keeping it stable?
Brought this to my neighborhood potluck last weekend and people were lined up for seconds! I was worried it’d be too much food but the whole 4lb bird was gone in 20 minutes. Even the guy who swears he only makes ‘real smoked BBQ’ said it was better than his usual recipe. Win!
Y’all, I swapped the regular lager for a citrusy IPA because it’s what I had in the fridge, and it came out INCREDIBLE. The little hint of orange and hop flavor came through so nicely in the meat, I might do it every time now. Has anyone else tried different beer styles with this?
Been grilling for 40+ years and I’ll admit, I wrote off beer can chicken as a gimmick for a long time. Tried this recipe on a whim when my grandkids begged me to make it, and I’m eating my words. Skin was crisp, meat was juicy all the way to the breast, even my old charcoal grill cooked it perfectly. Worth the hype.
I don’t have an outdoor grill (balcony life in NYC, ugh) — has anyone tried making this in the oven with the same beer can method? I’m dying to make it but can’t fire up a grill here.
Pro tip for anyone making this in super hot dry weather like we have in AZ: spritz the chicken with a little apple cider vinegar every 20 minutes while it grills. Keeps the skin from getting too charred before the inside cooks all the way through. This base recipe is chef’s kiss, that little hack makes it unbeatable out here.
This is perfect for my meal prep for the week! The chicken is so flavorful on its own I don’t even need to add extra sauce to my bowls. I used a low-carb dry rub swap (cut the brown sugar to 1 tsp instead of 2 tbsp) and it still tasted amazing. Great base recipe to tweak for different diets.
Made this for our Bears watch party last Sunday and even though the team lost, the chicken was a total win. Cooked it on my portable grill right in the parking lot, got so many compliments from the people tailgating next to us that we shared a few pieces. 10/10, will be a regular for game days.
This was the first ‘fancy’ dinner I made for my husband after we moved into our new house, and he thought I was a total pro! The instructions were so easy to follow even for someone who barely grilled before, no fancy tools required. We’re already planning to make it for his parents when they visit next month.
Taste was great, but my chicken took almost 2 full hours to cook up to temp on my grill, not the 1hr15 the recipe says. I ended up with hungry guests hovering around the grill waiting for it to be done. Not sure if my grill runs cool or what, but I’d advise checking the temp earlier than you think you need to.
I added a little extra smoked paprika and a pinch of extra garlic powder to the rub, and used a peach beer for the can — y’all, it tasted like summer on a plate. Served it with grilled peaches and biscuits, my whole family asked when we’re having it again.
Made this over the campfire grill grate on our camping trip last weekend and it worked flawlessly! Didn’t have a fancy grill, just a cast iron grate over the coals, followed the directions, and it turned out just as good as when I make it at home on my nice gas grill. Total crowd pleaser around the campfire.
Quick question — does the beer make the chicken taste boozy? I’m cooking for my sister who’s sober and I wanna make sure it’s okay for her to eat, I don’t want her to feel left out at the cookout.
I’ve made this three times in the last month, no joke. It’s become my go-to when I don’t feel like planning a big elaborate dinner, it’s low effort once you get the hang of it, and it tastes like you spent hours on it. My dog even sits by the grill the whole time waiting for a tiny piece of the crispy skin, lol.
I test a lot of grilled chicken recipes for my small food Instagram account, and this is easily one of the best beer can chicken recipes I’ve ever tried. The skin is shatteringly crisp, the meat is juicy from the steam, and the rub is perfectly balanced. Already tagged the site in my reel of making it!
Who knew you could make restaurant-worthy grilled chicken with like $5 worth of ingredients? I grabbed a whole chicken on sale at the grocery store, used a cheap $1 can of beer, and the spices were all stuff I already had in my pantry. Way cheaper than getting takeout for the family, tastes 10x better too.
It poured rain halfway through grilling this last weekend so I had to drag the grill under the patio to finish it, and it still came out perfect! Even the unexpected weather couldn’t mess this recipe up, that’s how foolproof it is. 10/10, will be making it all summer long.