Beer Can Chicken

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This recipe seems to be everywhere now–I guess it’s entertaining to prop a chicken up on a beer can as it roasts, as if it’s sitting up.  It is pretty funny to see.  Additionally, the inclusion of beer in the recipe–an easy way to attract any stereotypical guy who is otherwise not interested in cooking.  This looks like the kind of recipe Guy Fieri invented.

(See the above video for a hilarious take on beer can chicken by My Drunk Kitchen’s Hannah Hart.)

In fact, this really is an incredibly easy way to roast a chicken.  I did it in the oven, as we still haven’t gotten out the gas grill yet this summer.  Most recipes call for the chicken to be roasted on the grill, but my revisions are below.  I did find that it is a VERY juicy method–it ended up splattering all over my oven.  I might think twice about doing it again in my oven and prefer to let it splatter all over my grill.

Additionally, the recipe (from Simply Recipes) recommends using other types of liquids if you don’t care for beer.  You can use chicken stock (in a mason jar), or open a can of baked beans (and take the paper label off) and sit the chicken on that instead.  The chicken juices will flavor the beans and then they can be used as a side dish.

Beer Can Chicken (from Simply Recipes)

  • 1 4-lb whole chicken
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 opened, half-full can of beer (I used Leinenkugel’s seasonal Summer Shandy, plus also put in a sprig of fresh sage into the can)
  • 1 T kosher salt
  • 2 T fresh thyme, or 1 T dried thyme
  • 1 T pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (the grilling instructions are available at this link).
  2. Remove neck and giblets from chicken, if needed.  Rub chicken inside and out with oil.  Mix salt, pepper, and thyme, and sprinkle it over the chicken.
  3. Place the chicken onto the half-full beer can, so it is sitting upright, using the can and its legs as a tripod stand.
  4. Roast chicken until an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees, about 1 hour 15 minutes (I recommend using a digital oven thermometer left in the roast inside the oven).
  5. Carefully transfer the chicken and beer can to a tray or pan (the liquid is still in the can, now boiling–be careful not to spill it).  Let rest 10 minutes.  Remove can (tongs help here).  Carve and serve.  Serves 4.

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