How to Feed a Loon – Beer Can Chicken

ByContributing Writer

With Barbecue Sauce

Grilling a whole chicken may seem challenging. It’s not. This is truly one of the easiest ways to cook a chicken. The ingredients are simple but work together perfectly. You’ll have most of them in your pantry. 

Ingredients

1 4-lb. whole chicken (Go with a good-quality bird, you’ll get better results.)

¼ cup Kosher salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. dark brown sugar

2 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 12-oz. can beer (A lager is perfect, but whatever you have on hand will be great.)

BBQ sauce for serving

Brining/Air Chill Directions

Anywhere from 8 to 48 hours before grilling, remove the giblets from the chicken cavity. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a baking pan that is lined with a baking rack.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, dry mustard, and
garlic powder.

Sprinkle the rub all over the chicken, including inside the cavity. Press the rub into the skin. Allow the chicken with the rub all over it to chill (uncovered) in the refrigerator to produce a crispy bird. 8 hours is good. 24 hours is really good. 48 hours is awesome!

Cooking Instructions

Remove the chicken from the fridge.

Open the beer and pour out about half of it (feel free to drink it). Carefully place the chicken, upright, onto the can, pushing it all the way down. Pull the legs forward to create a tripod.

Create a 2-zone heat area in your covered grill. If you’ve got a gas grill, turn on one side of the grill and leave the other off. If you have a charcoal grill, light the coals and let them heat until ashy, then move them over to one side. You’ll be roasting over the indirect heat.

Place the beer-can chicken onto the
unlit side of the grill. Close the grill and cook until a thermometer inserted into
the thickest part of the breast is 165°F, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Carefully remove from the grill and
place on a baking sheet with a lip to
catch the juices. Rest the chicken about
10 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Use a knife through the top to push the can out. Carve and serve at once with BBQ sauce. To make your own, visit HowToFeedALoon.com/Easy-BBQ-Sauce 

Similar Posts