Make Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is a popular means to cook chicken. You can add some flavor from an alcoholic beverage to your chicken. All you need is your favorite beer, a chicken, and some spices. Be careful, however, as beer cans get very hot when cooked on the grill. Take precautions when removing your chicken to serve.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 of a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} can of beer
  • 1 3 pound chicken

Steps

Flavoring the Chicken

  1. Mix your spices. Take a small bowl. Add the brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper to the bowl. Mix them together until you have a consistent mix of spices. Set this aside for now.[1]
  2. Discard half the can of beer. You only need half a can of beer to make beer can chicken. If you don't want to drink the beer, you can simply pour it down the sink. However, half a can of beer can be a nice treat for when you're cooking.[1]
  3. Prepare the chicken. Cut off the chicken's giblets and neck. Then, rinse the chicken, both inside and out, under running tap water. When you're done rinsing the chicken, gently pat it down with paper towel.[2]
    • Always wash your hands after handling raw meat.
  4. Insert the beer can into the chicken. Place the beer can on the center of a plate. With the legs pointing downward, lower your chicken onto the beer can. Fit as much of the beer can as you can inside of the chicken, holding the chicken upright the entire time.[2]
    • Again, you should wash your hands after handling raw meat.
  5. Sprinkle a teaspoon of your seasoning mixture on the chicken. You want to sprinkle the mixture over the top cavity of the chicken so some gets into the beer can. This will make the beer can foam slightly, allowing the beer flavor to spread on the insides of the chicken.[2]
  6. Rub on the remaining mixture. Take your remaining spice mixture. Rub down the outside of the chicken with the seasonings. Make sure to cover the whole chicken evenly in your seasoning mixture.[2]

Grilling the Chicken

  1. Preheat the grill to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Your grill needs to be heated enough to cook the chicken. Make sure it's heated to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} before putting your chicken on the grill. Check to make sure your grill is heated by using an oven thermometer.[2]
  2. Place your chicken on the grill. You should place your chicken directly on the grill. You should stand the chicken on the beer can. Cover the grill once your chicken is in place.[2]
  3. Cook for an hour an 15 minutes. Times will vary depending on the precise power of your grill. Be sure to check the chicken throughout the process. Do not lift the lid of the grill too often, however, as you want to keep the lid closed to allow the chicken to cook.[2]
  4. Use a thermometer to make sure the chicken is fully cooked. A chicken needs to be {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} on the breast area and {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} on the thigh before it is safe to eat. Place a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken's thigh and breast, poking the thermometer in until it's near the bone. If the chicken is not warm enough, close the grill again and cook it for a few more minutes.[2]
  5. Allow the chicken to cool before slicing. Remove the chicken from the grill carefully. Then, wrap it in tinfoil and set it aside in a warm place in your home or backyard. Allow it to cool for approximately 10 minutes. After 10 minutes have passed, you can unwrap the chicken from the foil and enjoy it.[2]

Taking Precautions

  1. Use protective gloves when removing the chicken from the grill. Any chicken will be hot when removing it from the grill. However, a beer can chicken may pose a particularly strong risk. The beer can will get extremely hot during the grilling process, so use thick gloves when handling the chicken.[3]
    • If possible, use something like tongs to lift the chicken out of the grill.
    • You should also use gloves when separating the beer can from the chicken.
  2. Do not eat your chicken without testing it with an oven thermometer. Never forget to use an oven thermometer on a chicken. This is a step you should not skip over. If you don't have a meat thermometer, purchase one before making beer can chicken. The center of the chicken will be cooled by the beer can, so there is a particularly high risk of overcooking when making beer can chicken.[3]
  3. Understand the risks of cooking with a beer can. Beer cans are not designed to be safe to cook at high temperatures. There's some plastic lining the cans, which can contaminate your chicken. While most people who eat beer can chicken do not experience any health problems, beer cans are not designed for this purpose and it's not clear whether beer can chicken is 100% safe for consumers. If you decide to make beer can chicken, make sure to weigh the potential risks first.[3]



Warnings

  • The beer can will be hot when the chicken is cooked, so be careful when removing chicken from grill.

Things You'll Need

  • Knife and cutting board
  • A grill
  • Paper towels
  • Sharp knife
  • Meat thermometer

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/214618/beer-can-chicken/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beer-can-chicken-recipe.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/debunking_beer_can_chicken.html
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