Sure Fire Barbeque Hit.. Beer Can Chicken

I have heard about it for years just as I am sure you have. Beer can chicken. I had put off trying this method, but once I did, I had a hit.

Cooking a beer can chicken has evolved quite a bit since someone opened up a can of beer and sat their bird over top of it before cooking it. But the concept remains the same. You have a nicely roasted bird outside and a tender and moist bird inside.

Let me give you my secret.

Last summer I stumbled across a beer can roaster soecifically for this purpose. It was designed like a wok with a small container in the center. It held a half a can or bottle of beer. Which was popular with this chef, as I got to make sure the remaining half a bottle of beer was put to good use. I drank it.

The beauty of this particular roaster was that it supported the chicken perfectly upright. This form of cooking has become quite popular. A quick search at EBay has three different type of beer can cookers for sale. Amazon.com has four. So finding a beer can cooker is easy to do.

Step One: Fire Up The grill

I like to pre-heat my grill before I do any cooking. It is like pre-heating an oven. Due to the nature of most beer can cookers, you will most likely have to remove the upper rack on your gas barbeque. This is a lot easier to do, before the grill gets hot.

Secondly, this process lends itself beautifully to smoking. Removing a grate on one side to place the smoker box should be done now.

Step Two: Prepare the chicken

Like anything else I cook on the barbeque I like to start with a thawed product if it has been frozen. For safety reasons please thaw your chicken in the fridge.

I usually prepare a rub of cracked pepper, and Mrs Dash seasoning due to high blood pressure issues here. Also Montreal Steak Spice isn't just for steaks and seasons chicken as well. Be inventive as far as seasoning goes.

I rub the spice mixture inside the body cavity after washing and drying it out. The remaining seasoning I rub under the skin. Be very careful when doing this so as not to tear the skin.

Once that is done, fill the beer container on your cooker with beer. The place chicken over the beer container. If you are going traditional, open the beer can and place chicken over top of it.

Now up to this point, you have slaved away to create a culinary masterpiece. Reward yourself and drink the remaining beer.

Step Four: Cooking the chicken

Place the chicken on the grill and immediately turn the heat off underneath it. If you read my hub on Melt In Your Mouth Ribs, you will know I am a huge fan of indirect heating when I cook on the barbeque.

If you have a smoker box, and you have prepared the wood chips, you can put them in the hot side now.

Close the barbeque lid and let it cook. You can figure about 30 minutes per pound for the first 3 pounds. Factor in a cooking time of 20 minutes per pound for each additional pound over 3 pounds. So a 3 pound bird will cook for 90 minutes and a 4 pound bird will cook for 110 minutes.

When you use the indirect heat cooking method you are literally cooking one side at a time. So it is very important to rotate the chicken regularly, I like to rotate the chicken 180 degrees every twenty minutes.

Step Five: Enjoy

When the chicken is done (meat thermometer reads 170-180 when inserted in breast or juices run clear when pierced) you will have a chicken with a golden brown crispy, crunchy skin. The fat has been rendered out the skin from the cooking so you have a healthier product.

When you bite into it you are in for a treat. It is going to be so moist and juicy. Your kids will be fighting over the breast meat instead of the drumsticks for a change.

This recipe is now the standard way we cook chicken during the summer barbeque season. When we have it on our menu, we are never short of dinner guests.

Variations: Be Adventurous

You don`t have to use beer with this cooking concept. Any liquid will do. I have used, orange juice, lemon juice, tomato juice, even coke. Don`t limit your imagination and you will be a backyard hero this summer.