Beer Can Chicken ( Beer Butt Chicken)
September 20, 2021 • 0 comments
Is it just me, or is beer can chicken a goofy kid thing?
Look, when we were kids, if I told you were going to insert a half-drunk beer into the butt of a chicken and grill it, I think you would actually get interested in cooking.
This is a brilliant way to roast a chicken, on the grill or in the oven. Yes, the chicken looks rather ridiculous on its beer can perch, covered with an herb rub and half-ready to salute you.
But hear me out. While the chicken is dry roasting on the outside, the inside is being bathed with steamy beer, keeping the chicken meat wonderfully moist.
The result is tender, falling-off-the-bone meat, encased in salty, herby, crispy skin.
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Jumbo Whole Chicken
- Beer
- Potatoes
- Butter
- Chicken Seasoning Collection
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- fresh thyme leaves
Directions
- Prepare your grill for indirect heat:
- If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.
- Season the Ferguson Farms chicken, rub with oil:
- Mix the salt, pepper, and thyme in a little bowl, and rub it all over the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil.
- Lower chicken onto half-filled beer can:
- Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer (drink the other half!) If you want, you can put a sprig of thyme (or another herb like rosemary or sage) in the beer can.
- Lower the chicken onto the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright, with the can in its cavity.
- Grill on indirect heat:
- Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, using the legs and beer can as a tripod to support the chicken on the grill and keep it stable.
- Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour. After an hour, check the chicken and refresh the coals if needed (if you are using a charcoal grill).
- Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160°F - 165°F.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, and the internal temperature of the grill. A 4 lb chicken will usually take around 1 1/2 hours.
- If you don't have a meat thermometer, a way to tell if the chicken is done is to poke it deeply with a knife (the thigh is a good place to do this), if the juices run clear, not pink, the chicken is done.
