How to Cook Beer Can Chicken

Whether it's, 'Chicken on the throne', 'Beer can grilled chicken', or 'Beer butt chicken', this method has become extremely popular. Indirect grilling, as this method is called, is a popular variation of the barbecue style of cooking. This is done from within the chicken; which gets cooked with the vapors of the boiling beer. This procedure drives the flavor up through the chicken's cavity.

The main purpose of using beer, is to supply moisture to the chicken and prevent it from drying out. The yeast and malt present in the beer, react with the chicken's skin, making it thin and crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside. It can be cooked using an oven, a smoker or grill, and what you get finally, is a tender and juicy chicken.

Things Required

• Whole chicken
• 14 oz., beer (brand of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons, all-purpose barbecue rub (or any favorite commercial rub)
• 2 teaspoons, vegetable oil
• Shallow baking pan
• Aluminum foil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Paper towels
• Meat thermometer

Procedure

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Take out the giblets and fat from the cavity of the chicken, especially from the neck.
• Rinse the chicken well, under cold running water. Drain and pat-dry the inside and outside of the chicken, with paper towels.

• Sprinkle a teaspoon of the barbecue rub inside the cavity of the chicken, and ½ a teaspoon inside the neck cavity. Rub the vegetable oil over the chicken's surface, evenly.
• Rub the salt and pepper (according to taste) evenly, on the greased skin of the chicken.

• Use a can opener to remove the top of the can; spoon the remaining rub into it, through the hole. Don't panic if the liquid foams up, as this is normal.
• Position the chicken in an upright position through the chicken's bottom cavity. Lower the body onto the can so that it fits, snugly.

• Position its legs forward to form sort of a tripod so that it can support its weight on the can and stand upright. It should look like the chicken is sitting on the can.

• Now, bake the chicken and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken thigh. Cook for nearly 2 hours or until the chicken turns golden-brown. The meat should be cooked well, when it reads 180 °F.

• If the skin starts turning extremely brown, cover the chicken slightly, with aluminum foil. Once it is done, with the help of tongs, hold the chicken by the can and carefully place it on a platter in an upright position.

• Before serving, allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, before carefully lifting it off the can. Take care not to spill the hot liquid, else you will burn yourself. Cut the chicken and serve hot.

You must now have a fair idea of how to cook this mouth-watering dish. You can also add different kinds of spices of your choice and extra beer for more flavor, to the chicken. Normally, garlic, cayenne pepper, diced onion, or cumin, is used to season the chicken.