You’ve probably all done a beer can chicken at some point…if not, it is a glorious thing to behold. I’ve done a few myself, but found this fantastic recipe on All Recipes…really moist (as usual), but makes a really nice sweet crispy skin. I cook a few up, tear them apart, eat what I want and freeze down for later…they freeze great although the skin doesn’t stay as nice and crisp. I’ve changed it up slightly by adding just a bit of cayenne to add a little heat, but absolutely nothing wrong with the original, here it goes…
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (I reduced the sugar a little from the original and replaced with a little heat below)
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2 tablespoons chili powder
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2 tablespoons paprika
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2 teaspoons dry mustard
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1/2 (12 fluid ounce) can beer…I like a Tecate…keeps moist and doesn’t change the flavor up too much
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (this is my slight change as I like to add a bit of heat)
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1 whole chicken
Directions:
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, about 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except beer in a small bowl. Place the half-full can of beer in the center of a plate.
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Wash chicken off and discard any giblets and neck from inside of chicken; drain and pat dry. Fit whole chicken over the can of beer with the legs on the bottom; keep upright. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the seasoning mix into the top cavity of the chicken. Rub the remaining seasoning mix over the entire surface of the chicken.
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Place the chicken, on the can, directly on the grill. Close the lid and grill the chicken about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Use a thermometer and get it to about 180 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the grill and discard the beer can. Let it rest about 10 minutes and dig in!
