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Beer Can Chicken

Name: Beer Can Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 1 can (12 oz.) Miller Lite® beer; 1 roasting chicken (4–5 pounds), preferably Amish, or organic; 3 tbsp. your favorite dry spice rub recipe divided, or kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper; olive oil; church key can opener; Kingsford® Cherrywood Charcoal; vertical chicken roaster optional

Switch up the classic grill-roasted chicken by adding your favorite beer into the mix with this Beer Can Chicken recipe. (An extra beer to sip on is recommended but not required.)

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1 Food Prep 8 min
2 Grill Prep 10–20 min
3 The Cook 90 min

Cooking for people

Ingredients

1 can (12 oz.) Miller Lite® beer
1 roasting chicken (4–5 pounds), preferably Amish, or organic
3 tbsp. your favorite dry spice rub recipe divided, or kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Special Equipment

church key can opener
Kingsford^® Cherrywood Charcoal
vertical chicken roaster optional

1 Food Prep

First, remove the neck and giblets. Next, coat your chicken lightly with oil and season it with 2 tbsp. of your favorite dry rub recipe. For a more classic roasted chicken flavor, omit the dry rub and use only kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Finally, open the beer, pour out about 1/4-cup of it for yourself, then make an extra hole in top of the can with a church key can opener. Sprinkle the remaining tbsp. of dry rub into the beer can.

2 Grill Prep

Fuel: We recommend Kingsford® Original Charcoal Briquets.

Method: Two-Zone Method

Temp: 375°F (Medium Heat)

How to Gauge Grill Heat Without a Thermometer

Carefully hold your hand about 5” to 6” above the grate, and refer to the temperature settings below:

• High Heat (450° to 550°F):
2 to 4 seconds
• Medium Heat (350° to 450°F):
5 to 6 seconds
• Low Heat (250° to 350°F):
8 to 10 seconds

Make sure your clothing doesn’t touch the grate, and always move your hand away from the heat before you feel discomfort.

When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.

3 The Cook

When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.
Place a vertical chicken roaster on the cool side of the grill. If you don’t have a vertical chicken roaster, just place the beer can on a grill-safe dish. Move the legs on your chicken apart so the body cavity can slide over the top of the beer can. Your chicken will appear to be sitting on the grate.
Cook your chicken for 1 to 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh. Remove your chicken from the grill, being careful not to spill contents of the vertical roaster or beer can, as it will be very hot.
Let your chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Here’s How to Control Your Grill Temperature with Vents An easy way to control the temperature of your grill is by opening and closing its vents. To reduce the temperature: Close the vents on your grill to reduce the flow of oxygen. To increase the temperature: Open up the vents fully to allow more oxygen in to increase the flames.

Elizabeth Karmel

For safe meat preparation, reference the USDA website.