ISO: Beer Can Chicken

I need a recipe and instructions for beer can chicken.  I just got my first new gas grill and don't know how to cook on a grill at all! .  I've heard how great moist etc the chicken is, so now I need the recipe.  Thank you....

piggykins

Piggykins, we make this all the time. I'm typing it from memory since I don't have my laptop with me so bare with me a moment and let me know if you have any questions.

Take 1 Roaster Chicken - wash and drain. Do not pat dry as you need it to be wet for the seasoning to stick. We use Montreal Chicken Seasoning (but any chicken appropriate seasoning would work fine - even just salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the seasoning over the entire bird. Open a can of beer (or gingerale works great) and empty about 1/4 of the can. Sprinkle 1 tsp of seasoning into the beer.

Hint - do this on a cookie sheet and you'll have less mess to clean up.

Set the chickn over hte beer can (drumsticks to the bottom) and then carefully place the entire bird/can in the center of the grill over the drip pan.

For the grill. Set a drip pan in the middle of the gill bed and place a good amount of coals around it. Light the coals, and when they are ashen and ready to go, place the bird/can  over the drip pan. Cover and let cook at 250*-300* for about 4 hours. Stick a meat thermometer in the thigh of the bird. When it reaches 180* it's done.

With very large tongs and oven mitts, carefully remove bird from grill and allow to sit for 10 minutes before removing the can. This may take two people to manipulate. Enjoy your chicken! Hope this is easy to understand. Let me know if you have any Q's

Shannon

Thanks so much for answering me! Ok I haven't grilled before so I hope my questions aren't dumb.  But I don't have a charcoal grill, dh just bought me a new gas grill - would you have instructions for that? What is a drip pan? Thanks....

piggykins

Well, in that case, we'll have to change procedure.

A drip pan usually sits in the center of the grill with the coals around it to catch the drips from big foods like chickens, roasts etc. That way the greasy drips don't cause flames to flare up and the juicy drips don't put the fire out. It's just a disposable foil pan that you can get at Walmart. Usually 2-3 to a pack and they're usually found in the kitchen ware section. There's all different sizes.

In your case though, I would put the whole chicken and can right onto the drip pan and place it in the center of your grill. Keep the flame below Medium (I don't know what your settings are or if you have a temperature guage or not). You want to keep the grill temp below 300 but not below 250. This allows for even cooking. Anything higher than 300 tends to cook the outside really fast while the inside is still raw. You're going for slow even cooking.

Oh, this might be important...you want to make sure you have a bird that FITS in your grill when it sits upright. The beer can and the drumsticks should help to keep its balance but you have to be able to put the lid down. In our old charcoal grill we always had to use a smaller chicken. We just bought a new charcoal (looks like a gas in design but it cooks with charcoal) and we're able to cook the bigger roaster size chickens.

How's that?

Shannon

A few more tips...

Use beer that is at room temp.

Try to find a beer stand at walmart while you're there looking for the drip pan. You don't NEED it but it does come in hand if your chicken is a little on the wobbly side. Sometimes they just don't want to stand. If you can't find one, ask a worker where the stands are for the beer can chicken. They should know what you're talking about.

Thank you for explaining the drip pan for me.  I do have a temperature gauge and two burners low and high.  A beer stand (never heard of it) I lead a sheltered life huh? lol! Thanks....

piggykins