Beer-Can Chicken

Get ready to wow your guests. (Randazzo and Blau)

OK, here it is. The master recipe for the ur-beer-can chicken, the showstopper that will dazzle your family and friends. If you’ve never made beer-can chicken before, start here, and once you’ve nailed the basic procedure, there’s no limit to its variations.

Note: Use soda or fruit juice instead of beer. Substitute the rubs to season the chicken or use your favorite commercial rub. As you can see, the possibilities are endless.

Serves 2 to 4

• 1 can (12 ounces) beer
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Barbecue Rub (recipe follows) or your favorite commercial rub
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

You'll also need

• 1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory or cherry), soaked for 30 minutes in water and/or beer to cover, then drained
• Vertical chicken roaster (optional)

Pop the tab off the beer can. Pour half of the beer (3/4 cup) over the soaking wood chips or chunks, or reserve for another use. If cooking the chicken on the can, using a church key-style can opener, make 2 additional holes in its top. Set the can of beer aside.

Remove and discard the fat just inside the chicken’s body and neck cavities. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of rub inside the body cavity and 1/2 teaspoon inside the neck cavity of the chicken. Drizzle the oil over the outside of the bird and rub or brush it all over the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the bird with 1 tablespoon of rub, and rub it all over the skin. Spoon the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of rub into the beer through a hole in the top of the can. Don’t worry if the beer foams up: This is normal.

If cooking on a can: Hold the bird upright, with the opening of the body cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod so the bird stands upright. The rear leg of the tripod is the beer can.

If cooking on a roaster: Fill it with the beer mixture, and position the chicken on top, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Tuck the tips of the wings behind the chicken’s back.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips or chunks in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and heat on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all the wood chips or chunks onto the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked through (about 175 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, but not touching the bone), 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

If using a charcoal grill, you may need to add fresh coals after 1 hour. If the chicken skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent the bird with aluminum foil.

If cooking on a can: Using tongs, hold the bird by the can and carefully transfer it in an upright position to a platter.

If cooking on a roaster: Use grill gloves to remove the bird from the grill while it’s still on the vertical roaster.

Present the bird to your guests. Let the chicken rest for 3 to 5 minutes, then carefully lift it off its support. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Halve, quarter, or carve the chicken and serve.

All-Purpose Barbecue Rub

Variations on this rub have appeared in each of my barbecue books. There are four basic ingredients—salt, black pepper, paprika, and dark brown sugar—and by varying the proportions, you can create an almost endless variety of flavors. For a spicier rub, use hot paprika instead of sweet paprika. You could also substitute granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or raw cane sugar for the dark brown sugar. There isn’t a fish that swims, a bird that flies, or a beast that walks that wouldn’t benefit from a generous sprinkling of this multipurpose rub.

Makes about 1 cup

• 1/4 cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 2 to 4 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Put the salt, brown sugar, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl, and stir to mix. (Your fingers actually work better for mixing the rub than a spoon or whisk does.)

Store the rub in an airtight jar away from heat and light; it will keep for at least 3 months.

Recipe excerpted with permission from “Beer-Can Chicken: Foolproof Recipes for the Crispiest, Crackliest, Smokiest, Most Succulent Birds You’ve Ever Tasted (Revised)“ by Steven Raichlen, photos by Randazzo and Blau. Workman Publishing copyright 2024.

(Randazzo and Blau)