Beer Can Chicken

This beer can chicken recipe for the grill is the perfect way to round out your summer, and it comes with its own chef’s beverage. Use one of the best cheap beers or try beer can chicken recipes with one of your go-to craft cans. This recipe is great to make when you have a whole chicken to use and want something that won’t take a lot of active cooking time.

To make beer can chicken, pop open a can of beer, pour half of it for yourself and save the rest for the chicken. When it’s time to grill, place the seasoned chicken over the can of beer and then onto the grill rack to cook for up to an hour and a half. The beer steams as it cooks, creating chicken that is juicy and flavorful on the inside, while the outside gets nice and crispy. You’ll never want to make grilled dinners without a can of beer again.

Ingredients for Beer Can Chicken

TASTE OF HOME

• Chicken: For beer can chicken recipes, use a whole broiler or fryer chicken that’s around 3 to 4 pounds. Check the cavity before you start cooking to make sure there are no bones or giblets stuffed inside, and remove them if there are.
• Beer: Use one can of beer or nonalcoholic beer for this beer can chicken recipe. Keep it simple with a lager or pilsner, or use whatever you want to drink while you’re grilling.
• Seasonings: This recipe calls for a simple spice rub of chicken seasoning, chili powder, paprika, dried basil and ground pepper. Mix these together to make a spice rub and sprinkle it evenly over the chicken.
• Sugar: Sugar is added to the spice rub to balance out the savory flavors. Our beer can chicken recipe calls for cane sugar but you can use brown sugar.
• Canola oil: The chicken is brushed with some oil before it’s seasoned, which helps the skin get that golden brown outer coating.
• Lemon: Add extra aromatics by stuffing the chicken cavity with lemon slices before setting it over the beer can.

Directions

Step 1: Season the chicken

TASTE OF HOME

In a small bowl, make your spice rub by combining the chicken seasoning, sugar, chili powder, paprika, dried basil and pepper.

TASTE OF HOME

Gently loosen the skin from the chicken. Brush the chicken with the oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon spice rub into the cavity. Rub the remaining spice mixture over and under the skin. Place lemon slices in the neck cavity, and tuck the wing tips behind the back.

Step 2: Beer can the chicken

TASTE OF HOME

Prepare the grill for indirect heat using a drip pan. Pour out half the beer, reserving it for another use (aka a treat while you cook!). Carefully poke some additional holes on the top of the can with a can opener.

TASTE OF HOME

Holding the chicken with the legs pointed down, lower the chicken over the can so it fills the body cavity.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure the chicken is stable on the can by pulling the chicken down until only about 2 inches of the can is showing.

Step 3: Grill the chicken

TASTE OF HOME

Place the chicken over the drip pan and make sure it’s placed over indirect medium heat. Grill the chicken, covered, for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, until a thermometer reads 180°F. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Carefully pull the chicken up from the can by gently wiggling it until the can comes free.

Editor’s Tip: Learn more about direct heat versus indirect heat by following our tips on how to use a charcoal grill.

TASTE OF HOME

Beer Can Chicken Variations

• Change up the rub: The beer is really the star of the show here, so take the rub in any direction you want. Use a simple rub of brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Change it up with other spices like cumin, coriander or turmeric, or add chopped fresh herbs like parsley, tarragon or oregano.
• Use a different beverage: You can still make this beer can chicken recipe on the grill without the beer itself! Try it with a cider, which goes great with chicken, or canned white wine. Or, use a nonalcoholic beer or another nonalcoholic beverage like coke, ginger ale or apple juice.

How to Store Beer Can Chicken

Store leftover beer can chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I like to carve all the meat off the bones after cooking it so I can store any leftover chicken in the fridge and then I place the bones in a zip-top bag in the freezer for my next batch of homemade chicken broth.

How long does beer can chicken last?

Beer can chicken lasts for up to four days when it’s stored properly in the fridge.

How do you reheat beer can chicken?

Reheat your leftover beer can chicken in the microwave, on the stovetop or in the oven until it’s warmed all the way through.

Beer Can Chicken Tips

TASTE OF HOME

What is the best beer for beer can chicken recipes?

I like to keep it light and cheap when it comes to a beer can chicken recipe. Some people like to use Miller Light or Budweiser, but I am partial to my favorite inexpensive cans of beer like Montucky Cold Snack or PBR. Try to avoid beer with special flavorings like seasonal pumpkin beers or anything you wouldn’t want imparting its flavor on the chicken.

How do you know when beer can chicken is done cooking?

The best way to know a chicken is done is to temp it with a thermometer. Chicken is done when it reaches 165°, but we take it to 180° for this recipe.

What can you serve with beer can chicken?

When you’re making grilled chicken, it’s a great excuse to make some grilled vegetables, like corn on the cob or summer zucchini. Don’t forget something starchy like a creamy potato salad or pasta salad.

What can you do with leftover beer can chicken?

Beer can chicken is such a great barbecue recipe because it tastes delicious the first time around and is just as delicious the next time around as leftovers. If you want to change things up a bit, turn your leftover chicken into chicken salad, chicken taquitos or some cheesy chicken enchiladas.