Beer-Can Chicken Recipe (2024)

When I do this in the oven, I stand the chicken up in a bundt pan (cover the hole in the pan with foil first), with potatoes scattered in the bottom of the pan. For moisture in the bird, I poke a 1/2 a lemon with a tooth pick, and plug it into the open neck of the chicken.

Beer cans are lined with BPA which is dangerous. Any ideas how to get the same result without using the can? Maybe basting or adding to the pan and tenting with foil?

I agree that you should just use a vertical roaster and skip the beer can. Or if you *must* use a beer or soda can, make sure it's empty. As the Amazing Ribs site has shown (see link below), the liquid in the can doesn't get hot enough to steam and merely acts as a heat sink and makes even cooking problematic. I used to use the half-full beer method, but switched to a simple vertical roaster and found it makes a better chicken.

We make this every other week or so, in the oven, using a selzer can which is completely opened at the top, and a metal vertical roaster stand which holds the can and chicken, all inside a 9" square pan. For liquid, we half-fill the can, usually with wine. Adding 5-6 cloves of garlic in the can makes a difference! Also adding a lot of Herbe de Provence, etc. For the rub - whatever - TJ's Seasonings are good. But do not pour the super-garlicy liquid from the can into your pan drippings :(

I thought by this time everyone knew that beer cans are not designed for this purpose - plastic lining, paint and plastic coating on the outside - very toxic when heated.

I think you would better serve your readers who don't want to invest in another gadget to show a photo of chicken balanced on beer can on grill. And explain the process of getting the bird off the very hot can without spilling hot beer all over. The word "de-can" is a new one to me.

Or... read Meathead Goldwyn's treatise on why beer can chicken is a really bad idea at http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/debunking_beer_can_chicken.html (BTW, if you're really into BBQ & outdoor cooking & grilling, this guy's web site should be in your bookmarks.)

I've been making variations of this for 20 years and I've come to two conclusions. (1) put half the beer in the cook, who will become more cheerful (and the remainder will heat faster); (2) the really important thing is that the chicken be vertically roasted. I've bought one of those vertical stands and, when we have no canned beer, done without it. I can't tell a difference, and there's no difficulty with de-canning the bird.

I did the rub as described (but with red-pepper flakes), and situated the chicken in a Bundt pan. As for cooking time, I rely on the Cordon Bleu formula for roast chicken, 15 mins/lb + 15 mins, at 400 F, and it has never let me down. I threw mini potatoes in the pan, another suggestion that worked perfectly. The result was fantastic: a tender, moist chicken with a dark, very flavourful skin. The drippings in the pan yielded a caramel-like sauce that, when thinned out, made a tangy dipping sauce.

Need to really watch the internal temp and do not go by time solely or the chicken will be too dry.

This technique has been debunked. It's a novelty that does nothing to add moisture. Because it cooks indirectly, the beer never reaches a temp high enough to create steam, or very little to make an impact. Also, since the can is inside the cavity, the bird only cooks from the outside in, which creates a longer cook time. But, it's not all bad. A chicken looks awesome siting on the grill with a can up it's bum. Have fun with it.

I like to peal back the skin with my hand and add items to the flesh. Ginger and crushed pineapple was my last try and it was great.

Bunging four of these birds into an oven at noon will feed a very happy crowd of 8 - 10 folks for a late and lazy lunch. I usually throw in some large chunks of potatoes and sturdy vegetables (carrots, parsinps, swedes, beets, celeriac) tossed in olive oil and herbs into the roasting tray.

This method has also been debunked by the one of the greatest: Alton Brown. AB did an episode of Good Eats about this and showed that the liquid does not get hot enough to boil, therefore does not impart any moisture or flavor to the bird!

I have a Memorial Day party every year and do 6 bear can chickens. My recipe is close to this. I don’t use a barbecue sauce at all. Everyone loves it.

Big Green Egg user here. One of the accessories is a ceramic support which will hold any liquid desired for cooking Beer Can Chicken. We've used white wine, apple juice, etc. all with great success. Great chicken every time. Never used it on a regular grill so can't say if it would work.

The stainless steel stands are fantastic, balancing the chicken on the can and with the two legs is a breath-holding experience; get the stand (see Amazon). It also makes it very easy to rotate.1.25 hours is very correct, 350 degrees.Note: some of the new barbecues are low profile so filing the chicken may be a very tight squeeze. If the cover touches the bird put a little oil on the top so it does not stick.

Make it easy on yourself- EVOO and Tony Charchere seasoning. Also add beer soaked wood chips on top of coals for better smoked taste and as other readers have remarked, not a full can of beer (wine, juice), you want steam into the cavity!Lastly, charcoal is really the only way to go, otherwise to try to achieve moist inside and crispy skin, it’s a roasted bird (or toasted if using a gas grill).

Just so so. Rub is too spicy. Cooked unevenly (despite issues with the grill). I think the can is toxic.

So delicious and moist. Loved it.

So delicious. On the cool side we turned the dark meat side towards the hotter coals as we did not want to dry out the lovely white meat. 35 minutes in we turned the chicken around and basted a couple times before we took it off right around the 45 minute mark.

I've made this both on a beer can holder and spatchco*cked, which for me, is the way to go. Not only does spatchco*cking the chicken cook more evenly (because all the meat is in the horizontal plane, not the vertical), but it's so much easier to coat with dry rub and baste with bbq sauce, Flipping the bird for even cooking is also a breeze.

I bought the $9 gadget in lieu of a beer can and roasted the chicken upright in the oven. Applied my own barbecue sauce and tented in foil at 45 mins. It wasn't pretty, but the chicken was delicious! Sauce is optional; the dry rub provides great flavor and keeps the bird juicy. Temp and timing were perfect.

I made the rub and found it was enough for multiple birds. Next time I will make half as much for 1 chicken. We have a ceramic vertical roster that you pour beer into. Next time I do it I will be adding garlic to the lager, thanks for the recommendation

We make beer-can chicken often over our charcoal grill. Key to a moist bird is at least an hour in a salt/sugar brine and then the spices go between the skin and the flesh. We add soaked chunks of apple wood before the bird goes on, making a nice, subtle smoky flavor. Finally, we use a tray with a stainless receptacle (from kitchen supply shops) for holdingthe beer, so no inks, paints or plastics are heated. This results in a mahogany-brown chicken, beautifully moist from the brine and tender

I have had the Weber beer can chicken roaster pan for over 25 years. It has a well for the liquid and makes it safe and easy to place the chicken on the grill. The result is the most delicious and moist chicken using their suggested marinade before grilling.

do not wash your poultry

To avoid using an actual beer can, which may have BPA in the lining, I use a stainless steel device that I purchased many years ago. It consists of a stainless steel "can" (in the shape of a beer can, but a little more narrow) welded onto a stainless steel square base, which is about 6 inches by 6 inches. The base will sit safely in a grill or sit inside of a roasting pan. It also works great inside a roasting pan (filled with potatoes and vegetables) inside the oven. Dishwasher safe!

Could it not be possible to just marinate the bird in the actual beer? I hesitate to use a can just because I don't feel the liquid will really get into the meat properly. I have also seen Alton Brown's Good Eats episode which debunked this cooking with a beer can method and I trust his insights implicitly. Has anyone tried using beer as a marinade? I was wondering if it would make the chicken taste a little "off".