| Beer Can Chicken on the Barbecue - it's an awesome | | | | chimney starter. Get them into your BBQ grill or |
| way to wow your guests and have some real fun, | | | | smoker and crank the heat to about 225 Degrees F. |
| too! I mean, come on. What's more fun - or funny - | | | | (You can find grill thermometers online at Amazon.) |
| than a dancing chicken! You've seen it on TV with | | | | Mix together each of the ingredients for the chicken |
| rubber chickens, now you get to taste it too! | | | | rub in a small mixing bowl and put the bowl off to |
| This recipe blends an easy beer can chicken BBQ | | | | the side. |
| preparation with a secondary spice rub on the | | | | WARNING: You are going to get your hands messy. |
| outside of the chicken. The beer will give off a good | | | | Consider using some latex or rubber gloves! |
| amount of moisture and flavor, with the rub following | | | | Your chicken will most likely come with a little gift |
| up from the outside for that one -two flavor punch! | | | | bag inside - including the giblets and the neck. Take |
| Time Requirements and Basic Materials List | | | | this out. |
| Time Required to Prepare the Chicken: About 15 | | | | Cover the outside of the chicken with rub, also |
| minutes | | | | rubbing some of it inside the chicken body. |
| Cooking Time: Roughly 1 hour and 30 min. | | | | Open the full can of beer... and drink a couple of gulps |
| The Hardware - What You'll Need | | | | straight away! (Can't pour it out... it's beer, after all!) |
| - One 4-5 lb. roaster chicken | | | | Then, take a can opener and remove the top of the |
| - Weber Kettle or other charcoal grill with some head | | | | beer can. Some folks will say to just punch a few |
| room at the top - domed lids work best | | | | holes in the top, but I feel that removing it allows for |
| - One medium sized bag of natural lump charcoal | | | | more moisture and flavor to move up through the |
| - Chimney coal starter - optional, but lets you get | | | | chicken while it cooks. |
| those coals going faster | | | | Drop the rosemary, minced garlic, thyme, lemon juice, |
| Ingredients and Measures for the Chicken | | | | and pepper flakes into the beer can, and set the |
| - 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds) | | | | chicken down on top of it's beer can throne! |
| - 1 12 ounce can of your favorite beer - play with | | | | Placing the Beer Can Chicken on the Grill |
| flavored beers if you like! (room temperature) | | | | The key to not burning your dancing BBQ Beer Can |
| - 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced | | | | Chicken to a cinder is to grill it on one side of your |
| - 2 fresh rosemary sprigs - you can use dried | | | | grill - keeping the coals on the other side. This way of |
| rosemary if you like (about 1 teaspoon of the dried | | | | cooking is called "indirect grilling" - as you are allowing |
| stuff) | | | | the heat from your barbecue to to reach your |
| - 2 teaspoons olive oil - medium grade is fine - no | | | | protein (the chicken) on the sly, rather than straight |
| need to go Extra Virgin | | | | on. |
| - 1 teaspoon of dried thyme | | | | With your grill at about 225 degrees F, you'll cook |
| - 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes | | | | your dancing chicken for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Your |
| - The juice of one lemon - translates to a little less | | | | target internal temperature for the chicken is 180 |
| than 1/4 cup | | | | degrees F. I like to check this using my instant read |
| Ingredients and Measures for the Rub | | | | digital probe style thermometer placed into one of |
| - 1 teaspoon of salt | | | | the thighs. |
| - 1 teaspoon of paprika | | | | When you've reached the 180 degree F mark inside |
| - 1 teaspoon of dried thyme | | | | the chicken thigh, pull the chicken off the grill - beer |
| - 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (again, you | | | | can and all. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes |
| can substitute dry if you don't have the fresh stuff) | | | | so the juices can redistribute back through the meat. |
| - 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper | | | | CAUTION: If you cut into the chicken too soon - all |
| - 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest (I use one of those | | | | the juices will run out onto the cutting board - leaving |
| micro files - be sure not to zest off more than just | | | | your dancing BBQ beer can chicken dry and well... a |
| the yellow color - the white stuff is bitter) | | | | little bit sad. |
| Now - Time to Pull it All Together | | | | After the 10 minutes has passed, take the chicken |
| Start by getting your coals nice and hot using the | | | | off of the beer can, carve, and enjoy! |