Beer Can Chicken

One of our favorite meals off of the grill is beer can chicken, or as we call it, Beer Butt Chicken.  It always comes out tender and juicy and the flavor is fantastic.  It’s very easy to make and one chicken is enough for the two of us to have dinner plus a couple of lunches so it’s economical as well.

What’s The Secret

I think the secret is to have enough moisture circulating through the chicken.  The beer, or any other liquid you like (wine, soda, etc.) provides the moisture.  In order to get the moisture to the chicken a “special”  cooker works best.  I’ve tried just placing the chicken on the beer can.  It works OK but it’s also very unstable and the opening at the top of the can really isn’t big enough to get a good amount of steam.  There are lots of “beer can cookers” on the market so get one that has a sturdy base and a good liquid capacity.

Once you have the chicken coated with your favorite dry rub and placed on the cooker you will want to cook the chicken over indirect heat at a temperature of 375 degrees or so for about 60-90 minutes until done.  You can add wood chips if you like for a smoked flavor.  I use either Hickory or Alder most of the time.  Take it off the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes or so before serving.  That’s it!  Here’s my video showing how I make it: