Beer Can Chicken

Who likes deep fried chicken? I'm not really a fan because I don't like all the grease and oil - so I have a fantastic solution to fried chicken - BBQ Beer Can Chicken.

If you have been following some of my older post this spring you know I'm a huge fan of Bar-B-Q food. Last night my wife and I tried Beer Can Chicken - the result is BBQ chicken that is so moist and tender with a crispy skin, it compares to deep fried with out all the sinful oil and fat. It tastes better and is better for you, how can you lose?

Get beer, a beer can stand (Canadian Tire, makes life a lot easier) drink half of it and fill up the remainder with spices and garlic. (rosemary, thyme, pepper, salt - what ever suits you) Here we used an apricot micro-beer from Peels. The chicken needs to have a good 'rub' as well - again this is the secret to great taste! When making rubs or marinades I never use table salt - it's too salty and high in iodine. Use coarse sea salt instead - much better flavor!


The time, temperature and indirect cooking method is similar to the ribs mentioned below, 350F for 1.25 - 1.5 hrs. I ended up doing this one at 420F for 1.1 hrs - could have been done 'lower and slower'. Notice how I stand the chicken over the unlit side and on a piece of tinfoil. Keeps the fat from flaring up.

Remember the saying, "if you're lookin', it ain't cookin'". Keep the lid closed! You'll have shorter cooking times, less flare ups and better tasting food.

Back to photos tomorrow. Cheers!