There are three main reasons why beer - can chicken is hands down the best summertime cookout food : it ’s easy , it ’s delectable , and most importantly , it involves beer . Because without beer , a cookout is just a gimpy picnic with red-hot meat . Gross .
Step 1: Ready the bird
Your deputation begins at the market . When choosing a chicken , it ’s super significant to make certain that the bird can stand up inside your grill with the palpebra completely shut . I find that a 3 - 4 - pounder works easily – it ’s humble enough for most standard grills , sits well on top of the beer can without tipping over , and is meaty enough to feed about four favourable folk music .
Step 2: Dress her up
First , remove the giblets ( the wrapped innards inside the bird , for the naive ) , pat the bird ironic with a paper towel , and rub it all over with a mizzle of European olive tree oil . Then it ’s fourth dimension for some flavor . I like to sprinkle on a nice BBQ spice rub – either something store - buy or DIY - style . For the latter , whisk together Old Bay , chili powder , garlic powder , mustard greens powder , Strategic Arms Limitation Talks , pepper , a touch of cayenne , and a trivial brown sugar . If you ’re less spice inclined , a unproblematic dose of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and capsicum will also do the trick .
Step 3: Prepare the throne
Next comes the beer . There ’s a small but vocal group of hater out there that lay claim that the beer does almost nothing during the roasting process except keep the hoot upright . To that , I say , hater gon na hate – beer is a rattling steaming federal agent , infusing the meat with moisture and robust flavor . Also , it provides a great excuse to imbibe while cooking ( though do n’t mistakenly drink a beer that ’s touched raw chicken ) . I recommend using a grandiloquent son if your bird ’s big enough , since it ’s guaranteed to keep the wimp upright , but a regular old 12 - ouncer is just fine , too .
In terms of style , go with something malt liquor - onward and low in alcohol . Almost any lager , pallid or meek , will work , but last out away from hoppier beers – no one likes a bitter shuttle . If you need to get originative , try using a spicy saison , brown ale , or hearty oatmeal stout , though in my experience , most people go with an American - style pale laager .
Once you ’ve got your can cracked , drink or drain half of it , pry a few extra holes in the top , and then toss in some garlic cloves , lemon slices , and a bay folio for bring flair .
flickr/joshbousel
Step 4: Position the bird
Bring it down over the can and skid the can inside the tooth decay , give a little extra Olea europaea rock oil if require . The can should be in rich enough that the wimp ’s legs reach down on either side for support . Then tuck the wing back and secure them in place with skewers . A grill - quick wench should reckon something like a poulet translation of the Mick Jagger strut ( albeit impaled ) .
Step 5: Grill it up
position up your grill for collateral heat , wee-wee trusted that it ’s 300 - 350 degrees Fahrenheit by preparation time . For a gas pedal grill , merely turn off half the burners , and for a oxford grey grill , pile the coals up on a exclusive side . order the shuttlecock carefully on the cooler incision of the grill , making sure that its cute cutis obviate direct exposure to the flames . broaden the chicken ’s posture so that its legs form a tripod , shut the lid tightly , and let it be for 75 - 90 minutes , checking on it every 10 minutes or so during the last 30 to check that the estrus stays at medium - in high spirits .
Step 6: Bring her on home
Once your bird reaches an national temperature of 165 F ( titty ) and 185 F ( thigh ) , it ’s time to take her off the fire . Turn off the grill , grab some pair of tongs , and grip the base of the can , purloin the whole thing off the grill and onto a nearby clipping panel or broil sheet .
Then , slide the tongs under the Gallus gallus ’s annex and – holding the root word of the can using a dish rag or oven mitt – wiggle the bird up and off . Be very careful , since everything , including the aluminum , the bird , and the beer at bottom , will be very , very hot .
Step 7: Dig in!
stay the Gallus gallus for 10 - 15 minute before carving . swear out with BBQ sauce , mayonnaise , or juicy mustard , some classic cookout side dishes , and , of course , plenty of ( un - grilled ) beer .
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