Hello Everybody,
Today we are going to delve into the world of chicken! Specifically we are going to talk about Beer Can Chicken. Now for many this isn’t a new thing. But in case you have never heard of this technique or you simply want a refresher course, this article is for you. I discovered Beer Can Chicken a few years ago and have tried to harness my style of cooking it since then. Now the fun thing about this dish is you can cook it in the oven or on the grill. I prefer the oven due to the fact that you have more temperature control. The other wonderful thing about this dish is that it produces great flavor and the most moist chicken you will ever taste.
Oven Temperature: 350
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
1 4 – 5 lb. whole chicken
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. cilantro
1 tbsp. bay leaves
1 tbsp. dill weed
1 tbsp. thyme
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. celery salt
1 can of beer
1 bottle of higher quality beer
olive oil
Directions:
Go ahead and pre-heat your oven at 350 degrees. The temperature will remain constant throughout the whole process.
Next get a large plate and spread out the spices, salt, and pepper so that once your chicken is prepped you can roll the meat around in the spices.
The next steps involve the beer that will be used in this recipe.
For this particular round I chose to use Samuel Adams Holiday Porter as the beer used in the cooking process. You may be noticing there is a can of Name Tag lager from Trader Joes also included. This beer will not be going anywhere near the chicken. I just need the can. So step one is to completely empty out the beer can. Once complete open up your preferred beer and pour enough beer into can to fill half of it.
Be sure not to discard the remaining beer of choice. You will need it for later in the cooking process. So go ahead and grab a glass and pour the remainder of your chosen beer into it. You can also get your baster ready, because you guessed it, while the chicken is cooking you will be basting it with your beer.
The next steps are all about prepping the chicken:
First the chicken needs to be cleaned. So go ahead and pull it out the wrapper and make sure to remove any internal organs in the body cavity. You won’t want them in when you are trying to get a beer can in there. Then you should go ahead and make sure you give the chicken a good rub down to get any unsavory substances on the skin off.
After you are all done cleaning the chicken it is time to get the rub onto the skin. So make sure you get out the olive oil to give your bird a surface for spices to sit on and also to make sure it doesn’t burn up while in the oven. Once you have a good layer of olive oil on the bird go ahead and roll the meat around on the prepped plate of spices. After you get a first coat on it take a moment to make sure the spices are spread around and evenly distributed.
So now your chicken is prepped and your oven should be ready, so the final preparatory step is to get the chicken on the pan, sitting on the can, and into the oven.
I like to use a baking sheet with a small lip. I find it allows for the bird to cook more evenly during the process. Go ahead and grab the olive oil again and give the pan a good spread.
Then you need to get your half filled can of beer and place it on the baking sheet.
Now the big moment, getting the chicken on the can. Basically go ahead and pick up the chicken placing the lower cavity over the beer can. Make sure you push the chicken as far down as it will go and make sure it is steady and able to stand without holding it.
Put the chicken in the oven for roughly an hour and a half. Turning the baking sheet and bast every 15 – 20 minutes.
After 90 minutes go ahead and do the old Chicken test. Take a sharp knife and poke the side of the leg. If clear liquid comes out you are all set.
The last step before cutting into this wonderful dish is to take the beer can out of the cavity. VERY IMPORTANT – THERE IS HOT LIQUID IN THE CAN – SO DON’T TIP THE CHICKEN. Use a pair of tongs to pick up the chicken and a secondary pair to pull out the can.
Now you can cut it up and enjoy what I hope is a dish that you really enjoy!
Good Spirits Folks!
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