Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)

  • 1 12-ounce can of beer

  • Olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon of paprika

  • 1 tablespoon of oregano

  • 1 tablespoon of cumin

  • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon of salt

  • 1 tablespoon of black pepper


Steps

  1. Preheat the barbecue grill and clean the grill grates

  2. Open the can of beer and pour out half of the beer leaving you with a can a little less than half full

  3. Combine 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of oregano, 1 tablespoon of cumin, 1 tablespoon of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of black pepper in a small bowl

  4. Remove the chicken from its packaging and take out any innards

  5. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cool running water

  6. Pat the chicken dry all over with some paper towels and place the chicken on a separate platter

  7. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the chicken and rub the oil all over the chicken

  8. Flip the chicken over to rub more olive oil on the other side

  9. Spoon the homemade seasoning mix all over the chicken skin and rub it in well with your hands

  10. Flip the chicken over and spoon more of the seasoning on top of the chicken

  11. Also sprinkle some of the seasoning on the inside of the chicken

  12. Carefully place the seasoned chicken on top of the half full beer can, situating the chicken so the legs are down, helping to stand the chicken up

  13. Transfer the beer can chicken assembly to the preheated grill

  14. Cover the grill and let the chicken cook for at least 45 minutes undisturbed

  15. At this point, turn all the burners off on the grill except one so the chicken cooks over indirect heat

  16. You want the heat of the grill to be between 350 degrees Fahrenheit and 400 degrees Fahrenheit

  17. After 45 minutes, open the grill to check on the chicken and read the internal meat temperature in the thickest part of the thigh

  18. If the internal meat temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat is done cooking. If it is not 165 degrees Fahrenheit yet, allow the chicken to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes and then check the temperature again, allowing the chicken to cook in short intervals, checking the temperature each time

  19. When the chicken has reached its temperature, use two large forks to carefully remove the cooked chicken from the grill and transfer to a separate platter

  20. Tent the chicken with some tin foil and allow it to rest for 10 minutes

  21. Move the chicken to a cutting board and cut the chicken into your desired pieces


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