Grilled Beer Can Chicken

Grilled Beer Can Chicken is a fun and different way to achieve perfect grilled chicken that will have your friends and family thinking you are a prize-winning BBQ Pit Master!

It’s time to fire up the grill and invite family and friends to come over for a cookout to help celebrate Independence Day, America’s birthday! And today I will be sharing the final and possibly the most exciting dish included in my tasty Fourth of July menu, hot-off–the-grill Beer Can Chicken, to go along with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad, and a fantastic Frozen Lemonade Pie topped with fresh summer blueberries and raspberries or my patriotic Red, White and Blue No-Bake Icebox Cake.

My Fourth of July menu wouldn’t be complete without grilled chicken, and I have a fascinating, fun and really delicious way to cook chicken on the grill for your Fourth of July cookout. It’s a fun and different way to achieve perfect grilled chicken that will have your friends and family thinking you are a prize winning BBQ Pit master! The secret: an open can of beer or another carbonated beverage is inserted into the cavity of a chicken, which is then cooked upright on the grill. Besides being out of this world tender and delicious, the chicken makes a great conversation piece for your Fourth of July cookout.

If you like this recipe, I’ll bet you would also like my recipes for The Best and Easiest Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken Skewers with Tomato Relish, and Grilled Chicken with Peach Glaze.

The ingredients for Grilled Beer Can Chicken are brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, a chicken, beer or another carbonated beverage in a can, apple juice or apple cider, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Slide the chicken over the beer can, or if you are using a vertical beer can chicken roaster, place the can into the holder and slide the chicken over the can and holder.

To make the rub, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 

Apply the rub all over the chicken, even inside the cavity. Work the mixture under the skin wherever possible. Cover the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

In the meantime, prepare your grill for direct grilling and preheat to 375 degrees.

This chicken was grilled using a Green Egg Grill, but any grill with a lid will work and the directions will be the same.

When the grill is ready, pour half of the beer or other carbonated beverage into a spray bottle. Add the apple cider or juice, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and shake well.

Carefully place the chicken and the vertical roaster on the grill grates. Spray the chicken with the mixture in the spray bottle and close the grill lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken starts to brown all over.

Using heavy-duty oven mitts, carefully lift up the chicken (still sitting on the vertical roaster) and place a drip pan under the roaster to catch the drippings. (I usually use a pie plate or cake pan.) Spray the chicken again and close the lid. Cook for approximately 45-60 more minutes, spraying the chicken every 15 minutes or so until the internal temperature of the thighs reaches 165 degrees.

Have a large pan or dish close and again, using heavy-duty oven mitts, carefully lift the chicken and vertical roaster off the grill. Very carefully remove the chicken from the vertical roaster and can and place in the pan. Use extreme caution here; the can and liquid inside are very hot!

Spray the chicken once more, cover loosely with foil and let rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

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Grilled Beer Can Chicken

Grilled Beer Can Chicken is a fun and different way to achieve perfect grilled chicken that will have your friends and family thinking you are a prize winning BBQ Pitmaster!

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Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American, Southern

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

90 minutes

Servings

4 servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Barbecue Rub Ingredients

• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet paprika
• 3 Tbsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Chicken

• 4-5 pound chicken
• 1 can beer or another carbonated beverage 12 oz can
• 1 cup apple juice or apple cider
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Course Main Dish Cuisine American, Southern Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 90 minutes Servings 4 servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Barbecue Rub Ingredients 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup sweet paprika 3 Tbsp black pepper 3 Tbsp kosher salt 2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper Chicken 4-5 pound chicken 1 can beer or another carbonated beverage 12 oz can 1 cup apple juice or apple cider 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Votes: 3 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe! Add to Shopping List This recipe is in your Shopping List

Instructions

1. To make the rub, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Apply the rub all over the chicken, even inside the cavity. Work the mixture under the skin wherever possible. Cover the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. In the meantime, prepare your grill for direct grilling and preheat to 375 degrees.
4. When the grill is ready, pour half of the beer or other carbonated beverage into a spray bottle. Add the apple juice or apple cider, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and shake well.
5. Slide the chicken over the beer can, or if you are using a vertical beer can chicken roaster, place the can into the holder and slide the chicken over the can and holder.
6. Carefully place the chicken and the vertical roaster on the grill grates. Spray the chicken with the mixture in the spray bottle and close the grill lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken starts to brown all over.
7. Using heavy-duty oven mitts, carefully lift up the chicken (still sitting on the vertical roaster) and place a drip pan under the roaster to catch the drippings. (I usually use a pie plate or cake pan.) Spray the chicken again and close the lid. Cook for approximately 45-60 more minutes, spraying the chicken every 15 minutes or so until the internal temperature of the thighs, reaches 165 degrees.
8. Have a large pan or dish close and again, using heavy-duty oven mitts, carefully lift the chicken and vertical roaster off the grill. Very carefully remove the chicken from the vertical roaster and can and place in the pan. Use extreme caution here; the can and liquid inside are very hot!
9. Spray the chicken once more, cover loosely with foil and let rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Facts

Grilled Beer Can Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 530 Calories from Fat 414

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 46g 71%

Saturated Fat 12g 60%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 250mg 83%

Sodium 340mg 14%

Protein 53g 106%

Vitamin A 38%

Vitamin C 10%

Iron 20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.