Your favorite beer can chicken recipe?

Discussion in 'Rusty's Grill' started by Curt Hennig, Jun 2, 2006.

  1. Curt Hennig

    Curt Hennig 100+ Posts

    I've done it a few times. Usually just rubbed some white & black pepper on it. I usually drink about 1/2 of the beer and then get a can opener and take the entire top of the beer can off. Then add some more white & black pepper to the beer.

    What are your recipes? Going to do one this weekend.
     
  2. Smoky Brisket

    Smoky Brisket 100+ Posts

    rub with tony cacheres and salt.
    baste with wishbone dressing every 30-60 minutes til done

    did one last weekend. here's the result:
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Tailgate

    Tailgate 500+ Posts

    Are you guys cooking these in the oven or on a grill?
     
  4. Curt Hennig

    Curt Hennig 100+ Posts

    i have done mine on a charcoal grill normally although i have not grilled one since last summer and since then i have moved to an apt complex. i think they have gas grills. i know the pool near me has a charcoal grill but i want to see what the main pool has........

    anyway, i cook away from the coals for about 2 hours. i use a meat thermometer and stop when the breast reaches 165+F. 170F is definitely safe.
     
  5. Curt Hennig

    Curt Hennig 100+ Posts

    so i did something different than normal. i prepped it tonight and i took the giblets out and cut the neck and tail off (normally do that). BUT i was trimming the fat off and basically trimmed off all the skin. i have never tried that before. the chicken is alot _looser_ than before. basically i trimmed the excess fat after cutting off the neck and then went a bit overboard. we'll see how it turns out.

    anyway, i poured a bit of olive oil on both sides of the chicken. then mixed 1.5 tbsp of black pepper, 1 tbsp of white ground pepper and 1/2 tbsp of onion salt. i rubbed this on the chicken after putting the olive oil on. i have it sitting in my fridge now. i might put a bit more rub tomorrow.

    i guess i'll see how the experiment with removing the skin goes. it was more work than i care to do next time though.
     
  6. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    I really really don't like chicken skin, however everytime I've tried to grill or smoke a chicken without the skin, it ruins the bird.

    Usually just use some salt and pepper and some paprika and 3/4 quarters a can of beer with half a lime in it and then smoke for 2 1/2 to 3 hours depending on the size of the bird
     
  7. Curt Hennig

    Curt Hennig 100+ Posts

    postponed it to tomorrow (sunday). i might actually go to HEB and get another chicken and do 2 of them. this one with skin. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
     
  8. Traffic

    Traffic 500+ Posts

    I think the skin would be essential for keeping the bird moist. Seems the meat would be too dry otherwise. It should be an interesting experiment.
     
  9. 7Titles

    7Titles 500+ Posts

    I second the Tony Cacheres. Rub it inside the bird and under the skin also. You can also put some herbs inside the bird and in the beer.
     
  10. next2naus

    next2naus 500+ Posts

    Mr. Perfect: can we please see some pix for the sake of comparision?
     
  11. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    Academy used to sell a rack for the grill with spots to hold your beer cans (2) it made it real easy to put in and take out of the grill. I think it cost $5 or something pretty cheap.

    Also from experience tall boys don't do anything special for the chicken just gets it a little further from the fire
     
  12. Curt Hennig

    Curt Hennig 100+ Posts

    i didn't have a digital camera with me.

    but it turned out well. i will say that skinning the chicken was a ***** though.
     
  13. austintexas

    austintexas Guest

    i've done a few of these, but it all still just tastes like any other chicken. to me, just not worth the effort.
     
  14. Wooderson

    Wooderson 25+ Posts

    effort?

    Doing a beer can chicken takes all of 10 minutes of prep time. All I do is pour out half the beer, spray the chicken with canola or olive oil and sprinkle on some kind of rub (I like Goode Company Mesquite Shake). The chicken takes 1-2 hours to cook, depending on the size of the bird and the heat of the fire.

    That isn't much effort in my book, for a chicken that turns out damn near perfect every time.

    The key is to invest in a can stand or a Chicken Rocket. Makes it easier to balance the bird on the grill.
     
  15. austintexas

    austintexas Guest

    for chicken, yes that is effort in my book. i just get those roasted, ready to eat chickens from HEB. tastes the same as beer can chicken to me. maybe your beer can chicken is better than any i've done, though.

    now, brisket, on the other hand...different story.
     
  16. GakFoo

    GakFoo 500+ Posts

    I've done a lot of beer can chickens with various spice combinations and basting, until I came up with Magic Chicken, which is the moistest bird I have ever had home or restaraunt. Take a whole bird and cut out the backbone so that you have a whole bird you can lay flat -- a whole bird butterflied so to speak. Working from the neck area, run your hand in between the skin and the top of the meat, making a "pocket." You can do the same on each leg quarter.

    In a bowl, combine olive oil, S&P, lots of garlic, and whatever other spices you like -- Cachateries, whatever -- I use Herbs from Provence -- until its like a loose oil-based paste. Rub the paste in between the meat and the skin pocket liberally. Cook on grill or in oven skin side up. The olive oil soaks the spices into the meat and makes it so so moist, and it also helps keep the skin nice and it browns up nicely from the inside.

    Try it next time, I think you'll find it an improvement over the can method if youre trying to get really moist bird, which I assume is the reasion for the can method. Really worth a try and not much more work.
     
  17. Roger

    Roger 1,000+ Posts

    if your beer can chicken isn't better than the crap at HEB then you are doing something wrong
     
  18. austintexas

    austintexas Guest

    i'm open to that possibility.
     
  19. Benson_Wins

    Benson_Wins < 25 Posts

    I have a group of stainless stands I got from a friend the hold 3/4 of a can each. I dont use the Tony's since it is salt and pepper and I can pull that off on my own I use a bay leaf in the beer and use toothpicks and close the top of the bird up. I use lots of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and wipe the bird down with evoo i also coat the inside of the bird with pick-a-peppa sauce. During cooking I
    use the spray bootle of I cant belive its not butter and man does it do a number on the skin.
     
  20. HorninDallas

    HorninDallas 100+ Posts


     
  21. Texas97

    Texas97 500+ Posts

    I haven't had beer can chicken since this summer. I need to get a grill at my new house and I will soon make some. I prefer just salt & pepper rub with maybe some spray on oil. But the hard part is getting the damned chicken dethawed. I normally put it in the freezer and then went I want to cook it I'll take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge a day before cooking. But then it is still frozen the next day. Need to do it sooner but the wife doesn't like it in the fridge much sooner. Don't think she really cares for uncooked whole chickens in the fridge.
     

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