Summer Recipe: Beer-in-the-Rear Barbequed Chicken

You may have heard about this special way to prepare chicken by other names such as Beer-Can Chicken or Beer-in-the-Butt Chicken. Beer-in-the-Rear Barbequed Chicken just so happens to be the name I have coined for this fun recipe that can also be made using canned soda or lemonade instead of beer. The popularity of this recipe is the end result—a crispy outer coating of seasonings paired with a tender, flavorsome inside that is fall-off-the-bone tender. Depending on your grill, you may even be able to sneak in a quick round of tubing while it’s cooking and come back to some moist, succulent, barbequed flavored chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

2 whole chickens (no larger than 4 lbs each)
2 (12 oz.) cans of beer or soda (1/2 full)
2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of ginger
1 teaspoon of basil
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 church key style can opener
Tin foil
2 pot holders (mitt style)
Long grilling fork utensil

Rinse chicken (inside and out). Using paper towels, pat outside of chicken to dry surface. Spray outside of chicken with oil or rub it on manually so that seasonings will stick.

Mix brown sugar, sea salt, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, ginger and basil together. Sprinkle and pat onto outside of oil-rubbed chicken until well coated. Season the inside cavity of birds with remaining seasoning.

Pour out some of the beer into a separate container leaving both cans ½ full. Next, using a “church key” style can opener, puncture 3 more holes in addition to the hole you made when opening up the can. This will allow more moisture to reach the inside of chicken while cooking. Add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic cut up in small pieces into each beer can for extra flavoring while cooking.

Carefully place the chickens over the cans and place on the grill. Arrange the chicken legs accordingly so that a tripod effect is in place for support.

Cover with tin foil ever so loosely to prevent chicken from browning too much. {Please Note: Chicken in photo cooked for 1 hour and foil was not placed on top until after 30 min. I recommend covering chicken with foil at the very beginning if you prefer not to have the charcoaled appearance.}

Grill using INDIRECT HEAT, that is, no coals directly under the bird(s). Heat should be set at medium. (As shown in photos here, chickens are placed in center of grill with medium heat turned on left and right sides only.) If space is a concern and you must have the fire on only one side of the grill with the chicken on the other, you will need to rotate the chicken 180 degrees every 30 minutes while it is cooking.

CLOSE THE LID on the grill and let it cook for about 1 to 2 hrs depending on type of grill. Check after one hour. Meat is done when thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into breast area, 180 degrees in thigh area and when juices run clear after thigh is pierced with fork.

REMOVING CHICKEN FROM CAN

When chicken is done, place a platter close to the grill for easy access. Removing chicken from the can is the most challenging step of this recipe. I believe it takes two people to remove the chicken from the can safely and successfully. One person can hold the can steady using pot holders (glove style) while another inserts a long grill fork into the chicken and slowly slides the chicken upward letting it glide off the can onto the platter. Make sure the person holding the can doesn’t let it tilt too far so as not to get burned by the hot liquid.

Serve with your favorite barbeque sauce or other dipping sauce.