Menu Icon Menu Print Icon Print Email Icon Email Reading List Icon Reading List Product Icon Product Fire Icon Fire Grill guide Icon Grill guide Beef Icon Beef Poultry Icon Poultry Chicken Icon Chicken Pork Icon Pork All Icon All Country Icon Country Seafood Icon Seafood Fruit and Veggies Icon Fruit and Veggies Vegetables Icon Vegetables Hamburger Icon Hamburger Spatula Icon Spatula Thermometer High Icon Thermometer High Thermometer Medium Icon Thermometer Medium Thermometer Low Icon Thermometer Low Tree Icon Tree Nose Icon Nose Picnic Table Icon Picnic Table Smoke Icon Smoke Table Clock Icon Clock Clock 10 Icon Clock 10 Clock 15 Icon Clock 15 Match Icon Match Grill Icon Grill Clean Grill Icon Clean Grill Arm Icon Arm Oven Icon Oven Charcoal Icon Charcoal Charcoalpile Icon Charcoalpile Charcoalpile 2 Icon Charcoalpile 2 Search Icon Search Right Arrow Icon Right Arrow Left Arrow Icon Left Arrow Down Arrow Icon Down Arrow Facebook Icon Facebook Twitter Icon Twitter Instagram Icon Instagram Pinterest Icon Pinterest Google Plus Icon Google Plus Youtube Icon Youtube Cloudy Weather Icon Cloudy Weather Sunny Weather Icon Sunny Weather Snow Weather Icon Snow Weather Rain Weather Icon Rain Weather Partly Cloudy Weather Icon Partly Cloudy Weather Charcoal on fire icon Charcoal on fire
Grilling.com has moved to Kingsford Country. The all-new Kingsford.com features how-tos, recipes, product info and news about the latest in BBQ. Slow down and BBQ with Kingsford. OK, got it
Skip to content

Beer-Can Chicken

  • Yields: 4 Servings
  • Cook time: 1 ½ hours
  • Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 can (12 ounce) Budweiser® beer
  • 1 roasting chicken (4–5 pounds), preferably Amish, or organic
  • 3 tablespoons your favorite dry spice rub recipe divided, or kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper
  • olive oil
Special Equipment
  • church key can opener
  • Kingsford Charcoal® with Sure Fire™ Grooves
  • vertical chicken roaster optional

Instructions

Prepare grill for indirect/medium heat cooking.

Remove neck and giblets and rinse chicken inside and out, if desired; pat dry with paper towels. Coat chicken lightly with oil and season with 2 tablespoons dry rub. Set aside (Note: If you prefer a more classic roasted chicken flavor, omit the dry rub and use only kosher salt and black pepper.)

Open beer can, pour out about ¼-cup of the beer and make an extra hole in top of the can with church key can opener. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of the dry rub inside beer can. Place vertical chicken roaster (such as the Grill Friends™ Chicken Sitter) or beer can in center of cooking grate and "sit" chicken on top of the beer can. The chicken will appear to be “sitting” on the grate.

Cook chicken for 1–1½ hours or until the internal temperature registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in the thigh. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Note: When removing from grate, be careful not to spill contents of the vertical roaster or beer can, as it will be very hot.

  1. Credit: Elizabeth Karmel
Top