Beer Can Chicken Recipe

If you’re a big fan of chicken and beer you’ll enjoy this beer can chicken recipe, otherwise known as "drunken chicken" or "chicken on a throne".

Barbeque chicken over indirect heat using smoked hickory wood chips for an added flavor boost.

Apply your favorite spicy barbecue chicken rub to the chicken, under the skin and inside the neck and body cavity. And a tablespoon to the beer can too so the barbeque rub spiked beer mixture will infuse the chicken inside and out.

For this barbecue beer can chicken you will need:

3 to 4 pound whole chicken

12 ounce can favorite beer

1 lemon wedge

Chicken dry rub recipe

2 cups hickory or oak chips, soaked in beer and water to cover for 1 hour and then drained

How to barbeque chicken:

Preheat your grill and set up for indirect grilling. (Typically a whole chicken recipe needs to be barbecued over indirect heat.)

Apply chicken dry rub or your favorite barbeque rub under and on skin of chicken and inside body and neck cavity. (Remember to save a tablespoonful to flavor the beer.)

Place wood chips in a bowl.

Open beer and pour off about 1/2 cup over wood chips. Add water to wood chips and soak for an hour, and drain. (See instructions under indirect grilling for placement of wood chips.)

Using church-key can opener pierce 2 additional holes in top of beer can.

Add tablespoon of bbq rub recipe to beer.

Place chicken onto open beer can, sliding the can inside the body cavity so chicken stands upright; place lemon quarter in neck cavity.

Place the chicken on grill and pull legs forward so bird rests on legs and beer can.

How long to bbq chicken:

Close lid and grill for about for about 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on your barbecue. (Temperature of the grill should be around 350 degrees).

Chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 165°F.

Using tongs, transfer chicken and beer can to large bowl.

Cover beer chicken with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.

Hold chicken upright with tongs and wearing oven mitts, remove beer can, being careful not to spill hot beer.

Discard remaining beer and can.

Transfer bbq chicken to cutting board and carve.

Serve with lemon wedges.

This recipe for beer can chicken serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy this beer can chicken recipe? See more chicken recipes...