Beer-Roasted Chicken
(recipe abridged from Cooking Meat)
I first heard about beer can chicken when I was younger, but cooking a chicken on a painted aluminum can just doesn’t sound so great. I still want to use the beer, obviously, because it makes the moistest roast bird imaginable without imparting too much flavor, but I use a small mason jar instead of a can. A jam jar that’s been thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed of all labels and glue bits also works well.
Serves 4
Ingredient:
¼ cup BBQ Dry Rub or salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, trussed
1 cup beer (a pilsner or lager is good here)
Method:
- Preheat the BBQ to 375°F. Have a roasting pan ready.
- Mix the spice rub and oil together in a small bowl. Using your hands, slather the mix all over the chicken, making sure you get it into all the little crevices.
- Pour the beer into a clean mason jar just large enough to fit into the chicken’s cavity. Place the jar in the roasting pan, then press the chicken, butt down, over top. The jar should fit almost entirely in the chicken’s cavity, allowing the bird to balance standing up.
- Roast the chicken in the closed BBQ until an internal thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (about 25 minutes per pound). Remove the roasting pan from the BBQ, tent the bird with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Using either tongs or a carving fork pierced far enough into the bird to lift it, and a kitchen towel (to pull off the jar), carefully pull the jar out of the chicken. A lot of hot juice may come out with it, so be careful. Discard the beer.
- To serve, carve the chicken, arrange it on a platter, and pass the plates!