The Best Beer Can Chicken on a Grill

The best beer can chicken on a gas grill

 Photo credit Alinta Gas Company

What’s the best way to cook a whole chicken on a gas grill and ensure it keeps nice and juicy? Simple - it’s got to be beer can chicken every time. This ingenious recipe involves placing an open can of beer inside the chicken so that it steams the chook from the inside, resulting in tender, oh-so-juicy chicken with deliciously crispy skin - just the way it should be. And seeing a chicken perched atop a tinny on your grill makes for a great conversation starter too! Here’s our best-ever recipe for beer can chicken - enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 lb chicken (whole)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 can of beer (at room temperature)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the grill to medium, setting it up for indirect heat, i.e. only fire up one burner.
2. Remove neck and giblets from the chicken and then give it a quick rinse. Rub the chicken with the olive oil. Mix the salt, thyme and pepper in a bowl and then rub that all over the chicken too - the oil will help it to stick.
3. Crack open your beer, drink half of it, and then place the can deep into the cavity of the chicken so that only the base of the can is sticking out. Sit the chicken on the grate over the unlit burner, using the can and the chicken’s legs to support it upright, and then cover the grill with the lid.
4. Leave the chicken for 2-3 hours, checking it after about an hour and then every 20 minutes until the meat thermometer reads 73℃ inside the meat (stick the thermometer in the thickest part, usually a thigh). If you don’t have a meat thermometer, insert a metal skewer deep into the chicken and check that the juices run clear - any hint of pink and it needs longer on the grill.
5. Once the chicken is cooked through, slide a metal spatula underneath the beer can and use tongs on the top of the chicken to transfer it to a tray to rest for around 10 minutes - be careful as the can and the remaining liquid in it will be very hot!

Beer can chicken is beautiful with fries and salad or a good hunk of crusty bread. An ice cold beer or glass of white wine washes it down perfectly!

See more at: https://alintaenergy.com.au/savewithgas/blog/grill/the-best-beer-can-chicken-on-a-gas-grill#sthash.cLpfjXB0.dpuf