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This is your sign to try beer can chicken! This chicken recipe makes the most fall-apart-tender, whole-roasted chicken that’s extra juicy inside, crispy outside, and crazy full of flavor.
In case you’ve never heard of it, beer can chicken is a whole roasted chicken cooked on top of an open beer can. I make it in the oven, and it comes out perfect every time!
This beer can chicken recipe makes the BEST chicken. Maybe ever. Basically, you take a whole chicken, rub it down with savory spices, and bake it over an open can of beer. As the chicken roasts and the beer heats up in the oven, the steam goes straight from the can into the chicken, for maximum juiciness and flavor. It’s a game-changing method for cooking chicken that’s also a little fun, too. I’m officially on a mission to make this recipe with every kind of beer!
Why This Beer Can Chicken Recipe Works
- Oven-roasted. There are a lot of recipes for beer can chicken on the grill, but I wanted one that I could enjoy year-round. So, this recipe makes an easy oven version that turns out just as delicious.
- Perfectly cooked. Beer can chicken isn’t just for fun; it’s also one of the best methods for tasty, super juicy, and consistently perfect whole-roasted chicken that I’ve tried. Cooking with beer keeps the chicken moist on the inside while the heat of the oven crisps up the skin outside.
- Great for entertaining. Once the chicken is in the oven, there’s very little hands-on time needed. This recipe is quick to prep, too, and it makes more than enough to feed a crowd. It’s perfect for cookouts and even the holidays!
What You’ll Need
I keep this recipe simple with just a few easy seasonings in the spice rub, then all you need is the chicken and a can of beer! See below for some notes on the ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list along with the full recipe details.
- Spices – I make a homemade spice rub with brown sugar (or granulated sugar), garlic powder, onion powder, sweet or smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. It’s similar to my chicken seasoning, with fewer ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite blend.
- Whole Chicken – Choose a bone-in chicken that’s large enough to fit over a beer can. If you go to the butcher you can ask to have the giblets removed, otherwise you can remove them yourself.
- Olive Oil – Or another cooking oil, like avocado oil.
- Can of Beer – Make sure it’s a beer that you’d like to drink, as the flavor will infuse into the chicken (see below).
The Best Kind of Beer for Beer Can Chicken
There’s really no wrong beer to use when making beer can chicken. It comes down to what you like, as whichever beer you choose will impart its flavors to the chicken. I’d recommend something lighter and citrusy, like a lager, ale, pilsner, or IPA if you prefer a bit more flavor (my choice for this recipe). Dark beers, like stouts and porters, are sometimes bitter and might overpower the chicken.
How to Cook Beer Can Chicken in the Oven
This method is sort of a revelation. I mean, I’ve made Instant Pot whole chicken and crock pot chicken over the years, but I never thought I’d see my favorite IPA in the cards! I was blown away by how easy it is to cook a whole chicken using a beer can. Here are the steps:
- Season the chicken. First, mix the ingredients for the spice rub. Use your hands to rub the spices all over the chicken along with a little olive oil.
- Prepare to roast. Crack open your beer can and pour about ⅓ out into the bottom of a roasting pan. Next, place the beer can in the center of the pan. Carefully slide the open chicken cavity over the can so that the chicken sits upright in the roasting pan.
- Roast. Let your chicken roast in the oven at 425ºF for 1 hour and 25 minutes until it’s looking nice and crispy outside and the inside is cooked through. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes or so afterward so that the juices redistribute.
Removing the Beer Can
Wondering what to do next? This is my easy method to remove the can from the beer can chicken:
- Once the chicken is roasted and rested, slide a spatula under the can and use a set of tongs to grasp the chicken. Move the whole chicken to a cutting board next to the sink.
- Scootch/slide the chicken right to the edge of the board, so that the cavity with the can hangs over the sink.
- Next, use the tongs to carefully pull the can free from the cavity while the rest of the chicken stays on the cutting board. Discard the can, and your chicken is ready to carve and serve. Easy peasy!
Tips and Variations
- Prep your oven. Make sure that your oven is large enough to fit a whole chicken standing upright. You may need to move the top racks to make space.
- Line the roasting pan. Lining the pan with foil makes clean-up so much easier!
- Check that the chicken is done. I use my meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature reaches 165ºF at the thickest part of the chicken, between the wing and the thigh.
- Rest the chicken. Don’t skip this step! Resting the chicken for 10-15 minutes after roasting lets the juices redistribute throughout the meat before you slice into it. It’s the key to keeping chicken tender and juicy.
- Make it spicy. Give your spice rub extra heat with cayenne pepper or chili flakes, or try a blend with more kick, like jerk seasoning.
- Use non-alcoholic beer. You can make beer can chicken with non-alcoholic beer, and the flavors will be similar. It’s a great way to enjoy beer can chicken while keeping the recipe alcohol-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to cook chicken using a beer can?
I’ve never had an issue with the material of the can affecting the chicken while it roasts. If you’re really worried about heating a metal can inside the chicken, simply pour the whole beer out into the baking dish instead. This way the chicken can still cook in the steam. And if you’re serious about beer can chicken, you can even buy a beer can chicken holder designed specifically for it!
Can I use any type of beer?
Yes, any kind of beer works in this recipe, even non-alcoholic beer. I prefer lighter beers like lagers and IPAs (see the Ingredients section earlier).
Can kids eat beer can chicken?
Since it’s really the steam and not the actual beer coming into contact with the chicken, beer can chicken is fine for kids to eat. Use your discretion, though. If you’re concerned, go ahead and use a can of non-alcoholic beer instead.
Serving Suggestions
Beer can chicken is one of my favorite things to cook when we have friends over. It’s so quick to prep and then the oven does the rest! When I entertain, I love equally easy sides like these oven-baked fries (or air fryer French fries) and a big, sharing-style salad like a chef salad or Cobb salad.
This juicy chicken also goes great with pasta salad or potato salad in the summer, or we’ll serve it with grilled vegetables like zucchini or asparagus.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken
- Refrigerate. After the chicken is carved and cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The chicken lasts for up to 4 days and you can use it in all sorts of tasty ways, from chicken wraps to salads, or sliced up over pasta.
- Reheat. To reheat leftover chicken, warm it in the oven or the microwave until it’s hot throughout.
- Freeze. Freeze the chicken for up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
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Beer Can Chicken
Ingredients
For the rub
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
For the chicken
- 5 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounce can of beer, you can use whatever you’d like, but I went with an IPA
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a roasting pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
- Make the rub. Whisk together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Set aside.
- Season the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil and then rub it all over with the spice rub.
- Get ready to roast. Pour 1/3 of the beer into the bottom of the roasting pan and place the beer can (with the remaining beer still inside) upright on top. Slide the chicken onto the beer can (it should fit right through the bottom cavity of the bird) so it sits upright on the beer can in the roasting pan.
- Roast. Roast the chicken for 1 hour 25 minutes or until the skin is crispy and a meat thermometer inserted between the wing and the thigh reads 165°F.
- Rest. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
