On Friday I went to dinner at TMG simply for the bison sliders but ended up with “Beer Can” chicken for my entrée. I was impressed with the dish, it was juicy and full of flavor. Right away I begin thinking “I can do this at home….” With a quick bit of searching I located Big Bud’s Beer Can Chicken and went to town.
I made two small modifications. For this you’ll need:
- 1 (2 to 3-pound) whole chicken
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 (12-ounce) can beer
- 1 pound bacon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash chicken with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix dry ingredients in small bowl. Rub 1/2 of the ingredients on inside cavity of chicken. Gently peel skin away from chicken and rub mixture into meat of chicken. Open beer can pour out about 1/2 cup. Drop the garlic cloves into the beer can. Place chicken, open end down, over the beer can to insert the beer into the cavity. Place chicken, standing up, in large saute pan.
Place 1/3 of the bacon in the top cavity of the chicken and drape the remaining 2/3 of the bacon down the outside of the chicken. Pierce the bacon to the chicken with toothpicks… again, I didn’t have toothpicks so I opted for skewers.
Place chicken in the oven for 10 minutes and then lower temperature to 325 degrees F and cook for another 1 hour, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. And you get…
The aroma of this dish cooking filled the entire condo, and as time marched closer to the finish I simply wanted to eat the chicken right from the oven.
Bacon and chicken, who could ask for anything more? The dish was actually more tended than I would have expected and the flavor provided by the rub was subtle, not overwhelming, but perfect for the chicken. This is a keeper.
I also made a small side, potatoes with butter and chives… nothing special but I thought it would go with the flavors in the rub.
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#1 by monicajane - December 6th, 2009 at 23:29
I love the herb and spice combo…gonna definitely give that a try next time I roast chicken.
Paul would love the bacon…me, not so much…
I did just buy two lbs of bacon to put in the freezer for future use…hmmmm, I’m particular about what I’ll use bacon in…did you notice I put up a roast chicken today too?
love whole chickens.
#2 by Van Santos - December 6th, 2009 at 23:51
The herb/spice combo plays very well, nothing is overpowering at all. The funny thing is that I would also include the bacon in the rub next time.
Yes, I did see. I thought that was funny (or ironic). It looks good!
#3 by Bob - December 7th, 2009 at 07:38
That looks wicked good. Seriously. Hm, I have a full sized oven now, maybe I can make beer can chicken finally.
#4 by Van Santos - December 7th, 2009 at 10:18
@Bob
It’s worth it, Bob! The prep time is 15 mins, 20 max, and the rest is simply letting the lil guy cook away. I say give it a go.
#5 by Tina - December 7th, 2009 at 22:56
That looks GREAT! We have grilled beer can chicken but never thought about using bacon. Wow….
We use little V-8 cans to grill cornish hens.
#6 by Van Santos - December 7th, 2009 at 23:20
Hi Tina!
If you do the bacon, make sure you put your extra rub on it. Makes a huge difference.
Funny you mention the cornish hens. I was trying to think of a way to do ‘beer can’ them, the V-8 is an interesting choice.
I’m going to give that a try. Hope you are doing well!
#7 by monicajane - December 7th, 2009 at 23:23
what does the beer in the can do for the chicken? I’ve actually never even heard of it. Does it make impart flavor? Make it tender? both?
#8 by Van Santos - December 8th, 2009 at 10:22
Well, the beer ads a flavor to the chicken, without a doubt. It’s subtle and mixes quite well with the spices.
Also, yes, I was say the chicken ends up even more tender w/ the addition of the beer.
So, if I was in a better writing state of mind I would have said “both” and not continued to ramble on!
#9 by Wandering Coyote - December 8th, 2009 at 23:12
I have always wanted to try this but just have never gotten around to it. It looks so succulent, Van!
#10 by Van Santos - December 9th, 2009 at 22:53
I was feeling it should be easy to pull off (and it was). My suggestion for you, if you do try, is to attempt to pull the skin away from the chicken and get some rub under the skin as well.
Succulent is the perfect word!