Beer can chicken is one of those meals that looks a lot more complicated than it really is.  The truth is, the tools for a beer can chicken are simple: a bbq pit, a grate and a 12 oz beer can.  (While a 16 oz beer can is attractive, save it to sip on.  A tall-boy will actually make the chicken too tall and can interfere with closing the lid of the pit.)  The point is to cook the bird on indirect heat, so don’t try and improvise.  Be patient and make sure the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees before removing from the fire. 

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (4-6 lbs)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Rattler Rub
• 1 12 oz beer (I use a lager but feel free to get creative)
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Directions

If packaged, drain the chicken and remove and discard the innards.  Rinse under water and then dry with a paper towel.  Leave the chicken uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before seasoning.  Remove from the refrigerator and place on a flat pan for seasoning.  Cover the chicken with olive oil and two tablespoons of rub.  Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the chicken breast and make sure rub gets underneath the skin.  Set aside until needed. 

Open the beer can and take a good long drink.  Once the beer is at the halfway point, open the top with a can opener and remove the lid.  Pour the remaining tablespoon of rub into the can.  Wash sprigs of thyme and rosemary and place in the can.

Carefully slide the cavity of the bird on the upright beer can.  The weight should be distributed equally, keeping the bird balanced. 

Using a kettle grill, the goal is to create indirect heat in the center of the pit. This is done by having two fires so that the bird is cooked from two different angles. The temperature should be between 350-400 degrees.

When the fire is ready, clean the grill with a grill brush or a half onion.  Carefully place the beer can chicken in the center of the pit.  To avoid a dry bird, point the breast towards an empty area of the pit so the fires are pointed towards the sides of the bird rather than the breast.  Cover the pit gently.  The bird will be standing upright, so you want to make sure that the lid does not cause the bird to fall over.  Let the bird cook for 20 minutes and then uncover to check the status.  If you notice that one side of the bird is getting cooked more than the other, gently rotate the bird every 15 minutes so that all sides cook evenly.  Depending on the size of the chicken, this cook should take between an hour and an hour and a half. 

Once the juices run clear and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees, the bird can be removed from the grill.  This part is a little dangerous, so make sure to use gloves and have two sets of tongs on hand.  The beer inside of the can is boiling and the can is scorching hot.  When removing from the grill, I like to grab the can using one set of tongs.  I then use the second tongs to hold the chicken steady when I am transferring.  Carefully take the chicken off of the beer can and let the bird rest for 15 minutes before cutting.  Discard the remaining beer.