The Ultimate Beer Can Chicken Recipe
Perfect your beer can chicken recipe with succulent, juicy meat and crispy skin using upright cooking techniques that balance moisture and smoky flavor.
The Ultimate Beer Can Chicken Recipe
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dinner
Cuisine
American BBQ
Author:
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Calories
350
This beer can chicken recipe combines two American staples (cold beer and barbecue!) to create a dish with succulent, juicy meat and crispy skin.
I’ve tested dozens of techniques and found that cooking a bird upright produces the best beer can chicken. The beer steams inside the cavity while the outside absorbs smoke. The resulting balance of moisture and flavor works whether you’re serving the chicken whole or pulling the meat for other dishes.
Ingredients
For this beer can chicken recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 whole chicken
- Your favorite barbecue rub (I always reach for Meat Church’s The Gospel All-Purpose Rub)
- 1 beer (light and inexpensive works best), room temperature
- 1 head of garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil (or cooking spray/mayo) as a binder
- 1/2 stick butter for basting
- Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, and parsley) for stuffing the can
- Your favorite barbecue sauce (optional)
Directions
Follow these steps to create the perfect beer can chicken every time:
- Prepare your smoker at 350°F. Use medium smoking wood like hickory or pecan, which complements chicken without overpowering its natural flavor.
- Rinse and thoroughly dry the chicken. Apply your chosen binder to help the seasoning adhere. Using a clean, sharp boning knife, carefully separate the skin from the meat to create pockets for seasoning.
- Season liberally with your chosen barbecue rub both over and under the skin. Season the inside cavity as well to make sure the flavor penetrates throughout the beer can chicken.
- Prepare the beer by removing the top with a can opener and pouring out one-third to one-half of the liquid. Add one tablespoon of seasoning to the can along with garlic cloves and herbs to create aromatic steam.
- Place the beer can in a throne stand, then position the chicken upright over the can.
- Set the beer can chicken on your smoker. A 5 1/2-pound bird takes about 90 minutes to cook properly.
Begin basting with melted butter at the 45-minute mark. This builds flavor and adds richness.
If using sauce, apply it when the beer can chicken reaches 155°F internal temperature to prevent burning.
- Cook until the deepest part of the breast registers 160°F on a clean thermometer. The beer can chicken will continue cooking slightly after removal.
- Let the beer can chicken rest briefly before carefully removing it from the throne. Use a high-quality carving knife with a well-maintained edge to carve the bird into perfect portions.
Recipe Note
Proven Beer Can Chicken Cooking Tips
Follow these proven techniques to get the best beer can chicken:
- Start with room temperature beer. Cold beer slows cooking in the center and creates food safety concerns.
- For more effective steaming, heat the beer can on the smoker for a few minutes before placing it inside the chicken.
- For the juiciest beer can chicken, don’t rush the cooking process. Maintain a consistent temperature throughout!
- When checking temperature, insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone for an accurate reading.
- Keep your kitchen knives adequately sharpened. Dull knives make separating skin from meat difficult and can tear the skin, reducing moisture retention during cooking. (Review our step-by-step guide to proper knife sharpening for a quick refresher.)
In the kitchen, I prioritize technique over complex ingredients. So does this beer can chicken recipe. The vertical cooking position lets fat drip away while moisture circulates inside, giving you perfectly cooked meat every time.
With proper knife work for seasoning under the skin and careful temperature monitoring, you’ll make a beer can chicken worth firing up your smoker for, even on weekdays.
