Beer-Can Chicken
An American barbecue classic: a whole chicken perched on a can of beer and roasted upright on a covered camp grill, with evenly crisp skin and juicy meat.
Method
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and thyme, crushing any lumps of sugar, to make the rub.
Add in this stepBrown sugar 2 tspPaprika 2 tspFine salt 1¾ tspGround black pepper ½ tspGarlic powder ¾ tspOnion powder ¾ tspChili powder ¼ tspDried thyme ½ tsp
Pull out the giblet bag from inside the chicken and pat it very dry inside and out with paper towels; wet skin never crisps. Rub the oil all over the skin, sprinkle a quarter of the rub inside the cavity and rub the rest all over the outside. Put it in a lidded container or zip bag and keep it in the cooler, below 4 °C, for : the salt seasons the meat and keeps it juicy. Wash your hands and board with soap right after touching raw chicken.
Add in this stepWhole chicken, giblets removed 1,400 gVegetable oil 1 tbsp
Fill a chimney starter with 45 charcoal briquettes, light it and let them burn for , until covered in grey ash. Pour the coals into two piles on either side of the grill, set a foil drip pan with 1 cm of water in the middle and put the grate back on. Close the lid with the vents half open and aim for 180 to 190 °C on the lid thermometer (charcoal (medium heat)). On a lidded gas camp grill, light only the outer burners on medium and leave the middle one off.
charcoal (medium heat)Open the beer and pour out (or drink) about half, leaving about 180 ml. Punch 2 more holes in the top with a can opener and drop in the smashed garlic. Stand the can on a flat surface and lower the chicken's cavity over it until the can is mostly inside. Pull the legs forward so the chicken and can stand steady like a tripod, and tuck the wing tips behind the back so they do not burn.
Add in this stepCan of lager (355 ml) 1Garlic cloves, smashed 2
Carefully set the chicken upright on the grate over the drip pan, not over the coals. Close the lid and cook over charcoal (medium heat) for . Do not lift the lid for the first 45 minutes; every peek lets heat out and adds about 10 minutes. With charcoal, if the lid temperature falls below 160 °C after 45 to 60 minutes, add 6 fresh briquettes to each pile. The skin turns a deep mahogany.
charcoal (medium heat)Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone: it is done when the thigh reads at least 80 °C (175 °F) and the thickest part of the breast at least 74 °C (165 °F). Juices from the thigh should run clear, not pink. If it is not there yet, close the lid and check again every . Never judge by colour alone.
Wearing thick heatproof gloves, grip the base of the can with tongs and support the bird with a folded towel, then lift both onto a tray. The beer inside is scalding, so keep it level. Let the chicken rest for so the juices settle, then hold it with the towel, twist the can out with tongs and carve the legs, thighs and breasts.
Cook's tip
Alcohol-free option: half-fill an empty can (or a stainless beer-can chicken stand) with chicken stock and add the garlic and a sprig of herbs. The liquid adds very little flavour; standing the bird upright so it roasts evenly on all sides is what matters, so the result is almost identical. Choose a plain lager rather than a bitter IPA, and use a stand if printed cans worry you. The smallest whole chicken is about 1.2 kg, so for one person chill the leftovers in the cooler for sandwiches the next day.
Cooking it at camp
This dish was made for the campsite. Upright, the chicken stands about 30 cm tall, so check at home that your grill lid closes with at least 3 cm to spare; small two-burner camp grills often do not. Pack a probe thermometer, heatproof gloves, a foil drip pan and a chimney starter. Strong wind steals heat, so turn the grill's back to the wind. Drown the spent coals with plenty of water and stir until completely cold.