How to cook beer can chicken in oven on a sheet pan is here. Baked whole chicken roasted on top of a beer can to a golden brown perfectly. A cheap protein packed family friendly meal everyone will love whether they are dark meat or breast fans.
Beer can roasted chicken is easy to do for dinner. Using a can of Bud Light or dark larger like Guiness gives your bird a ton of flavor steaming the inside of the cavity to juicy and fork tender. Add a dry spice rub for added wow. (affiliate links present)
Beer Can Chicken Recipe Oven
I mean this is kinda’ like a Stuffed Whole Chicken in a sense except that you aren’t adding veggies or stuffing into the cavity, rather steaming with your favorite lager. Sitting upright baked with crispy skin it comes out like rotisserie style except even better!
Cooking chicken on top of a beer can has been done for years and years, but on the grill. Recently there have been other methods you can make indoors like this and our popular Pressure Cooker Beer Can Chicken. All are great but if you want super crispy skin this is incredible.
Beer Can Chicken Oven
As far as the pan is concerned, you just need something that has high sides so it will catch the juices, or you will have a real mess on your hands. A casserole dish works, large sheet pan that is higher (Wilton has one) or could make as a Dutch Oven Whole Chicken since those are quite deep and I love cast iron.
- 1 whole chicken smaller side – 4 lbs was used
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Granulated garlic
- 1/3 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 can of beer
This is similar to our Bundt Pan Whole Chicken where we place the bird on top of the middle of that fluted pan so it can stand up in a sense and brown all the way around. With that one you can add vegetables all around it. You could do the same inside your flat pan too if they are cut into large bite size pieces.
If you want a great duo using the same liquid I would make our Fried Beer Battered Shrimp with this one. Lightly battered it is a fun finger food.
Beer Can Chicken in the Oven
How Long to Cook a Whole Chicken in the oven is a little over an hour, depending on the temperature you’re using. Timing will vary depending on how large it is. Ours was 4 pounds, much larger may topple over or be too tall.
If you want to go all the way you can follow our Whole Chicken Brine and soak for a few hours or up to overnight in the fridge for even more flavor and moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 380F. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl.
- Remove bag inside cavity if there is one, discard.
- Use paper towels to blot the bird dry on the outside.
- Spread the chicken with olive oil, salt and spices on all sides, as well as on the inside.
- Open a can of beer. Pour a third of the beer into a large baking dish or sheet pan with high sides as there will be a lot of juices. Place the chicken open cavity on top of the beer can and place it in the middle of the pan, trying to make it as stable as possible. Wrap in foil to prevent the top of the chicken from burning. Bake for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, remove the foil and bake the chicken for another 20 minutes.
- To check readiness, you can pierce the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh – transparent fat should flow out.
- If the fat is pink, then increase the baking time by another 10-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the beer can. If the chicken is stuck to the can, you can gently tip the chicken and let the remaining beer drain out before removing the empty can. Keep in mind that she is very hot
- Set on a cutting board and allow to rest for a good 5 -10 minutes before slicing to maintain juices inside bird.
Oven Beer Can Chicken
If you don’t have the time to make the ultimate Smoked Beer Can Chicken, this is a close second as far as how delicious it is. Try it and jump to recipe card below for directions.
Beer Can Chicken in Oven
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, smaller side – 4 lbs was used
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/3 tsp pepper
- 1/3 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/3 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 can beer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 380F. Mix olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic in a bowl. Remove bag inside cavity if there is one, discard. Use paper towels to blot the bird dry on the outside. Spread the chicken with olive oil, salt and spices on all sides, as well as on the inside.
- Open a can of beer. Pour a third of the beer into a large baking dish or sheet pan with high sides as there will be a lot of juices. Place the chicken open cavity on top of the beer can and place it in the middle of the pan, trying to make it as stable as possible. Wrap in foil to prevent the top of the chicken from burning. Bake for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, remove the foil and bake the chicken for another 20 minutes. To check readiness, you can pierce the chicken in the thickest part of the thigh – transparent fat should flow out. If the fat is pink, then increase the baking time by another 10-15 minutes or until insides reach 165 degrees.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the beer can. If the chicken is stuck to the can, you can gently tip the chicken and let the remaining beer drain out before removing the empty can. Keep in mind that she is very hot
- Set on a cutting board and allow to rest for a good 5 -10 minutes before slicing to maintain juices inside bird.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Does it have to be a beer can?
no I have used our Traeger chicken stand for this too.