Beer Can Chicken on Charcoal Grill

Here is the best beer can chicken recipe on a charcoal grill tonight. Really easy to do and a great way to cook outside in the Summer when it’s hot. I know you remember this method from your childhood, now it is time to bring it back. We have a killer smoked beer can chicken version too now!

Beer Can Chicken on Charcoal Grill

Yes, this is the old fashioned original way to do it y’all. You can use any can of liquid though that you wanted to. Rather use a can of soda instead? No problem, that will work fine. Biggest thing to get down is the color and heat of your briquettes, we will go over that below.

Beer Can Chicken on Gas Grill

Of course you could use a gas grill too and set to 350 degrees or so and have it done if that is the style you have. We also have instructions on how to smoke a spatchcock chicken if you want to give that a whirl. All 3 versions are delish.

What is the Best Liquid to Use for Beer Can Chicken

Well I mean lager of course. You could use whatever really, it doesn’t matter but a blonde light beer is top on my list. Let’s be honest. In the Summertime we will do anything to NOT cook or turn the oven on inside the house!

It reaches over 100 degrees where we live for a few months out of the year and the last thing you want to do is heat up your house. So we use our barbecue and smoker as often as possible!

We have made desserts on the bbq and the usual hot dogs and hamburgers. But this beer can chicken recipe is the best. We even cook pizza on the bbq when it’s insanely hot outside. 

Let me start by saying that neither one of us are beer drinkers. However, the chicken has no residual beer flavor when it is done. The alcohol burns off in the cooking process so it is safe to feed your children.We have 3 kids and they love this recipe too.

• First get either a cast iron skillet like this one or a cookie sheet. It will act as a drip pan of sorts.
• Then light your charcoal grill, or start your gas grill so it can preheat.

How to Make Beer Can Chicken

• We used a larger can of beer this time because it’s all I could find on sale.
  • We have used this chicken stand as well that’s made of porcelain (seen at the top). Either way it works just fine.
• Rinse your chicken.
• Pat dry with a paper towel.
• Clean the cavity of chicken out. 

Pour about 1/3 of the beer out of the can, or else it will end up really overflowing when it starts to boil.

Open beer and if you’re using the chicken stand pour it inside. Otherwise, set the chicken upright on the open part of the can until it won’t go down any more and is secure.

• Then put together a dry rub of your choice. Use any and all spice rub blends you’d add to any whole chicken you’d bake.

Whole Chicken on Top of beer can

Spray your pan with some non stick spray just to make cleanup later easier, and season the whole chicken as you normally would if you were putting it in the oven.

Make sure when you put your briquettes on you sit them in a pile. Give them some time to cool down and not have a flame above them.

You don’t want it to cook super fast. Slow is better when you grill chicken any which way. Quicker will dry it out a bit too much so take your time and don’t be in a hurry.

Barbecue Beer Can Chicken

Then, spread the briquettes or coals out in a circle around the edge of the bbq. You will be putting the pan with your chicken in the middle of the grill. You don’t want direct heat right under it or it will cook too fast. You don’t want to overcook it and have it dry.

Place your cast iron skillet or cookie sheet with your beer can and the chicken on top of that. Place it in the middle of the barbecue once you put the top grate back on and close the lid.

Make sure you use a thermometer when it gets to looking done to make sure the inside is at at least 165 degrees – 180 degrees at most. Best way to test it is to remove from grill leaving the heat so you get an accurate read in the middle thickest part of the chicken leg / thigh meat.

Beer Can Chicken on Grill

When it is done carefully remove the chicken off of the can. Be careful as juice runs out of the cooked chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before carving to keep the juices in and stay moist.

Cut up and eat as usual. This makes for some of the moistest chicken ever. It’s essentially being steamed on the inside by the liquid in the beer. Cooked slowly on the bbq is the way to go.

If you love our beer can chicken recipe you should try cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot too.