Beer can chicken in a smoker is so amazing! Whether you have an electric or pellet smoker you’ll love how easy a whole chicken is to cook. Get ready! We started this journey creating a lot of electric smoker recipes but works great on a Traeger too.
Have you made smoked a chicken yet??!! We are obsessed! With tender flavorful meat inside and smoky skin on the outside, it will become one of your favorite smoker recipe too.
OH MY I wish this screen had smell o vision or something. There is nothing like a smoked whole chicken y’all. By far one of the best meats to smoke you will ever try. Easy prep and no work on your part other than throwing it on the grates.
This is a stick it in and forget it kinda’ meal y’all. If you have only done this “hack” on your bbq this is the next step to bring this meal to the next level. Try it!
Tips
To get your meats absolutely perfect we have this printable meat smoking chart to refer to so each and every time it will be fork tender.
- Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
- We started with an electric smoker that was a Charbroil which worked well to start with.
- I like applewood pellets, we always have those on hand and make almost everything.
This will work with any brand you have. An electric Charbroil, pellet Green Mountain, I mean there are a lot of choices out there. Some have a higher price point but don’t necessarily work better. Don’t go super cheap though or they have a problem really locking in that heat.
Ok so we didn’t technically put our whole chicken on top of an actual beer can. BUT let us explain to you why. It’s not steady enough, you need to use a chicken stand. Don’t worry because you still use beer and the flavor is there, you just pour it inside.
So…let’s get started. First you’ll want to get your smoker preheated to 350 degrees so it’s ready when you are. Then you’ll want to get some beer can chicken rub mixed together:
Ingredient Notes
You want to start with the basics which would be a whole chicken for the main star of the show. For the seasonings there are a few choices but if you want to keep it simple just go with Kosher salt, pepper, and let’s throw in a sprig of diced fresh rosemary shall we?
You’ll also need olive oil for the outside. This will keep the skin moist but also at the same time crisp it up just a bit. With that said I will tell you that this cooking method will not get you “crispy skin” as you would get at KFC or something. you can crank the heat up at the end to bridge the gap but the goal is the moistest best tasting meat inside, not the skin.
We like 1 tbsp of minced garlic to rub on too. You can go with jarred or diced from fresh cloves if you would rather.
with Dry Rub
Now let me tell you how to make this out of this world delicious. Whether we are cooking beer can chicken in oven or this way I expect the outside to have a pop of flavor. You can do this with a sweet and savory rub that stick on the skin with some of that oil. With both I use our dry rub recipe for chicken because on the whole bird is even better…..
Brined
You can lightly season the bird right out of the package for a quick method or take it a step further with our simple brine. You would make that the day before and soak overnight for flavor, flavor, flavor y’all.
Equipment You Need
Ok so I did not exactly use an actual beer can, I instead used this chicken throne to set bird on top of. Reason I didn’t is that is narrower and more likely to fall over. For this reason I think the throne is so worth it. Then you can add any sort of liquid you prefer inside.
You’ll need smoker pellets or wood chips if you have an electric smoker. Either type will work. Either way we prefer apple flavor and have both types of smokers. This time we made it in our Green Mountain pellet grill and smoker. We have a Traeger and Charbroil electric version as well.
Then you’ll need to get your chicken ready to be rubbed down. 😉 I have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here is a quick step by step to peek at:
Cooking Tips
- Make sure the outside skin is coated with olive oil so it crisps up well
- Place your chicken in the center of your smoker to ensure it is flat and bird is on straight so it doesn’t tip over
- Do not open the smoker before 2 hours is up. Every time you open it a lot of heat escapes and it will take a while to get back to reach the proper internal meat temperature
- Allow chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes once you remove it from the smoker and stand. This will keep the juices in and keep it moist
Smoked Beer Can Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 smoker
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can beer
Beer Can Chicken Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp salt
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp dill
- 2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Add pellets or wood chips into your smoker. Preheat your smoker to 350 degrees. Wash and remove anything inside chicken cavity. Blot dry with a paper towel.
- Spray or rub olive oil on the outside of your chicken skin. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl (except beer).
- Rub this mixture on the outside of your chicken.
- Fill chicken stand with beer, it will take about 3/4 of your can of beer.
- Place chicken on top of the chicken stand/throne. Once your smoker reaches 350 degrees, place it in the center making sure it is flat and won’t tip over.
- Allow to cook for 2 hours or until internal temp. of chicken is at least 165 degrees.
- Take chicken out and remove from stand. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How Long to Cook a Whole Chicken on Smoker
This will vary slightly depending on the size of your bird. If you choose the weight as stated in the recipe card below you will cook for 2 hours or until the internal meat temperature in the middle of the thigh is at least 165 degrees F. It will take a while at the start to reach the proper temperature before adding the meat as well so keep 2.5-3 hours available for this.
FAQ
If you set the temp to 300 F it takes approximately 2 hours. Timing will vary widely depending on how large your bird is so always check the internal temperature before consuming.
We do not. Instead we use a dry rub on the outside of the skin and it comes out amazingly flavorful.
You shouldn’t have an issue with this if you follow our directions. Smoking a chicken at a lower temperature may result in rubbery chicken skin that is unappealing. Higher temp. will avoid this.
Other ways to cook a whole chicken you’ll love
This is how you cook a pressure cooker frozen whole chicken. You can use your beer can chicken recipe or gas grill for indirect heat. We do it all but the flavors from your Traeger are out of this world. Don’t forget to use up your leftovers in a casserole or tacos the next day. Other smoker recipes you would enjoy are:
You can make our Traeger smoked chicken thighs too. The best smoked ribs recipe is here with a beef dry rub you’ll drool over. Smoked baked potatoes are the perfect side dish. This is how to smoke salmon for you fish lovers
Extremely good! Making again tomorrow for company!
I don’t have a smoker, would this fit in a 6 qt Instant pot?
There is link within this post for a pressure cooker beer can chicken so yes you can. Only thing is it won’t fit into a 6 qt. it is too tall.