Spicy Beer-Can Chicken
Delicious and awesome tangy sauce! Modified from Fine Cooking recipe (Aug/Sep 2005 pg 46) for the grill by Waldy Malouf
Equipment
- 1 beer-can chicken holder , can just uses a beer can on a skillet but this makes it easier
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 Tbs kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp gound black pepper
Beer-Can Sauce
- 6 Tbs ketchup
- 3 Tbs Dijon mustard
- 1½ Tbs molasses
- 1½ Tbs red-wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs reserved spice rub
- ½ tsp Tabasco sauce
Chicken
- 1 4 lb whole chicken
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions white and green parts
- 1 lemon zested into this strips
- 1 orange zested into thin strips
- 1 can beer
Instructions
Spice Rub
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix until well blended, Reserve 1 Tbs for the Beer-Can Sauce
Chicken
- A day ahead: Make the spice rub. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of the spice rub inside the body and neck cavities. With your fingers, work a little spice rub under the skin. Sprinkle the remaining spice rub all over the skin and rub it in to spread evenly. Tuck the wings behind the back. Cover the chicken and refrigerate overnight
Beer-Can Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients until they're well blended
Chicken
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Open can of beer and pour out half. Using a church-key style can opener, poke several holes on the top of the can. Using a funnel, fill the can with the beer-can sauce. Swirl gently to mix. Place the can in the center of a 10-12 in skillet. Holding the chicken upright with the opening of the body cavity facing down, lower the chicken onto the beer can. Stabilize the chicken with the legs.
- Cook chicken until an instant-read thermometer reads 175°F at the thickest part of the thigh, 2-2½ hours. Check to make sure it isn't getting too brown, about mid-way through cooking, and drape with foil if it is.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 min. In the meantime pour the beer can contents into a skillet and cook over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and thickened to a nice gravy consistancy.
- Carve the chicken into eight pieces and garnish with the scallions and zests, serving with the sauce.
Notes
If you forget to let the chicken sit overnight with the spice rub, I have also just let it sit for an hour a room temperature before cooking and it turns out great 🙂
