Kev's Barbequed Beer Butt Chicken
This chicken is the juiciest, most mouthwatering bird you'll ever try. I also like the aspect of theater when you cook it, because it looks so damned weird on the grill, people will wonder what brand of crack you switched to... This bird is simply deeee-licious! The beer inside the cavity steams the chicken from the inside, keeping it moist and juicy, while the dry heat of the grill forms a nice, crisp skin.
This chicken is the juiciest, most mouthwatering bird you'll ever try. I also like the aspect of theater when you cook it, because it looks so damned weird on the grill, people will wonder what brand of crack you switched to... This bird is simply deeee-licious! The beer inside the cavity steams the chicken from the inside, keeping it moist and juicy, while the dry heat of the grill forms a nice, crisp skin.
- olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 whole chicken 4-5 lb
- 1 16-oz tall can beer
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- favorite beer (for the marinating chef!)
- seasoning for the chicken
- or use a seasoning blend of your own kind--
- basil and/or rosemary (fresh)
- 1 pinch cayenne use more rather than less
- 1 lemon sliced (optional)
- these latter ingretients are pushed under the skin
- Carbohydrate 12.1624725 g
- Cholesterol 230 mg
- Fat 55.3449525 g
- Fiber 1.88039992427826 g
- Protein 58.7184475 g
- Saturated Fat 14.4836583333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (518g)
- Sodium 223.645166666667 mg
- Sugar 10.2820725757217 g
- Trans Fat 4.24126083333334 g
- Calories 826 calories
Step-by-step
- Start with a hot grill (coals all white and ready to cook). Drink about 1/4 of that can of beer. Set it aside 3/4 full and have a couple of full ones, real beer this time-- no sissy canned stuff.
- Get the chicken ready for cookin! Trim some of the fat, get rid of the giglets (her kitty, kitty!) Rub literally with your favorite meat rub. Some folks like Zatrain''s or some such store bought concoction, but whatever. Push your fingers under the skin and push in remaining ingredients. Get a can opener or some such tool and open up the top of the can and drop in the crushed garlic.
- Oil up the can and lower that chicken over the top of it. The beer can goes into the chicken''''s body cavity and alllows the bird to stand upright.
- Cover your grill and cook the chicken until its wings are loose and the skin turns clear. Or.... until a thermometer in the deepest part of the meat (thigh of the chicken) not touching bone registers 180 degrees F. On my personal pellet grill with the grill lowered, it took 1 1/4 hrs to cook the bird.
Why does placing a vertical poultry carcass over an open can yield such distinct results? Standing the bird upright forces the cavity open, allowing ambient heat to circulate both inside and outside the meat simultaneously. Liquid evaporating from the container creates internal steam that protects the breast tissue from drying out while the surrounding fat renders efficiently under dry heat. Maintaining indirect heat is essential here; direct flames will scorch the exterior long before the inner joints reach the target temperature.
Fresh Versus Dried Aromatics Under the Skin
Sliding aromatics beneath the epidermis requires understanding how moisture behaves during high-heat cooking. Fresh herbs like rosemary and basil contain high water content, releasing fragrant steam as they heat that infuses the surrounding fat. Dried herbs lack this internal moisture and will scorch rapidly if placed directly against the skin without an oil barrier. When substituting dried herbs for fresh, reduce the quantity by two-thirds to avoid an overly concentrated, bitter flavor profile.
- If the skin browns too quickly before the meat registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest part of the thigh, shield the breast area loosely with aluminum foil.
- Ensure the grill lid remains closed to trap convection heat; opening the hood constantly extends the cooking time past the standard one and one-quarter hour window.
