Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Step 1

Remove the gizzards and anything else from inside the chickens cavity and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Make sure to thoroughly dry the chicken and make sure the cavity is dry as well.

Step 2

Rub the whole chicken with the oil.

Step 3

Season liberally all over, inside the cavity and under the skin, with the salt and the BBQ spice rub.

Step 4

Pour a little of the beer into a high sided baking dish.

Step 5

Place the beer can in the middle of the baking dish.

Step 6

Carefully, nestle the chicken over the beer can, holding the body and legs to steady it.

Step 7

Fold the legs out in front of the body to stand the chicken on its own, using the beer car and legs.

Step 8

Fold the wing tips back behind the breasts by bending the wings backwards and then turning the wing tips to secure them behind the breast.

Step 9

Prep grill for 375 to 400 degrees F according to your manufacturers directions.

Step 10

Add oak or hickory wood chips in a smoker box, tub or foil packet for more flavor.

Step 11

Smoke the Beer Can Chicken

Step 12

Carefully place the pan with the chicken on the grill grate and gently close, making sure the chicken doesn’t fall over.

Step 13

Smoke the chicken until it reaches 175 degrees F at in the thickest part of the thighs and 165 in the breast, about 1 ½ hours.

Step 14

Carefully, remove the chicken from the grill grates and set the pan on a wire rack. Allow the chicken to cool 10 minutes before removing the beer can. The beer can will still be hot, so use caution.

Step 15

Rest the chicken on a cutting board once the beer can is removed and discarded.

Step 16

Carve the chicken into portions to serve.