The Best Smoked Beer Can Chicken Pellet Grill Beers
The beer can is more than just a nifty way to keep the chicken upright it is a major flavoring component in the recipe. Choose a brand that you enjoy drinking. If you are not a beer person, try substituting a white wine or apple or pineapple juice.
Wheat and fruit-style beers and those that are a little maltier are a perfect match with chicken. So pick up a few Schofferhofers Hefeweizen Grapefruit or Culture Keepers Maibock from Creature Comforts Brewing Co. if you are looking for something exceptional.
Stay away from anything dark or super hoppy because these types of beers can overpower the chickens natural flavor.
Best Wood Pellets For Chicken
Since chicken is a hot and fast cook, use a stronger smoking wood so you can impart more smoke flavor in a short period. Hickory wood pellets are a superb choice, but you can use whatever you have available. Normally I would recommend using mild fruit wood when smoking chicken, such as apple or cherry. Both woods are perfect for chicken, and cherry will give the chicken a nice mahogany color. Otherwise, cover all your bases by using a mixed blend.
How To Smoke Beer Can Chicken
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How Much Chicken Do I Need To Cook
Count on one 4-5lb roaster chicken serving 4-6 people. I recommend that if you are going to fire up the smoker, you might as well grab two chickens and smoke two at the same time. They both WILL definitely get eaten, or you can be the favorite neighbor and share some of this poultry love with those around you.
How To Make Beer Can Chicken
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What Beer Do You Use For Beer Can Chicken
You can use any kind of beer you like to drink, but some types of beer are better than others. Avoid bitter stouts and hoppy IPAs, but brown and mild ales are great options, as are German bocks.
Whatever beer you choose, do yourself a favor and forget about using the can as a beer butt chicken smoker. Instead, invest in a beer throne and never worry about a top-heavy chicken tipping over the beer can. As a bonus, beer thrones allow you to use beer or any other liquid that doesnt come in a can.
Top Tips For Perfect Beer Can Chicken
Dry Rub Be Generous: youll notice that this beer can chicken recipe calls for a decent amount of dry rub. Thats because we not only want the chicken to end up super flavorful, but it will help create a delicious crispy skin.
Get Under the Skin: whatever you do, dont skip rubbing butter and dry rub between the meat and skin. It adds so much flavor!
Higher Heat: lots of beer can chicken recipes on the internet cook their beer can chickens at a lower heat. However, we love how ours turned out at 425ºF.
Keep Chicken Upright: you can either try and balance your chicken on its own legs or you can use a handy dandy beer can chicken holder. Either work.
Cook Until 165ºF: in order for chicken to be safely consumed, one must cook it until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. We use a digital meat thermometer and highly recommend one!
recommendation
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How Long To Smoke Beer Can Chicken
It generally takes between 2-3 hours to smoke a beer can chicken. We start out smoking it at 225 for an hour or so and then crank up the heat too 350 degrees F. until the bird reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F. Chicken needs to reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F. to be safe to eat, but by pulling it off around 163 degrees F. the last two degrees will happen as the bird rests and then you definitely wont dry out your chicken! Use an internal meat thermometer to track the internal temp. The best place to check the temperature is in the birds thigh just be sure not to touch the bone!
What Temperature Should Beer Can Chicken Be Cooked To
Your whole grilled chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 165°F. Depending on the size of your chicken and the type of grill you use, this means that your beer can chicken cook time will vary a bit. We recommend starting to check the temp at an hour and 15 minutes, and then keep checking regularly until you see that 165°F. Also, when youre checking the internal temperature, make sure that youre not touching the bone.
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What Are The Best Pellets To Use For Smoker Beer Can Chicken
A good beer can chicken starts with finding the right pellets. There are several pellets you can use for smoking chicken, but here are some that are recommended.
- Apple: Apple wood gives meat a fruity, smokey flavor. It works well with chicken and other types of white meat. Its mild taste mans it mixes well with other flavors.
- Cherry: Cherry is similar to apple in that it has a mild taste that works well with white meats and can be mixed with other woods.
- Maple: Maple gives meat a sweet and nutty taste. It is great for chicken and vegetables.
- Mesquite: Mesquite has a flavor that some think works best with red meats. However, a mesquite smoked chicken can be quite irresistible.
- Oak: Oak has a stronger taste than some of the fruit woods listed here but it has a universal flavor that works well with almost any protein.
- Pecan: Pecan is ideal for smoking chicken. It has a rich, nutty flavor that can be blended well with others.
Beer Can Smoked Chicken
OH MY I wish this screen had smell o vision or something.
There is nothing like a smoked whole chicken yall. 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.
We started this journey creating a lot of electric smoker recipes. Those will work too if youre looking for more ideas.
- Recently we upgraded to this Traeger pellet smoker and grill and love it.
- This is the Charbroil model we started with.
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Beer Can Chicken Tips
- For a different flavor, try using soft drinks, fruit juices or wine in place of the beer.
- Create a more concentrated flavor from your rub by allowing the chicken to set for 4 hours or overnight with the rub on it. Be sure to cover and refrigerate it while it sits.
- Use your favorite marinade on the chicken before grilling.
- Dont have a grill? The beer can chicken can be roasted in the oven rather than on a grill if you dont have one available. It will be still be moist and delicious but it wont have the great grilled flavor.
- To increase the flavor of the beer, add it as an ingredient in a marinade or if you are going to barbecue the beer can chicken, add some beer to the sauce.
- Because of the steam created when using the beer can method to cook the chicken, you generally do not need to baste the chicken as it cooks. Although basting is not necessary to keep the chicken moist, you can add special flavoring by basting if desired. Be careful if basting so that you do not knock the chicken over when applying it.
How To Make Smoked Beer Can Chicken: A Step
While youre gathering the ingredients and tools for the recipe, go ahead and help yourself to the other half of the beer. Otherwise, you can use it for another recipe or pour it down the sink.
Pro Tip: This recipe can easily be doubled if your smoker is large enough to hold two birds. They may require a little more cooking time, so keep an eye on the temperature during the last half-hour or so.
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Is It Necessary To Wash The Whole Chicken Before Cooking
According to a released by Consumer Reports, it was found that harmful bacteria are present on 97 percent of the chicken that is purchased from common retail stores. In the past, people used to commonly rinse the chicken starting to cook it. But if you do so, youd risk spreading and contaminating the area of washing with the splashes that takes place, even your hands.
It is now believed that you dont need to put yourself at risk of washing the chicken. The bacteria present are killed in the process of cooking when the chicken reaches to the proper internal temperature.
Traeger Smoked Beer Can Chicken
Youll 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 youll 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:
- First youll want to preheat your pellet or electric smoker to 350 degrees F. so its ready once your whole chicken is prepped.
- Pour beer into your chicken stand. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Take everything out of the cavity of the chicken .
- Now pour your beer into your chicken stand. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Take everything out of the cavity of the chicken .
- Rub or spray olive oil on the outside of the skin. Then mix together the ingredients for your dry rub and cover the outside well. Sit your chicken on top of its throne.
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The Pellet Grill A Quick Overview
Most people dont realize that a pellet grill is a giant convection oven. Theyre not like the gas and charcoal grill you may have been cooking on.
Instead, they work by utilizing electricity and wood pellets and are perfect for slow cooking or higher temperature cooking like other grills. If youve ever cooked a whole chicken in your convection oven, youll love how much easier a pellet grill makes it.
You not only have more room for the chicken, but the clean-up is so much easier! Not to mention the smoky flavor you wont get from cooking a chicken in your oven or convection oven.
The key is to use the proper temperature for the size of chicken youre cooking.
The Best Wood Pellets For Beer Can Chicken On A Pellet Grill
You have a little bit of freedom when it comes to choosing the right wood pellets to cook beer can chicken on a pellet grill.
Mesquite should usually be avoided for poultry, especially when cooking for longer than a few minutes.
Hickory will give a very distinctive smoke flavor that many people love, and many others do not.
Alternatively, you can also go for a milder smoke flavor by choosing oak or fruitwood pellets.
Pecan, apple, beech, alder, and cherry all give great results on chicken.
For fun, you can choose your woods seasonally, using beech and cherry in spring and summer and pecan and apple into the fall and winter.
Also no reason you cant mix a few different kinds together on a pellet grill.
Make sure you purchase pellets that are sized correctly to work in the hopper of your particular pellet grill.
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Cooking Beer Can Chicken On A Pellet Grill
Whether youre planning to tailgate with friends or inviting a big group over for dinner Beer Can Chicken would be a good option to go for. As a bonus, it even tastes good cold so you can enjoy leftovers for days.
Beer can chicken lets a whole chicken rest on top of a beer can. Cooking it vertically over indirect heat gives the most flavorful chicken. The dry rub gives flavor to the chickens skin. Placing a can of beer in the cavity keeps it stay up. While the beer makes the insides of the chicken moist.
Do I Need A Beer Can Chicken Holder
This is a well debated subject, and really depends on your preference. True, the chicken may remain more stable when using the beer can chicken stand, but if you dont have one and would prefer not to buy one, you can make it work without.
Now that weve covered the dos and donts and what ifs of cooking chicken, lets get on with the fun part.
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This Traeger Beer Can Chicken Recipe Is The Best Chicken Ever Beer Brine The Chicken Add A Simple Rub And Let It Sit On A Beer In The Wood Pellet Grill
Yes hi hello Im about to make an extreme statement this Traeger Beer Can Chicken is the best whole roasted chicken Ive ever had. Im not even kidding.
Its also STUPID easy. Its the perfect entertaining meal because you brine the chicken overnight, slather on a simple rub + some buttah and sick a whole can of beer on up in the cavity + set it and forget it on the Traeger for an hour and a half.
Truly, what more do you want in life?
On Instagram, you guys asked for more Traeger Grill specific recipesso ask & ye shall receive, my friends.
What Beer Is Best For Beer Can Chicken
This is usually a matter of personal preference. This recipe uses Bud Light as a simple, all-American beer of choice. You can honestly use whatever beer you prefer for this chicken, though I do recommend using something that isnt too hoppy, too bitter, or too sweet.
If you are feeling adventurous, youre welcome to play around with the beer you use for your beer can chicken. Though, when in doubt go with a lager for the best results.
What Is Pellet Smoker Beer Can Chicken
Admittedly, pellet smoker chicken stands out for its unusual name alone.
But what exactly is this strange not so delicate delicacy?
Beer can chicken involves cooking chicken over indirect heat.
A dry rub is used to flavor the outer skin. A half beer can is put inside the chicken to keep it propped up and maintain its moistness while it cooks.
The result is a moist bird with a rich, smokey flavor and a thick dark skin. Most think it is absolutely mouth-watering.
What Is The Best Beer For Beer Can Chicken
The best beer for beer can chicken is the kind of beer that youd like to sip while you watch the grill. Imagine a hot day, breeze blowing but plenty of ambient heat from that coal fire whats in your hand? For us, its a lager every time. All-American, mass-produced lagers are the gold standard for beer can chickenstuff like a can of Miller, or a Budwieserbut you dont need to feel married to any one brand. If you can find Stella in a can, or a Montucky Cold Snack or even a good old PBR. Whatever youd actually like to drink about half of before popping your chicken on the grill is the right choice.
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