Beer Butt Chicken - Fun and Delicious

I don't know if you ever heard of this recipe, but it is fun to do and is the best chicken ever.  Some folks also call it "Beer Can Chicken".

I really didn't want to use a beer can, so I got one of these stainless steel gadgets with some free amazon.com gift cards I had. 

I used my charcoal/smoker BBQ grill to have that great charcoal flavor.  You can also add flavored chips to the coals if you prefer.

I smeared the chicken inside and out and under the breast skin with soft butter.  You can also use olive oil or veggie oil, etc.   I put a rub on the inside and out and under the breast skin, also.  I added more after this photo was taken.

I  put some of the rub in the can along with some garlic and filled the can half way up with beer.  If you don't like beer, then put plain water or apple juice or whatever you like.  Then put the can up the cavity of the chicken.  (Beer Butt Chicken.  LOL!)  Pull the legs forward to form a tripod.  It balances the chicken so it doesn't topple over.

The coals on the grill were put on either side of the grill and the center left empty.  That way it creates indirect heat and prevents flare ups.  The rack under the chicken pretty much does that, too.

You must obtain a temperature of around 350 degrees or more .  Cook the chick with the lid on the whole time to keep it at that.

I purchased a whole 4-5 pound chicken.  This size only took approximately 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours.  The coals stay hot the entire time.  If you use a larger bird you will have to BBQ longer and may have to add coals after awhile.

You can also do this in the oven or on a gas grill.  Just make sure you have a pan under the chicken to catch the juices and to avoid a real mess.  If using a gas grill, only have one burner on and that will create the indirect heat effect you want.  One bit of advice.  Do a test to make sure that your chicken will fit standing up on your grill before you do this because the lid must be down the entire time.  Some grills may be too small.  

The chicken was so delicious and moist.  I used a thermometer to test the inside temp. of the chicken only because this was the first time I did this.  I will add more rub next time. 

There you have it!  Beer Butt Chicken is so yummy.