A friend told me it was one of their family traditions to make beer can chicken and I was instantly excited. I needed to try this for myself. Beer can chicken, it turns out, is really easy to make and of course contains my favorite ingredient – BEER! All you need is a chicken, some spices, and a nice can of Michigan beer.
Keweenaw is a brewery in the upper peninsula that only sells their beer in cans, it’s pretty easy to find. There are several other breweries that are starting to can beer in Michigan as well, so there are a few options to choose from. I used Black Widow Maker Ale – easily one of my favorite Michigan beers.
Ingredients
- 1 4lb chicken
- 1 can of beer
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 can of jalapenos
- 2 tbs paprika
- 1 tbs cayenne pepper
- 1 tbs cumin
- 1 tbs garlic salt
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the spices to create a dry rub.
Step 2
Stuff the chicken with jalapenos, half the stick of butter, and half of the spice mix. Empty out a 1/4 of the beer (preferably in your mouth) and set the stuffed chicken over the can.
Step 3
Place the chicken in a roasting pan and rub the rest of the stick of butter on the outside. Rub the remaining spice mix on the outside of the chicken.
Step 4
Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for an hour and a half. Remove from the oven, and remove the beer can as well once the chicken has cooled. And serve!
