Looking to smoke a beer can chicken? Follow our step by step method for the wood pellet grills and you’ll get the best results.
Wrapping the beer can chicken in bacon helps maintain moisture and packs a heap of flavour too!
Due to affordability, short smoking times and the fact that it takes on smoke flavour well chicken is definitely one of the best meats to smoke.
Although the beer can might seem like unnecessary theatre, it actually flavours the smoked chicken and helps to keep it moist and tender.
Also it’s just great fun!
Smoked Beer Can Chicken on the Pellet Grills Recipe
BBQ Beer Chicken Ingredients
- Medium Sized Chicken (large might not fit inside your smoker when lid is down)
- Beer Can – We Used Brewdog Dead Pony
- Your Favourite BBQ Rub – We Used Bohn’s Breast Enhancer
- Olive Oil (to act as a binder for the rub)
- Your Favourite BBQ Sauce (homemade BBQ sauce recipe below)
Smoked Beer Can Chicken Method
- Place your chicken on top of a beer can
- Drizzle with oil to act as a binder
- Add your BBQ rub of choice
- Wrap in 3-4 slices of bacon
- Add more BBQ rub
- Add pellets to the hopper & preheat pellet grill to 225F – hickory, pecan, maple or apple wood pellets are great for chicken
- Place on your wood pellet grill at 225F or 107C – use Super Smoke Setting if you have a Traeger or Smoke setting (S) if you have a Pit Boss
- Smoke for 2-3 hours until internal temp is 165F
- Spritz with apple cider vinegar or chicken stock/broth every 45 mins or so
- Brush with BBQ sauce during last 15-20 minutes of cook
- Rest for 5-10 minutes then serve
Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix together. Use to brush your beer can chicken for the final part of the smoke.
Beer Can Chicken in the Oven
You can also cook your beer can chicken in the oven using Jamie Oliver’s recipe, although it won’t be as smoky. We recommend using liquid smoke to help with this.
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/beer-butt-chicken/
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