The Ultimate Beer Butt Chicken

I am sure a lot of you readers out there have done the classic Beer Butt Chicken, so we know how fantastic and juicy it is and how truly easy it is to make.  Well I have modified and perfected the way I do these chickens for ultimate flavor and juiciness!

Ultimate Beer Butt Chicken

• One Chicken
• one can of beer of choice
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, cut into chunks
• herb mixture (I use dried oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder and a little salt this time, but you can use anything you prefer)
• optional: Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
• One of those Beer Butt Chicken roasters (you can get them everywhere these days)

First order of operations is getting the BBQ warmed up, I heat it on medium heat.  You really don’t want to have it too hot.

Next thing is to get your chicken prepped.  I mix my herbs into a bowl (about a tsp of each, really you can’t mess this part up) and cut my garlic.  Take your can of beer and pour half of it out (drink it silly!).  I once was told that when you make this the beer doesn’t actually boil, so that was when I thought to pour half of it out, so it can actually be brought to a boil and steam up that chicken!

Put your garlic chunks into the can of beer, if your opting for the rosemary sprigs, put them in the can as well.  (I have done this and have actually tasted the rosemary throughout the meat).  Rub your herb mixture all over the chicken, making sure to cover all areas. Set your can into the roaster and put your chicken on. I also pour a bit of beer into the bottom of the roaster. Set carefully into your BBQ.

As for cooking times, I usually go for 15-20 minutes per pound.  I make sure I have my meat thermometer on hand, as long as the chicken is at 180 degrees Fahrenheit.  The key during cooking is to baste every 10-15 minutes, this way you get a nice skin, very little burning and nice beer flavor on the outside.

Once your done, take the chicken off and let rest 15 minutes before cutting, this is very important!  Then enjoy your juicy chicken goodness!

I also make a beer gravy from the juices and some of the beer from the can.  Goes very well with this chicken on some garlic mashed potatoes.

I picked Black Label this time, different beers give different flavors so experiment!