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Beer can chicken is a barbecued chicken dish and method of indirect grilling, in which an open can of beer or other canned beverage is inserted into the cavity of a chicken and then used to hold the chicken vertically while it cooks on a grill or in an oven.[1][5][6] During the cooking process the beer in the can may steam, which can add moisture in the cavity of the bird, and some believe that the beer vapor serves to add flavor to the dish.[2][4] Per the chicken being in an upright position, the fat in the bird drains away and the skin is evenly cooked.[4]
Prior to cooking, some of the beer in the can is typically removed, with a partially-full can of beer placed inside the bird's cavity.[7] Some cooks use a full can of beer.[8] Some cooks use a standard 12-ounce beer can, while other use a tallboy beer can, a larger-sized can.[4][9] The chicken is sometimes coated with a spice rub prior to cooking, and some use marinated chicken.[9]
Some people are enthusiastic proponents of the dish, while others feel that the dish and process is overrated.[4][6][10][11] It has been stated that the efficacy of the beer serving to steam whole chickens from the inside and adding flavor is debatable.[a] Some critics of beer can chicken exist; one critic referred to the practice as "dangerous" and "a waste of good beer".[10][11][12] Another critic stated that the process may actually make the chicken drier compared to other types of roasting,[11] and it has also been stated by some cooking experts that the beer does not reach a boiling point.[13]
History
It has been suggested that beer can chicken originated in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[4] It is featured as a dish at some barbecue cooking competitions in the United States, and is served at some U.S. restaurants.[4][7][9]
