Oven Roasted Beer Chicken

Living in an apartment comes with limitations.  The one that Joe finds particularly upsetting is that we don't have a grill.  We have to accommodate food that at home we would have grilled to be cooked on the stove or in the oven, which Joe has been pretty awesome at so far (for example, pan sear or stir fry steak).

Both Joe and I had had beer chicken made on a grill back at our respective homes.  My dad even has a special beer stand to hold the can and chicken to it doesn't tip over.  Joe says he first had it in high school at his friend Noah's house.  We both have fond memories of sitting around drinking beer and shooting shit with friends and family while the low-maintenance bird sits on the grill.

 Obviously this same recipe could be used on a grill- just nix the casserole/pyrex dish.  The beer keeps the chicken nice and moist, and can add a little bit of flavor, depending on your beer choice.

Pick your bird- ours was some organic one from Dominick's.  We don't usually go organic, but the chicken at our grocery store is usually so freaking crappy we figured it couldn't hurt.

For seasonings we used the above- rosemary, garlic pepper, coarse salt, and Old Bay- as well shredded parmesan cheese (from the shaker, not fresh), and some olive oil.

Make sure you get that bag of giblets out of the hole, if yours came with one.

The only beer we had in cans was coors, so that's what made it into our bird.  Normally Joe would use a tall can- drink the first half and cook with the second half- so it usually ends up being something cheap.


Pour out some of the beer (or drink it earlier), and get it up in there as smoothly as possible.

I recommend using a sturdy casserole dish- either a ceramic or pyrex dish. We once used a cookie sheet and it popped halfway with the heat, sending the chicken onto it's side and spilling the sauces all over the bottom of our oven.

Feel free to go crazy with your seasonings of choice.  A barbecue dry rub could be really good too.

And pop that baby into the oven! You'll have to lower or remove your shelves.  Set it to 350 or 365.

Cooking time will depend on the size of your bird.  Ours was about 5 pounds and took about an hour and 15 minutes.

Make sure to check the middle of the breast that the temperature is where it should be.

Pick up your bird, and carefully put that beer can in the sink.  We poured out the chicken sauce into the sink too, but you could save it and make gravy.

And set it back down to do your cutting!

And serve.

Did I mention that beer makes it seriously moist?

 And don't forget to pair it with a cold beer or a glass of white wine.

Plus all that extra chicken makes for some delicious sandwiches in the next few days.  And it's way healthier and fresher than cold cuts, as it has none of the preservatives.  

Enjoy!

The Recipe:

You'll Need:

a whole chicken

1 can of beer- preferably a tall can

seasonings of choice

Set oven to 350.  Put over a half-full can of beer in a casserole dish.  Season with salt, garlic pepper, Old Bay, and rosemary- or any spices you prefer.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Set in oven, and cook until the appropriate temperature at the thickest part of the breast (1-2 hours, depending on size).

Carve and serve.