← All recipes

A Better Beer Can Chicken

🇺🇸 United States · Texas BBQ

Servings: 4 servings Total: 1 hour (plus marinating)

Ingredients

  • 4 lb skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, and/or wings and/or skin-on boneless breasts
  • 2 (12 oz) bottles light beer (such as Pacifico)
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp plus 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 small Fresno chile, finely chopped
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped, for garnish
  • Vegetable oil, for grill

Steps

  1. In a large bowl or bag, combine beer, 1 cup lime juice, orange juice, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and pepper.
  2. Add chicken pieces to the marinade, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry; discard marinade.
  4. Prepare a grill for indirect medium-high heat and oil the grates.
  5. Grill chicken over indirect heat, turning occasionally, until skin is crisp and browned and chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  6. Meanwhile, make the chimichurri: combine red onion, garlic, Fresno chile, olive oil, ½ cup cilantro, ½ cup lime juice, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature to meld flavors.
  7. Transfer grilled chicken to a platter, spoon chimichurri over top, and garnish with coarsely chopped cilantro before serving.

Notes

Despite the name, this recipe skips the actual beer can grilling method in favor of a beer-based marinade, then finishes with a bright, spicy chimichurri sauce.

Source: www.bonappetit.com