Beer can hen (AKA beer butt hen) is a enjoyable and flavorful method to cook dinner an entire hen. Whether or not you make this beer can hen recipe on the grill or within the oven, it straightforward to organize and even simpler to cook dinner!
This beer can hen recipe requires an entire hen, a easy hen dry rub, and a can of sunshine beer.

The Most Flavorful Beer Can Rooster
Beer can hen is severely considered one of our favourite issues to make. We adore it on the grill and within the oven. Because you cook dinner an entire hen on prime of a can of beer, the top result’s each white and darkish meat that’s so juicy and tender.
Beer can hen is a technique of cooking hen the place you place the cavity of an entire hen on prime of a can of beer. It may be cooked within the oven or on the grill.
Sure! Beer butt hen is simply one other identify for beer can hen.
By cooking your hen on prime of a can of beer, you really infuse the hen with moisture in order that it doesn’t dry out.

What You Want
- Complete Rooster: first issues first, get your self an entire hen that’s round 3-4 lbs. Be certain that to depart the pores and skin on, however to take away any innards.
- Dry Rub: a scrumptious dry rub is used to taste this hen. It’s a candy and smokey dry rub and so scrumptious. When you have both our hen dry rub or hen seasoning available, you need to use that as an alternative!
- Complete Rooster: first issues first, get your self an entire hen that’s round 3-4 lbs. Be certain that to depart the pores and skin on, however to take away any innards.
- Dry Rub: a scrumptious dry rub is used to taste this hen. It’s a candy and smokey dry rub and so scrumptious. When you have both our hen dry rub or hen seasoning available, you need to use that as an alternative!
- Butter: butter is utilized in between the meat and the pores and skin in order that the pores and skin comes out good and flavorful and crispy. It’s serioulsy a dream.
- Olive Oil: olive oil is used on the surface of the chook to assist the spices stick and to assist additional crisp up that pores and skin.
- Mild Beer: and final however not least, the star of the present – gentle beer! Any type of gentle beer ought to work effectively for this recipe. We’ve used Michlob ULTRA, Noticed Cow, Coors Mild, you identify it. Simply be certain to pour a little bit bit out earlier than you stick the hen o prime.
What can I take advantage of as an alternative of beer?
Don’t have beer or need to keep away from the alcohol? Attempt the next:
- N/A Beer
- Ginger Beer
- Coke/Pepsi

High Suggestions for Good Beer Can Rooster
Beer Can Rooster Rub – Be Beneficiant: you’ll discover that this beer can hen recipe requires an honest quantity of dry rub. That’s as a result of we not solely need the hen to finish up tremendous flavorful, however it is going to assist create a scrumptious crispy pores and skin. Attempt our hen seasoning or hen dry rub as an alternative.
Get Underneath the Pores and skin: no matter you do, don’t skip rubbing butter and dry rub between the meat and pores and skin. It provides a lot taste!
Larger Warmth: plenty of beer can hen recipes on the web cook dinner their beer can chickens at a decrease warmth. Nevertheless, we love how ours turned out at 425ºF.
Maintain Rooster Upright: you’ll be able to both attempt to stability your hen by itself legs or you need to use a useful dandy beer can hen holder. Both work.
Prepare dinner Till 165ºF: to ensure that hen to be safely consumed, one should cook dinner it till the inner temperature reaches 165ºF. We use a digital meat thermometer and extremely suggest one!
Attempt it!
Thermoworks Thermapen
We swear through the use of a meat thermometer when cooking any reduce of meat. The Thermapen is our go-to meat thermometer that works each time.

Beer Rooster — Oven vs. Grill
Excellent news for you! Cooking hen on a can of beer works in each the oven and the grill! Listed below are a number of suggestions for each strategies.
Oven
Roasting your beer can hen in oven is straightforward as a result of you are able to do it year-round. Listed below are a number of pointers:
Prop Rooster Upright: typically beer butt hen might be tough. We propped our hen up utilizing its personal legs like a kickstand, however you too can purchase a reasonable beer can hen holder off Amazon.
Don’t Overlook a Baking Sheet/Roasting Pan: no matter you do, don’t overlook to place your hen on prime of one thing in order that it could catch the juices and fats! The very last thing you need is a multitude on the underside of your oven.
Grill
Beer can hen on the grill can also be straightforward to make and comes out good and juicy on the within.
Oblique Warmth: we suggest grilling your chook over oblique warmth. That merely means heating one facet of your grill as a way to place the hen on prime of oblique warmth (so the flames don’t really contact the chook). It would be certain there are not any grease fires and cook dinner the hen extra evenly.
Charcoal or Fuel? You need to use both a charcoal grill or a gasoline grill. We now have a gasoline grill and discover that it’s a lot simpler to regulate the temperature.

FAQ
The very best type of beer for beer can hen is gentle beer similar to Coors Lite, Miller Lite, and Busch Lite.
Beer can chickens take round 4 hours at 275ºF to totally cook dinner.
Prepare dinner your beer can hen within the oven at 425ºF for 1 hour.
You don’t want a beer can hen holder to cook dinner beer can hen. Simply be certain to prop them up within the oven or grill utilizing their legs.

Bought Leftovers?
Storage
Retailer leftover hen in an hermetic container for as much as 3-5 days.


Juicy Beer Can Rooster Recipe
Comply with this beer can hen recipe for extremely juicy and flavorful hen! We’ll provide you with instructions for each the grill and oven.
Prep:15 minutes
Prepare dinner:1 hour
Whole:1 hour 15 minutes
Elements
- 3-4 lb. entire hen
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon floor black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon purple pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can gentle beer
Directions
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Preheat your grill or oven to 425ºF. In case you’re utilizing a grill, go away one facet of the burners off as a way to grill over oblique warmth.
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Take away any innards (giblets) from the hen and pat the hen dry with a paper towel. Put aside.
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Put together the spice rub. Add the brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried thyme, paprika, chili powder, and purple pepper flakes to a bowl and blend collectively till mixed. Put aside.
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Place the hen on a plate or slicing board and separate the hen pores and skin from the meat. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the dry rub in between the pores and skin and hen meat and therapeutic massage all of the spices into the meat.
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Subsequent, rub the softened butter in between the pores and skin and meat of the hen.
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Drizzle the olive oil on the surface of the hen after which rigorously sprinkle the remainder of the hen dry rub everywhere in the hen and therapeutic massage the dry rub into the hen pores and skin. Make sure you therapeutic massage the dry rub into each nook and cranny of the hen.
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Open can of beer and pour out (or drink!) round 1/4 of it. In case you’re cooking your hen within the oven, place it on a big baking sheet.
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Fastidiously place the open cavity of the hen on prime of the beer can. Chances are you’ll have to discover a stability the place the hen can stand with out assist. Typically balancing the hen legs on the baking sheet works effectively.
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Lastly, scrape any extra dry rub from the plate or slicing board which will have fallen off the hen and sprinkle it over the hen.
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Oven directions: Place the baking sheet into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to examine the inner temperature and proceed roasting till the inner temperature of the thickest a part of the hen reaches 165ºF. Ours took round 1 hour.
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Grill Directions: Place the beer can hen on the grill over oblique warmth. Shut the grill and cook dinner for 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to examine the inner temperature and proceed grilling till the inner temperature of the thickest a part of the hen reaches 165ºF. It ought to take round 1 hour.
Suggestions & Notes
- This recipe was up to date on August 5, 2021. For the unique recipe CLICK HERE.
- Beer Can Rooster Holder: we’ve discovered that typically it’s arduous to stability your entire hen on the grill, so utilizing a beer can hen holder like this one might be tremendous helpful!
Diet info
Energy: 359kcal Carbohydrates: 12g Protein: 52g Fats: 13g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 8g