I was lucky enough to grow up during the time when we did not have cell phones, Twitter, Facebook or any other social media distractions. I spent summers at our lake home on the Lake of the Ozarks. Lucky me! Weekends were filled with All-American fun such as picking blackberries from a wild field, my mom making her famous cobbler and laughing with friends as we “played on the lake” all day long. The memories that I have stored in the memory safety deposit box in my mind will last for my lifetime and for that I am eternally thankful.
A fond food memory of weekends on the lake includes my dad at the grill. He was always in his happy place when he was at the lake. One of the recipes that he would grill throughout the summer was beer can chicken. Beer can chicken would be served with corn on the cob, plump, ruby red summer tomatoes and peach or blackberry cobbler. Are you getting the picture? This truly was heaven on earth and as close to any Norman Rockwell painting that you have ever seen.
Years have flown by since weekends were carefree and spent at the lake but recently when the Hen House Market CSA included a fresh, free range local chicken all those memories surfaced and if I am totally honest, a few tears, too. I declared to my family that it was beer can chicken for Sunday dinner and they were as excited as I was.
This is as easy as summertime cooking can get. We added some quartered new potatoes around the chicken to simulate the roasted chicken and potatoes that we buy at the markets in Paris when ever we are lucky enough to be there (visit this site to read about that experience.) Sunday dinner included corn removed from the ears and cooked in butter, watermelon, the crispy potatoes and yes, the most perfect beer can chicken that you can imagine. Special thanks to my sweet husband who manned the grill and is the family grillmaster.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to make this dish and enjoy the goodness and the memories that flow along with each taste of the chicken. My dad has been gone for 3 years now and I miss him every single day, but I know he would want his legacy of beer can chicken to continue forever. This one is for you dad!
Here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Beer Can Chicken
1 (3 to 4) pound whole chicken
1 (12-ounce) can beer
Fresh herbs (we used sage, rosemary, thyme and parsley), left whole but removed from stem
1/4 cup melted butter Salt and pepper, to taste
Desired amount of new potatoes or small red potatoes, quartered
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Additional chopped herbs for potatoes
Build a fire in your grill and allow it to get hot. Our grill measures the temperature and we maintained the temperature between 350℉ and 375℉. If desired add a few pieces of soaked wood chips for a smoked flavor. Open the can of beer and remove about 1/3 of the beer (yes you can drink it!). Stuff herbs inside the can of beer. Spray around the beer can with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken on can of beer and brush generously with melted butter all over the surface. As best you can, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Toss potatoes with olive oil, garlic and chopped herbs. Place chicken and beer can in the middle of a disposable aluminum pan and arrange the potatoes in the pan around the chicken; place on the grate in the grill. Cover the grill and grill for 45 minutes to 1 hour (longer if your chicken is larger) or until the chicken is done and the breast meat reaches 165℉.
Carefully remove from the grill and use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes to the serving bowl. Carefully remove chicken from the can, allowing it to rest for at least 10 minutes. Carve and serve.
**We own a beer can chicken aluminum piece. Simply pour beer in the center tube about 2/3 full and add herbs. Proceed as directed.
This post has been sponsored by Hen House. More information on their CSA can be found here. All opinions expressed in this post are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this site possible.
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