Tex-Mex beercan chicken

This is an unusual way to cook chicken with beer. The basic idea is to carefully balance the chicken on a 3/4 full can of beer using its legs as an additional support, coat it with a flavoured rub and roast it. The steam from the beer permeates the chicken to produce a succulent dish. I think my taco mix suits this admirably, though any flavoured rub would do.

Our American friends seem to barbecue chicken using this method, and though I'm sure it's worth trying, I can't believe that the upper part of the chicken would even get warm on our barbecue. And we have a BIG barbecue. I would welcome any feedback.

The process is made even easier and safer with one of these: Grillpro Stainless Steel Chicken Roaster.

Tex-Mex beercan chicken

Servings:	Serves 4
Calories per serving:	677
Ready in:	1 hour 40 minutes
Prep. time:	10 minutes
Cook time:	1 hour 30 minutes
Difficulty:
Recipe author:	Chef
First published:	28th July 2013

Best recipe review You MUST make this 5/5 This was one of the first 'variations' on beer can chicken that I ever made, and it's once of the best. Paul R Smith

Ingredients

Printable 🖨 shopping 🛒 list & 👩‍🍳 method for this recipe

• 1.5kg free range chicken
• 6 tablespoons taco mix, El Paso taco mix or a seasoning rub of your choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 440ml can of beer or lager
• 1 tangerine or orange (optional)

Mise en place

• Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F - Gas 6)

Method

1. Wash the outside of the beer can
2. Remove the parson's nose, any giblets, bags, tranklements etc. from the chicken
3. Cut off and discard the Parson's nose.
4. Rinse inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen towel
5. Rub 1 tablespoon of the taco mix into the cavity of the bird
6. Rub the outside of the chicken with the olive oil and coat with 3 tablespoons of taco mix
7. Seal the neck of the bird by folding over and skewering with skewers or cocktail sticks
8. Open the beer and toast the start of the proceedings with about a ¼ of the beer - you don't want a full can
9. Punch a few holes around the empty top-part of the can
10. Add the remaining rub to the beer tin
11. Sit the chicken on the beer can in a baking tray and balance it on its legs. A small chicken sits quite happily; a large chicken might be a bit trickier
12. Cut the top off the tangerine so the juice can run down while it cooks, affix with a cocktail stick into the top cavity (see photo) and add the cut slice as a hat!
13. Place the baking tray in the bottom of the oven
14. After 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 180° C ( 350° F - Gas 4)
15. The chicken should be cooked in about 1.5 hours [total cooking timw], depending upon the size of the bird. Check every 15 minutes towards the end. It is done when the juices run clear if the deepest part of the flesh (eg the thigh) is pierced with a metal skewer or sharp knife
16. Remove the chicken extremely carefully with oven gloves and tongs if needed.
17. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving

• 

  Oven-ready!

• 

  The basic ingredients

Serving suggestions

Using the Jamie Oliver carving method, serve with roast potatoes and garlic mayonnaise.

The remaining beer could be used to make gravy if needed.

Variations

Try this with a cock pheasant (hens are too small) and use cider or wine instead of beer. Wash out an empty 440 ml beer can and pour 330 ml of dry white wine or dry cider into it. For this, a herb and garlic rub is excellent - this can be made with the ingredients (minus the onion and pork) used in the Slow roast herby pork belly recipe.

We have also tried this with a small duck, but the cavity was too large for the beer can, but not big enough for two cans. Duckling might be worth a try if you can get it.

Chicken falls over?

My chicken has just fallen over, I may have to get one of these: (beer can) Chicken roaster

Large chickens seem to be ok - it's the smaller birds that have problems balancing on a beer can. 440ml is probably the biggest can you should use with all but the largest birds. The last few times I have made this, I have placed the chicken and can inside an oven proof saucepan, in the oven, so the chicken has a little more support if it tends to lean over. It also makes far less mess if it does fall over!

... or go for the real thing: Grillpro Stainless Steel Chicken Roaster!

See also

• Can-can chicken
• The best roast chicken, ever!
• Tex-Mex beercan chicken
• Chinese beer can chicken
• Christmas beer can turkey
• Roasting a chicken on a beer can (Modernist Cuisine)
• Grillpro Stainless Steel Chicken Roaster
• Old India Taco Seasoning - a great rub!
• A comprehensive guide to roast meat cooking times - give the time you want to carve your roast and we'll give you a timed step-by-step roasting guide

Randomly pick another recipe 🍴

Chose from these categories!Air fried recipesAccompanimentsBarbecue recipesBeef recipesBread and baking recipesBreakfast recipesCheese recipesChilli pepper recipesDips and saucesEgg recipesFavourite recipesFish recipesGarlic recipesGluten free recipesGrain and bean recipesHistoric recipesIndian recipesLamb recipesMain coursesMeat recipesOffal recipesPasta recipesPasta salad recipesPies tarts and flansPizza recipesPork recipesPotato recipesPoultry recipesPressure cooker recipesRice recipesSalad recipesShellfish recipesSlow cooker recipesSnacks and light bitesSous vide recipesSpicy recipesStartersStews and casserolesSweets and dessertsTapas, mezze and antipastiThai recipesUnusual recipesVeal recipesVegan recipesVegetable recipesVegetarian recipes

Discover Cookipedia's Culinary Creations on Pinterest

Explore the vibrant world of Cookipedia through our Pinterest page! We've curated a stunning collection of recipes that highlight the beauty of home-cooked dishes. It's the perfect way to visually navigate our extensive recipe library and get inspired by the flavours we’ve shared over the years. Dive in and discover your next favorite meal—one picture at a time!

#beer #chicken #texmexbeercanchicken #tacomix #oliveoil #wine #cider #cocktailstick #roastpotatoes #steam #orange