Best Root Beer Can Chicken Recipes

ROOT BEER-CAN CHICKEN RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium. Combine first 7 ingredients, Hungarian sweet paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper, chili powder, allspice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Open both root beer cans; pour 18 ounces into a small saucepan. Set remaining root beer aside (in the can). Bring 18 ounces root beer to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, butter, and vinegar, stirring until smooth. Rub paprika mixture evenly over chicken. Holding chicken upright with the cavity facing down, insert reserved opened root beer can into cavity. Place chicken on unheated side of grill. Spread legs out to form a tripod to support the chicken. Cover and grill for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into meaty portion of thigh registers 160°F, basting chicken every 20 minutes with sauce. Lift chicken slightly using tongs; place spatula under can. Carefully remove chicken and can from grill; place on a cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes. Gently lift chicken using tongs or insulated rubber gloves; carefully twist can and remove from cavity. Discard can. Carve chicken.

TANGY ROOT BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine 1 can of the root beer, the vinegar, molasses, mustard, soy sauce, ginger slices, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; adjust the heat and simmer until the mixture is syrupy and coats the back of a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the ginger and whisk in the lemon juice. Let cool to room temperature. (The glaze can be made a day ahead.)
• Preheat the grill. For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes turn off one of the middle burners and turn the remaining burners down to medium. For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter full of lit and ashed over charcoal brickets to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups.
• Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towels, then season inside and out with salt and pepper.
• Pour out about a 1/4 cup of the root beer from the second can. Place the large opening of the chicken right over the can (the can should be well inside the cavity of the bird), making sure that the legs are positioned straight out. Tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken. Carefully place the chicken over the indirect-heat spot on the grill, balancing it on its two legs and the root beer can like a tripod. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F., 45 to 50 minutes with the grill heat maintained at around 350 degrees F. Uncover the grill and brush the chicken all over with about one-third of the root beer glaze. Cover and continue to cook until the chicken is nicely browned and registers 170 degrees F. at the thickest part of the thigh, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Carefully remove the chicken from the grill with the can still inside. Let chicken rest for about 15 minutes. With the chicken still on the can, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down either side of the backbone and remove. Remove the chicken from the can and carve as desired. Serve with the remaining root beer glaze on the side.
• Oven method: Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Put the chicken-on-a-can on a baking sheet, balancing on its two legs and the can like a tripod, and transfer to the oven. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F. Roast until the chicken is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F., 45 to 50 minutes. Brush the chicken all over with about one-third of the root beer glaze. Continue to roast until the chicken is nicely browned and registers 170 degrees F. at the thickest part of the thigh, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Carefully remove the chicken from the oven with the can still inside. Let chicken rest for about 15 minutes. With the chicken still on the can, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut down either side of the backbone and remove. Remove the chicken from the can and carve as desired. Serve with the remaining root beer glaze on the side.

ROOT BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat grill over high heat until it reaches 325 degrees then turn down to medium-high to maintain temperature. Combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl then mix to combine.
• Pour out half the can of root beer then add 1 teaspoon rub mixture into the can while holding it over the sink as it will foam and over flow a bit. Place root beer can on a plate then set aside.
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels then rub all over with oil. Season the inside with a couplebig pinches of the rub then season the outside(may not needit all.)Place chicken over root beer can thentransfer tothe grill over indirect heat - meaning don't place the chicken directly over the flame.
• Put the lid down then grill for 45 minutes - 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer placed into the thickest part of the breastreads 160-165 degrees, keeping the temperature between 325 and 340 degreesduring cooking time (it doesn't have to be precise.) Do not lift the lidfor at least the first 40 minutes as the grillwill take a long time to heat back up.
• Use tongs to transfer the chicken and root beer can to a plate then let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Be very careful as the root beer can will be HOT!
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