Best Wine Can Chicken Recipes

WINE-STEAMED BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove giblets from chicken; discard.
• Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry.
• Cut off and discard excess skin and fat around body cavity.
• In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper.
• With your fingers, gently loosen skin over breast, being careful not to tear skin.
• Gently rub thyme mixture evenly over breast meat beneath skin.
• Prepare barbecue grill and preheat for indirect-heat cooking.
• Rinse can (12-ounce soda or beer can) and shake dry.
• Pour wine into can, then carefully lower chicken over can until can is inside body cavity; Gently pull legs forward so chicken stands upright on can.
• Carefully set chicken and can, in this upright position, on center of grill (not over direct heat); cover charcoal grill and open vents; close lid on gas grill.
• Cook until and instant-read meat thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 160*, about 1 hour.
• Using oven mitts, carefully remove chicken with can from grill, keeping it upright.
• Let chicken stand on can for 15 minutes, then, holding a towel around the can to steady it and protect your hands, with a large carving fork, carefully remove chicken from can to a carving platter or carving board.
• Carve chicken and serve, adding salt and pepper to taste.

WINE CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Take the chicken and wine out of the fridge and allow to come room temperature, 15 to 30 minutes.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat: 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 (2 if you have a grill with 4 or more burners). For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. The grill should be around 400 degrees F so adjust the burners or air-flow vents as necessary to maintain that temperature. (Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for the best results.)
• Combine the olive oil, oregano, rosemary leaves, thyme leaves, garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a food processor and purée into a paste.
• Open the wine and pour off 1/3 cup for another use. Tuck the rosemary and thyme sprigs into the can. Rub the chicken all over, including the cavity, with the garlic-herb paste. Place the wine can on a baking sheet. Place the cavity of the chicken onto the wine can so the can is holding up the chicken and its legs act as a stabilizer. Carefully transfer the chicken and can onto the indirect side of the grill. Close the lid and grill until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the chicken and can from the grill and gently pull the chicken off the can. Tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Pour the remaining wine (about 1 cup) into a small saucepan. Add the peppercorns and set on the direct heat side of the grill. Bring to a boil and reduce by half, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese until smooth.
• Serve the chicken with the sauce.

WINE-STEAMED BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Remove giblets from chicken; discard.
• 2. Rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry.
• 3. Cut off and discard excess skin and fat around body cavity.
• 4. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper.
• 5. With your fingers, gently loosen skin over breast, being careful not to tear skin.
• 6. Gently rub thyme mixture evenly over breast meat beneath skin.
• 7. Prepare barbecue grill and preheat for indirect-heat cooking.
• 8. Rinse can (12-ounce soda or beer can) and shake dry.
• 9. Pour wine into can, then carefully lower chicken over can until can is inside body cavity; Gently pull legs forward so chicken stands upright on can.
• 10. Carefully set chicken and can, in this upright position, on center of grill (not over direct heat); cover charcoal grill and open vents; close lid on gas grill.
• 11. Cook until and instant-read meat thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 160*, about 1 hour.
• 12. Using oven mitts, carefully remove chicken with can from grill, keeping it upright.
• 13. Let chicken stand on can for 15 minutes, then, holding a towel around the can to steady it and protect your hands, with a large carving fork, carefully remove chicken from can to a carving platter or carving board.
• 14. Carve chicken and serve, adding salt and pepper to taste.

HERB AND WHITE WINE BEER CAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of rub for wine mixture. Remove giblets and the neck from chicken. Apply rub all over, including cavity of bird. Pour wine into can and add reserved rub. Preheat grill. Place bird on grill balanced by the can. Grill over indirect medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until internal temperature of thigh is 170 degrees F. Remove chicken when finished cooking and let sit (with can still intact), for 10 minutes before carving.