Beer can chicken
A barbecued chicken grilled upright on a can of beer.
Beer can chicken, also called chicken on a throne, beer butt chicken, coq au can, or dancing chicken, is a barbecued chicken dish and method of indirect grilling. A partially-filled can of beer is placed in the chicken's cavity, and the bird is stood upright on the can and its legs, then slow-cooked over indirect heat, typically on a propane gas or charcoal grill. The dish possibly originated in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the process is meant to add moisture, though the science behind the cooking is debated.
Quick Facts
- Alternative names
- chicken on a throne
- beer butt chicken
- coq au can
- dancing chicken
- First documented appearance
- Houston Chronicle in 1993
- Popularized by
- Steven Raichlen
- Year popularization began
- 1996
- Possible region of origin
- Louisiana
Facts from the source article.
Overview
Beer can chicken is a barbecued chicken dish and method of indirect grilling where an open can of beer or other canned beverage is inserted into the chicken's cavity, holding the bird vertically while it cooks on a grill or in an oven. During cooking, the beer in the can might steam, potentially adding moisture in the cavity, and some theorize the beer vapor adds flavor. Because the chicken is upright, fat drains away and the skin cooks evenly. Prior to cooking, some of the beer is typically removed, leaving a partially-full can; some cooks use a full can.
A standard 12-ounce (355 ml) can or a larger tallboy can may be used. The chicken is sometimes coated with a spice rub or marinated. The efficacy of the beer steaming the chicken from inside has been questioned. Food writer Meathead Goldwyn argues the process may make the chicken drier, as beer does not boil until 212°F, and considers the practice dangerous and a waste of good beer.
History
Barbecue author Steven Raichlen helped popularize beer can chicken globally, promoting it since 1996 after first observing its preparation at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. He has suggested the dish likely originated in Louisiana, with recipes appearing around the same time in Mississippi, Texas, and Kansas. Barbecue judge Ardie Davis compared its emergence to the domestication of animals, saying it happened everywhere at once. The first documentation appeared in the Houston Chronicle in 1993, when Wayne Whitworth gave the recipe to George H. W. Bush after building a barbecue for the president; the pits were sent to Camp David at the beginning of Bush's term.
As fast food
In October 2014, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen offered a limited-time beer can chicken item that actually contained no beer. They took sliced chicken breast, soaked it in a spice blend meant to taste like beer can chicken, then breaded and fried it. That blend included butter, onion, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, and one secret ingredient they never named. Their chief marketing officer told reporters the company had spent years developing this Beer Can Chicken.
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