Mouth Watering Drunken Chicken

It's that time of year when it is too hot to cook inside so you fire up the grill. With the heat index at 105 in Memphis we have been using the grill quite a bit. If you are running out of ideas, you should try this recipe; it's easy! The result of cooking your chicken with a can of beer inside is a moist, succulent, and very flavorful chicken. You can change the entire taste of your chicken by using different seasonings. I like to work a little extra seasoning just under the skin of the chicken.

1 can (12 ounces) beer
1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
2 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of your favorite seasoning concoction
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups wood chips or chunks (I prefer hickory.) soaked for 1 hour, then drained
1 heavy duty foil pan (You are going to throw this away.)

Open your beer and pour off 3/4 cup and pour it in your drip pan for added flavor. Then using the old fashioned can/bottle opener make 2 more holes in the top of the beer can.

Remove the packet of giblets, wash your chicken inside and out with cold water, pat the chicken dry, and cut the extra fat off the neck and cavity area. Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of the seasoning inside the body of the chicken including the neck area. Drizzle the oil all over the outside of the chicken and rub 1 tablespoon of the seasoning all over the outside skin. Pour the remaining 1 teaspoon of seasoning into the beer can (don't worry if the beer foams up).

Hold the bird upright, lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity. Pull the chicken legs forward to form a sort of tripod so the chicken will stand upright. The beer can is the third leg of the tripod. Tuck the wings behind the chicken's back

If you are using a charcoal grill, place a large foil pan (drip pan) in the center of your grill under the grate. Now is when you add the 3/4 cup beer you poured off and also add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Build your charcoal fire around the drip pan and add your wood chips on top once the coals are ready. Place your chicken in the center of the grill right over the drip pan. This is called indirect heat cooking. Close the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark, golden brown and crispy. You will cook the chicken for about 1-1/2 hours. You may need to add about 6 new coals on each side of the drip pan after 1 hour of cooking. If your chicken starts to get too brown, but it's not done, put a large piece of heavy duty foil over the top of the chicken, loosely. Be careful when you remove the chicken and beer can from the grill...the liquid will be super hot.

How do you know if the chicken is done? You could test the temperature at the thickest part of the thigh - 180 degrees = done! Personally, I wiggle the leg and if it is loose at the joint, it's done. Either way, BE CAREFUL to support the chicken when testing to see if it is completely cooked. That beer is hot!