Beer-brine chicken grilled on a beer can

Votes: 2

Time: 4 hours.
Complexity: average
Servings: 4

This interesting method of roasting chicken allows you to hold the chicken upright, ensuring even cooking on all sides and a beautifully browned skin. The chicken is skewered on an aluminum beer can and grilled over indirect heat. This is only a way to keep the chicken upright, as the beer in the can is unlikely to steam the meat and impart its flavor. The chicken truly tastes best after it's marinated in a beer brine with salt, brown sugar, orange juice, and cardamom. This brine makes the chicken very juicy and imparts a pleasant malty flavor and aroma.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Brine

1 can of 0.33 l beer (preferably lager or pale ale)
0.5 cup brown sugar
0.5 cup coarse salt
2 wide strips of orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 cardamom pods

Chicken

1 roasting chicken weighing 1.8-2.2 kg, gutted
1 tbsp. l. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp. l. brown sugar
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 can of 0.33 l beer (preferably lager or pale ale), room temperature

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: light beer, brown sugar, Oranges, cardamom, chicken, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Prepare the brine: In a bowl, combine beer, brown sugar, salt, orange zest, orange juice, and cardamom pods; stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
Place the chicken in a 4-quart zip-lock plastic bag with the brine; seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the grill: For a charcoal grill: Place 3-4 pounds (1.3-1.8 kg) of charcoal briquettes in the grill, light, and let the coals burn down. For a gas grill: Preheat to high heat.
Prepare the chicken: Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry; set aside the orange zest and cardamom. Rub the entire surface of the chicken with olive oil. Lift the skin on the breast and legs with your fingers and rub 1 clove of garlic under the skin and on the surface. Mix brown sugar, coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice, 1.5 teaspoons of salt and a pinch of pepper; rub the mixture all over the chicken, under the skin, and inside the carcass.
Pour half of the remaining can of beer into a 20cm (8-inch) disposable tray. Add the orange zest. Using a knife, poke 3-4 holes in the top half of the beer can. Add the remaining 3 crushed garlic cloves and the reserved cardamom.
If you are cooking on a charcoal grill, stack the coals in two piles on either side of the grill, place a tray of beer between them, and place the grate on top.
If you are cooking on a gas grill, reduce heat to medium on one side and turn off the burners on the other; place a drip tray under the grate on the cool side.
Thread the chicken onto a beer can, inserting the can into the cavity so that 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the can is visible from the bottom. Place the can on the grill grates over a drip tray, supporting the chicken on the can and legs like a tripod. Cover the grill and cook until the chicken is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C). If using charcoal, this will take about 1 hour 20 minutes; add a handful of briquettes to each pile of coals every 30 minutes to maintain heat. On a gas grill, this will take about 1 hour 5 minutes; carefully flip the chicken halfway through.
Remove the chicken from the grill, discard the can, and place the chicken on a cutting board. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.