Hairy Bikers beer can chicken is a whole 1.8kg bird rubbed with spiced paprika butter, roasted upright on a half-full beer can. It serves 4–6, takes about 1 hour 20 minutes plus resting, and the steam from the beer keeps every bit of meat juicy.
This comes from The Hairy Bikers’ Chicken & Egg (2016). Si and Dave call it “a great recipe for a barbecue party” and note cider works in place of beer. It’s just as good in the oven as on the coals.
The spice rub does the heavy lifting. Smoked paprika, mustard powder, cayenne, garlic, oregano and brown sugar are kneaded into softened butter, then rubbed over every bit of skin. That butter bastes from the outside while the beer steams from the inside.
Hairy Bikers Beer Can Chicken
Course: DinnerCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Medium4-6
servings15
minutes1
hour20
minutes670
kcal1
hour35
minutesA whole roast chicken from The Hairy Bikers’ Chicken & Egg (2016), cooked upright on a beer can so the steam rising from the liquid keeps the breast meat from drying out. The oven method starts at the highest setting for 15 minutes, then drops to 200°C. Rest for a full 20 minutes before carving.
Ingredients
1 x 1.8kg chicken, giblets removed
1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tbsp mustard powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp light soft brown sugar or honey
zest of 1 lemon
50g butter, softened
440ml can of beer
lemon wedges, to serve
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Prepare the rub: Preheat your oven to its highest setting, or prepare your barbecue. Season the inside of the chicken with salt. Mix together the paprika, mustard powder, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano, sugar or honey and lemon zest with plenty of black pepper and a teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and knead it all together, then rub over the chicken, making sure every bit of skin is covered.
- Set up the beer can: Pour out half the beer from the can. Sit the chicken over the can and place it on a roasting tin.
- Oven method: Cook for 15 minutes at the highest temperature, then turn the oven down to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6 and roast for a further 45–60 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through, then cover with foil and leave to rest for 20 minutes before serving.
- Barbecue method: Make sure the coals are very hot. Place the roasting tin on or just above the coals and put the lid on the barbecue. Roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, checking the coals regularly, until cooked through. Cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes.
- Serve: Carve and serve with lemon wedges. Si and Dave say the juice “really enhances the fantastic flavour of the chicken.”
Notes
- Calories (estimated): 1.8kg whole chicken, edible cooked portion ~945g at ~239 kcal/100g = ~2,259. Butter 50g (~358). Spice rub/sugar (~70). Beer absorbed (~40). Total: ~2,727 kcal. Per serving: ~450 kcal (serves 6) to ~680 kcal (serves 4). Lemon wedges excluded. No calories listed on the official site.
FAQs
How does the beer can keep the chicken moist?
The chicken sits upright on a half-full can of beer, which heats up during cooking. As the beer warms it releases steam inside the cavity, which bastes the breast meat from the inside out. This is the part that usually dries out in a standard roast.
The steam also helps the chicken cook more evenly, so the breast and thighs finish closer to the same time. Si and Dave note that cider works just as well if you don’t have beer.
Can I cook this in the oven instead of on a barbecue?
Yes, and Si and Dave give full instructions for both. The oven method starts at the highest setting for 15 minutes to crisp the skin, then drops to 200°C for another 45–60 minutes. The barbecue method takes about 1 hour 20 minutes with the lid on.
I’d recommend the oven for your first attempt, since the chicken is more stable on a flat baking tray than balanced on coals. Once you’re confident with the beer can setup, move it outside. Either way the spice rub and steam do the same job.
Why rub butter over the entire skin?
The spice rub is mixed into 50g of softened butter, which does two things at once. It sticks the spices to the skin so they don’t fall off during cooking, and the butter fat renders down to create a self-basting layer. Without the butter the dry spices would burn at high oven temperatures.
Si and Dave say to make sure “every bit of skin is covered,” and they mean it. Any bare patch will dry out and go pale while the buttered sections crisp up golden. I use my hands rather than a brush to get into the joints and under the legs.
How do I know when it’s cooked through?
Pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear with no pink, it’s done. A meat thermometer should read 75°C at the deepest point. If you see any pink in the juices, put it back for another 10 minutes.
The cooking time varies depending on your oven and the exact size of the bird. Si and Dave give a range of 45–60 minutes after the initial blast, so start checking at 45. The Hairy Bikers chicken and spinach curry uses thigh fillets that cook faster, but a whole bird needs patience.
Why rest for 20 minutes?
Si and Dave cover the chicken with foil and leave it for a full 20 minutes. During that time the muscle fibres relax and reabsorb their juices, so the meat stays moist when you carve instead of flooding the board.
Skipping the rest is the most common mistake with roast chicken. The meat looks done, the skin smells incredible and you want to eat it now. But carving too early gives you dry breast meat and a puddle of liquid on the chopping board that should have stayed in the chicken.
What should I serve with it?
Lemon wedges are Si and Dave’s only suggestion, and they keep it simple on purpose. This chicken is flavourful enough to eat with just a green salad and some bread. Corn on the cob, coleslaw and baked potatoes all work if you want a fuller spread.
For a barbecue party, make the Hairy Bikers sweetcorn fritters alongside. They’re vegetarian, cook in a frying pan while the chicken rests, and the lime dipping sauce cuts through the richness of the spiced butter.
