Oven Roasted Beer Can Chicken

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Oven Roasted Beer Can Chicken with Buffalo sauce is one of the Easiest Baked Chicken Recipes around. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, place over a beer can and bake in a hot oven until cooked through. Add some Buffalo sauce for the last 5 minutes of the cook for the most delicious, tender and flavorful chicken.

Oven Roasted Beer Can Chicken Recipe

This best beer can chicken recipe is made using only 3 ingredients and a little salt and pepper for seasoning.

Vertically baking chicken in this way will result in a very crisp skin all over the chicken, which tastes absolutely delicious!

I don’t drink beer, so I don’t want to buy beer just to make this Chicken Recipe. Instead, I substitute soda for the beer. I prefer Lemon Lime Soda (Sprite or 7-Up). Essentially, the drink just helps keep the inside of the bird moist, to provide a better flavor when baked.

It’s worth noting that you can’t actually taste the beer in beer can chicken, so you also won’t taste a strong flavor of sugary soda if you choose to convert this recipe into a soda can chicken.

I’ve made my beer can chicken without the stand, but have included instructions on how you can use a stand later in the post and also in the recipe card notes below.

Recipe ingredients

• CHICKEN: I bought a Cornish Hen but you can use any variety of chicken.
• SEASONING: I seasoned the hen with sea salt and black pepper.
• BEER: You can use any variety bear, I opted for a Skinny Can Beer which fits inside the chicken better, such as Michelob Ultra.
• SAUCE: I coated the hens with Buffalo Sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

How to make Beer Can Chicken

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rub the hen with salt & pepper.
• Drink/pour half of the can of beer and place the can onto a baking sheet. You want the can to be half way full, as a full can will boil over when baking.
• Place your hen on the half full can of beer.
• Place your hen into the hot oven and bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes, until the hen reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

• Remove from oven and spread buffalo sauce over the hen.
• Then place the baking sheet back into the hot oven for a further 5 minutes.
• Remove the tray from the oven, remove the hen from the beer cans and set onto a wooden board.
• Rest the hen for at least 10 minutes, before slicing and serving.

How to use a Wire Chicken Roaster to make Beer Can Chicken

If you have a Chrome Wire Chicken Roaster I recommend using one. It’s a fairly new purchase for me, so it’s not pictured above. However, I realize it can make a real difference, so if you have one use it, if not a beer can set on a baking sheet will work just fine.

Place the Wire Roaster onto a tray with a half can of beer inside. Then place the chicken over the roaster and the can. The roaster helps air circulate so the liquid can steam into the bird, ensuring it gets completely cooked on the inside.

Flavor variations

• Season the bird with any dried herbs and spices, like oregano, Italian seasoning, ground chili, smoked paprika, garlic or onion powder.
• Use a beer can chicken rub. Any dry rub spice blend, like Cajun seasoning, will work on the chicken. Just add the rub of your choice over the hen when salting and peppering the hen before baking.
• Substitute the beer can for your favorite can of soda.
• I’ve opted for Buffalo Sauce flavor the hen, but feel free to use your favorite sauce with chicken.

Serving suggestion

When it comes to serving this chicken I like to serve a potato side, along with another couple of vegetable sides or salads. When it comes to potatoes my Loaded Smashed Potatoes, or Loaded Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes work a treat. I also love these delicious crockpot cheesy tater tots! This easy side dish or appetizer is full of bacon and cheesy goodness and the entire family is going to enjoy it.

For vegetable sides try my Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Carrots or my Loaded Cream Cheese Corn. For salads try my Apple Pear Spring Salad, or my Lemon Basil Orzo Pasta Salad.

Recipe hints & tips

• Place the can on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. It will catch all the drippings from the hen. making cleaning up a whole lot easier!
• A meat probe thermometer is a great investment and the best way to test the internal temperatures of cooked chicken, or indeed any meat or seafood based dish.
• Cooking the chicken vertically takes up a lot less space in the oven, so I often bake 2 chickens at the same time. One to enjoy now and once to slice and freeze for a quick and easy dinner another night.
• Always allow at least 10 minutes resting time before you slice and serve chicken. Resting allows the juices to be absorbed back into the meat.

FAQs

Don’t miss these additional delicious Chicken Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Instant Pot Chicken Wings
• Green Chile Chicken
• Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken Skillet
• Chicken Parmesan
• Mediterranean Chicken Skillet
• Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Bake
• Skillet Honey Chicken