Smoky-Sweet Beer Can Chicken with Grilled Veggies
If you’ve never made a beer can chicken, don’t be daunted – it’s an easy, tasty and fun way to roast a chicken. We’ve added a maple-chile rub, plus a pile of summery grilled zucchini. Use any leftovers to make chicken and zucchini soft tacos.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp maple sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp chile powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 1/2-lb whole chicken
- 1 12-oz can organic beer
- 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 3 small golden zucchini or crookneck squash, halved lengthwise
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Preparation
- In a small bowl, combine maple sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chile powder and salt. Set aside 1 tbsp of spice mixture. Place chicken on a work surface, gently slip fingers under skin and work in remaining spice mixture over meat. Pour 3/4 cup beer into an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Place can with remaining beer upright in pan. Slide chicken upright over can, with legs and can forming a tripod to balance chicken. Tuck in wings.
- Prepare a grill for indirect medium heat (to maintain a temperature of about 350°F). Place a double layer of foil, about 12 inches square, over the cooler part of the grate. Place pan with chicken on foil, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Baste chicken with pan juices. Continue to cook, brushing with pan juices every 15 or 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 165°F, about 1 hour total cooking time. (Cover chicken loosely with foil if skin starts to get too brown.) Remove chicken from grill and set aside to rest 10 minutes.
- While chicken is resting, increase heat to medium-high. Sprinkle both sides of zucchini with reserved spice mixture and grill until tender and lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer zucchini to plates or a platter and sprinkle with scallions.
- Carefully carve chicken while it’s still on the can. Remove skin and serve, with zucchini and pan juices alongside.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 6 oz chicken, 1.5 zucchini, 1.5 T sauce
- Calories 314
- Carbohydrate Content 15 g
- Cholesterol Content 115 mg
- Fat Content 10 g
- Fiber Content 4 g
- Protein Content 40 g
- Saturated Fat Content 3 g
- Sodium Content 388 mg
- Sugar Content 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 3 g