Gluten-Free Beer Can Chicken

Grilling Chicken Whole

Have you noticed that it is grilling time? Wait. Is it ever not grilling time?

Definitely grilling time.

There are plenty of things you can grill on the grill, and chicken should be one of them.

But chicken is tricky. Too hot and you burn the skin. Or the outside is just right, but the middle is still raw.

Grill chicken too cool and it ends up juiceless and tough. 

So how do you get it just right?

Here is one way. 

One whole chicken. One half can of gluten-free beer. Some Beer Can Chicken Rub. One and half hours of indirect grilling time.

Magic!

All you need is the right ingredients, both food and method, and you will have magical gluten-free grilled chicken on your plates!

Beer Can Rub - Naturally Gluten-Free

2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Open one gluten-free beer. Sample to ensure goodness. Set aside.

Rub the entire chicken down, inside and out, with olive oil. Then rub a generous amount of the Beer Can Rub into the chicken, inside and out.

Fill an empty soda or beer can half full with gluten-free beer. My gluten-free beer is homebrewed by a friend of mine. He bottles it, so I had to transfer some from the bottle to a can. If you don't have a gluten-free homebrewing friend, you can now get Omission gluten-free beer virtually all over the country.

Oh darn. There was more in the bottle than I needed in the can. I couldn't possibly let the rest go to waste. Do like I did and enjoy the remaining gluten-free beer while you prep the chicken. It makes this process oh so much more enjoyable!

If you are well into enjoying your gluten-free beer as you read this, let me remind you not to put that glass bottle on your grill! Cans only on the grill, please. You'll thank me tomorrow.

With your soda/beer can half full of gluten-free beer, add about a teaspoon of the Beer Can Rub to the can. Swish it around a bit.

Insert the can into the bottom of the chicken, without spilling any spiced, gluten-free beer! Carefully prop the chicken + can combo on top of your grill so that it gets only indirect heat.

Here, I think our chicken was trying to dance. We had to tango with it a bit to get it to sit nicely and not tip over. Left leg, out. Left wing, up. That's it. Now the right side. Right leg, out....

Now, carefully close the lid of your grill, making sure the lid doesn't touch or knock over the chicken. Enjoy another gluten-free beer or two. After an hour to an hour and a half, you should have one happy, grilled chicken! Internal temperature should be 165º.

Pull the chicken off the grill, being careful to not spill any remaining hot beer still in the can. Let the chicken rest for ten minutes before carving.

Enjoy!

This is the juiciest, tastiest, yummiest grilled chicken I have ever had! The meat is juicy and tender. And no matter what sort of diet you might be on, you will want to eat the skin off this chicken! 

And it is gluten-free! Gluten-free beer is the magic that makes this chicken magically gluten-free. 

Now it's your turn to make some magic. Abracadabra alakazam!