This Traeger beer can chicken recipe is the best chicken ever. Beer brine the chicken, add a simple rub and let it sit on a beer in the wood pellet grill.
Yes hi hello – I’m about to make an extreme statement – this Traeger Beer Can Chicken is the best whole roasted chicken I’ve ever had. I’m not even kidding.
It’s also STUPID easy. It’s the perfect entertaining meal because you brine the chicken overnight, slather on a simple rub + some buttah and sick a whole can of beer on up in the cavity + set it and forget it on the Traeger for an hour and a half.
Truly, what more do you want in life?
On Instagram, you guys asked for more Traeger Grill (aka wood pellet grill/smoker) specific recipes…so ask & ye shall receive, my friends.
What kind of beer do you use?
For this recipe, I used Yuengling Lager, a lager style beer. I find that any light/milder tasting or buttery lager style works well. I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently sour and jalapeno beers are also delicious.
Honestly, the beer flavor isn’t overpowering, so experiment with what you have on hand.
Obviously, just make sure the beer is in a can.
Why brine the chicken?
I like to brine this chicken overnight. Why? It adds flavor and helps to tenderize the meat. This isn’t mandatory, but it sure is tasty.
What’s in the rub?
A rub is just seasoning that covers the meat. This really just enhances the flavor of the chicken, and I used pantry ingredients: paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
How do you make beer can chicken on a Traeger Wood Pellet Grill?
What’s great about the Traeger is that you can set the grill to 375F and forget it. This kind of slow roasts and slightly smokes the meat, giving it an unreal flavor profile.
Love chicken recipes? Check out my Traeger smoked chicken thighs or my whole roasted chicken!
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Traeger Beer Can Chicken
This Traeger beer can chicken recipe is the best chicken ever. Beer brine the chicken, add a simple rub and let it sit on a beer in the wood pellet grill.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes + overnight brine
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes + overnight brine
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Wood Pellet Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the brine:
- 12 oz. beer – I used Yuengling Lager
- 3 Tbsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 5 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. whole, black peppercorns
- 1 (4lb) whole chicken
- ice cold water
For the beer can chicken
- 4lb. beer brined chicken
- 3 Tbsp. softened butter
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne – optional
- 1 12oz. beer can – I used Yuengling Lager
Instructions
- Combine the beer, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and black peppercorns in a large Dutch oven or deep tub* and whisk them together.
- Place the chicken in the brine and add a few cups of ice. Fill the vessel with cold water until the chicken is completely covered, cover, and let the chicken sit in the fridge in the brine overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook, preheat the Traeger to 375F.
- While the wood pellet grill preheats, remove the chicken from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Let it come to room temperature while you whisk together the salt, paprika, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne. Rub the chicken all over with the softened butter and the spice rub, making sure to get under the skin.
- Open the beer you’re using and drink or set aside half of the beer.
- Take the beer and the chicken to the grill and push the beer into the cavity of the chicken.
- Sit the chicken upright on the grill, making a tripod with the legs and the beer. If you have a secondary rack on the grill, it’s helpful to lean the chicken against that. This may take some gentle finagling.
- Close the door to the grill and let this smoke for about 1.5 hours, or until the breast meat comes to 160F.
- Remove the chicken from the grill (it’s OK if the beer spills out a bit), and cover with foil.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have anything large enough to fit the chicken, clean out a cooler and use that. Make sure that there is always ice cold water covering the chicken. Also, make sure to sterilize the cooler when finished brining.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 6 oz.
- Calories: 346
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1822 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
Keywords: chicken, traeger, beer
thanks for making this simple and understandable. honestly, i have never thought it possible to brine a chicken overnight, but with this article, i am enlightened . thank you
So glad you liked it!
good quality article. helpful for food lover.
thank you!
I can’t wait to try this!! I’m going to adapt the recipe. Thanks for the inspiration!!