Last month when I was shopping in the grocery store, I saw this crazy looking wire rack among the BBQ display and thought it would be a fun way to fix a roasted chicken. The accompanying directions said to use a can of beer or a can of soda pop inside the wire rack. Push the chicken down over the can and roast it in either the oven or the covered BBQ grill. The grill sounded like a nice idea but it is still a little cool here in Washington for outdoor BBQ-ing. So the oven was elected.
I wanted to use the beer can but not the beer as I planned to fill the empty can with white wine. Beer is not my thing and rather than dump it down the sink I had to coerce Don into drinking the entire beer. Imagine that!
The chicken was rinsed, inside and out and fresh thyme and rosemary was stuffed lightly inside the cavity. A lemon cut into quarters was fitted tightly into the neck cavity to seal up the opening and preventing the escape of those delicious vapors. After filling the can half-full with the wine I pushed the chicken down over the can, brushed olive oil on the surface, seasoned it with salt, pepper and sprinkled snipped fresh thyme and rosemary over it.
Finally, it was ready for the oven and looking at this bird standing straight up in the air like that it looked almost obscene. I have heard the term “naked as a jay bird” so I guess this is “naked as a chicken.” Definitely not your typical-looking roast chicken prep. After roasting in the oven for 1-1/2 hours it was moist and tender with flavors from the wine and herbs. There was just enough drippings in the dish and wine left in the can to be used for a wild rice pilaf.
Yes, this was a fun roasting.
Beer-Can Roasted Chicken with Wine, Lemon and Fresh Herbs
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 6
Moist and tender roasted chicken flavored with white wine, lemon and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 roasting chicken, 5 to 6 pounds
- 1-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
- 1 beer or soda can
- 1 stainless steel beer can roasting rack
- 2 cups white wine
- 1 lemon, cut into quarters
- 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Remove the chicken giblets and any globs of fat from around the cavity and discard them or reserve for another use. Rinse the chicken inside and outside, pat the outside with paper towels to dry it well. Sprinkle part of the salt inside of the main cavity and lightly stuff the thyme inside.
- Using a clean, empty beer can, pour enough wine into it to fill it one-half to two-thirds full. Insert the beer can into the roasting rack and ease the cavity opening of the chicken down over the can. Adjust the chicken so it is sitting on the can straight. Insert as many of the lemon quarters as necessary to plug the neck cavity. Brush the entire outside of the bird with oil.
- Sprinkle salt and snipped rosemary on the outside of the chicken. I just tipped and turned the rack and sprinkled it, being careful to not tip so much that the wine begins to pour from the can.
- Place the chicken and rack in a pie dish, add one and one-half cups of wine in the pie dish and set the pie dish on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 1-1/2 hours. Remove the baking sheet and chicken from the oven, tent it with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- After the chicken has rested and is cool enough to handle carefully twist the chicken to loosen it from the can and lift the chicken off of the rack and onto a serving platter. Carve, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Place the baking sheet with the chicken on the lowest rack of the oven. The top of the chicken will be near the upper heating coils and will brown first. When the chicken has roasted 45 minutes, carefully transfer the chicken from the oven and use foil to make a hat to cover the top part of the chicken as far down as the wings. Return the chicken to the oven to finish the roasting process.
Courses Main
Cuisine American
Cellars Wine Club says
It’s a great idea putting beer can, lemon, fresh herbs, and also wine on your roasted chicken. Your roasted chicken will be tasty as it was. Making a recipe like this will amaze your friends and visitors of what seasonings you put or add to make its taste really good.
Pat says
Thank you. 🙂
Donalyn@TheCreeksideCook says
I have done these on the grill with beer – this looks like a little more refined indoor version! I’m thinking this will be next on our roasted chicken agenda 🙂
Pat says
Hello, Donalyn, and I am so glad you stopped by our site. Yes, this is nice with the wine, maybe next time I will do the beer. 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
That’s a beautiful chicken. I must get one of those gadgets because I want a chicken that looks that good!
Pat says
Thank you, Maureen…it was an easy roasting.
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
I’ve been wanting to do this roasting method. It looks delicious!
Pat says
Thanks, Norma…it was delicious and really moist. I hope you try it out. 🙂
Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says
What a fabulous fun recipe! I’ve heard of beer can chicken but never tried it….didn’t know you had to have a special apparatus for it either! I’m not a beer fan either but wine? Oh ya, I like me some wine!
Pat says
Oh, yes! Thanks, Kathi, it was a fun one and it was nice and moist with subtle flavors of wine and herbs. I hope you try it.