This smoked beer can chicken is coated in an herb garlic butter rub and cooked low and slow in the Traeger for the perfect smoky flavor. We saved the drippings for a delicious smoky beer can chicken gravy. 

This is the perfect recipe for the Traeger or any outdoor grill! The chicken comes out super juicy and full of flavor, and the sauce is flavored with smoky chicken drippings, beer, and garlic butter. Serve it with fried potatoes and Brussels with carrots.

Smoking a beer can chicken on a pellet grill takes a roasted chicken to a whole new level of deliciousness. It takes longer than our smoked sea bass, but it is worth the wait. 

Here is Why This Recipe Works

• Smoking a beer can chicken adds extra flavor to the meat and the sauce or gravy. 
  
• Keeping the temperature at 225°F cooks the chicken slowly and allows it to infuse with more smoke flavor. 
  
• Increasing the temperature during the last 30 to 40 minutes lets the skin get crispy. 
  
• The garlic herb butter drips down the chicken and bastes it while it cooks. 
  
• Beer (or wine) inside the can gets hot, lets off steam, infuses the chicken with more flavor, and keeps the meat juicy. 
  
• Garlic butter and drippings from the chicken fall into the baking dish and combine with the beer to make a delicious sauce or gravy. 

If you like this recipe, try our roasted turkey breast or baked chicken quarters. 

Here is What you Need

Here is a list of the ingredients and supplies you will need for smoking a beer can chicken. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details. 

You will need an outdoor grill with a smoker. We used a Traeger pellet grill, but you can use a grill with an offset smoker as we did in our smoked prime rib. 

If you don’t have a pellet grill or an offset smoker, you can place a smoke tube on your grill. 

It is also helpful (but not necessary) if you have a beer can chicken rack. 

Ingredients for the Traeger beer can chicken:

• Whole chicken. Get a chicken that weighs about 4 pounds. This recipe will work with a bigger chicken if your pellet grill is large enough.  
  
• A full beer can. You can also use a wine can. 
  
• Fresh lemon or lime. The fresh citrus compliments the beer or wine and adds excellent flavor to the sauce. 
  
• A few sprigs of fresh herbs. We used sage, rosemary, and thyme. 
  
• A beer can roasting rack. You can smoke the chicken without the rack but the rack makes it much easier and prevents the chicken from falling over. 
  
• Garlic and herb butter. We combined fresh garlic, herbs, butter, and olive oil to rub all over the chicken. The olive oil makes the butter easier to spread. 
  
• Flour and butter. Mash up some flour and butter into a thick paste. The paste is called a Beurre Manie, which we use to thicken the sauce. 

How to Make a Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with this pellet grill recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Tips for Success

• If you want a smokier taste, try using a smoke tube or turning on the Super Smoke function if you have it. 
• Increasing the heat near the end of cooking time will result in darker, crispier skin.
• If you have a large enough pellet grill, you can cook a larger chicken. Depending on the size of the chicken, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 157°F.
• Because a beer bottle is taller and prevents more steam from entering the chicken, it isn’t as effective as a beer can. 
• If you don’t have a beer can roasting rack, use the legs of the chicken to prop the bird in a tri-pod fashion over the beer can. 
• The smoke and temperature is easy to regulate on a pellet grill, but you can also smoke a beer can chicken on a grill with a side smoker or in a regular grill if you use a smoke tube. Try to keep the heat of your grill around 225°F. 
• If you don’t have fresh herbs, make the garlic butter sauce with dried herbs but use half the amount.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Smoking a beer can chicken is a great way to get evenly cooked, moist, and flavorful chicken every time. Using a Traeger or any pellet grill makes it easy to maintain the temperature and smoke.

The chicken comes out super juicy and full of flavor and the gravy is flavored with smoky chicken drippings, beer, and garlic butter. It’s the perfect finishing touch to this already amazing dish!

Helpful Tools

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• A beer can chicken rack
• Pie dish or disposable aluminum pan
• A smoking tube if you don’t have a pellet grill or an offset smoker
• A pellet grill for the easiest way to smoke a beer can chicken

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Anyone that loves dark meat may also enjoy our BBQ baked chicken legs and crockpot chicken thighs.

Our turkey and beer chili or beer-simmered bratwurst are great recipes to make if you want other ways to use leftover beer.

If you want even more chicken recipe ideas, try our cast iron roast chicken or whole roasted chicken and vegetables.

Serve this smokey bean dip and pretzel bites on the side or as an appetizer while the Traeger beer can chicken cooks.

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