Beer Butt Chicken

Beer Butt Chicken is a Big Green Egg staple.  I love it for a few reasons.  The chicken turns out incredibly juicy, it's very difficult to screw up (although my wife claims to have caught an entire chicken on fire), and for $5 you have enough meat for 4-5 meals for cheap.

The reason it all turns out so well, is because chicken is steamed from the inside using a can of beer (or wine, or even sprite).  Tons of roasting stands are available, such as this one. Mine is a cheap metal stand that I picked up for $5.

First, pour half of your beer in a glass, and enjoy.  Keep the half of the beer that's still in the can, you'll need that later.

Next, rinse off your chicken, and clean out the inside.  Then, apply a light coating of olive oil or butter.  Finally, apply a generous amount of rub all around.  Literally everywhere.  Even under the skin and inside the bird.  For this chicken, I used Dizzy Pig's Swamp Venom.

 Ready for the grill

Now, grab the half of the beer left in the can from earlier.  If you've already drank that beer too, kudos.  You'll need to open another beer.  Insert the can into your roaster, and then up the chicken's backside.  Note- if you don't have a roaster, put the can directly into the chicken, and use the two legs to create a tripod.  It's slightly ghetto, and a bit tricky to balance, but works in a pinch.

Setup the BGE for direct grilling at 325-350 degrees.  To crispen the skin, put the chicken directly on the grill for around 20 minutes (or longer).  Next, place a drip pan underneath the chicken.  This will shield the chicken, and cook it indirectly for the rest of the time. 

The chicken is done when the internal temperature hits 180 degrees.  Let it rest/cool off for 15 minutes, and then cut.  I had no idea how to properly carve a chicken the first time I made a beer butt chicken.  Turns out, it's pretty easy. Check out this video for a quick tutorial:

Here's a shot of mine: