Beer Can Smoked Chicken

You need a smoker for this one. If you don't have one, you can try the oven-type of smoking chip sets, but I can't vouch for them. But I promise you this might be the best darn chicken you've ever tried! And it's a fun way to mix up our blends. We use two different blends for this recipe: Mexican in a Minute and Smokin' Chipotle.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 Tbsp Mexican in a Minute
1 1/2 Tbsp Smokin' Chipotle
1 roasting chicken
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 beer can or bottle (I prefer bottle)
1 bag Mesquite smoking chips, soaked per instruction
1 Internal cooking meat thermometer*

DIRECTIONS:

Get your grill/smoker ready. Make sure you have plenty of charcoal to keep the heat going for about 2 1/2 hours. I have to add charcoal every 35 minutes or so to mine, so keep an eye on the temperature of your smoker. You want it to be around 225-235 degrees.

Rinse and pat dry the bird. Make sure the cavity is clear of any gizzards that might have come inside the bird. Melt the butter and brush all over chicken. Loosen the skin around the breast part of the bird and pour the rest of the butter in between the breast meat and the skin. Mix both the seasoning blends together and sprinkle all over the chicken. Make sure to get plenty on the bird. Get under the drumstick and the wings too. Let it sit for about 15-20 minutes at room temperature.

Make sure your smoker is ready and it has an internal temperature around 225 degrees. Grab an empty beer bottle and stick it up inside the chicken. The drumsticks of the bird should be at the base of the bottle and will help balance it. Make sure you have the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken's breast. Place the chicken standing on the base of the bottle in your smoker, then sit back and get ready for some good eats. It will take about 2-2.5 hours to cook it. Once you start cooking the bird, DON'T OPEN THE LID! The smoker will lose all of it's heat and it will lengthen your cooking time considerably. Add smoke chips every 30 minutes or so. I just add directly to the coals and let them do their thing.

Remove from grill after the internal temperature of the chicken reached 165 degrees. Let it sit, covered in foil for about 10 minutes then enjoy. Juices will pour out the sides of the chicken as you cut it. I like to remove the skin from the breast, and rub it all over the bird so the seasonings on the outside mix all up on the tender meat. Truly amazing!

*When it comes to smoking meats, or making any type of roast, cooking temperature being held constant is the most important step you can take. I suggest buying a meat thermometer that is digital and has 2 parts: the thermometer and the digital time/display. They even make ones that have 2 thermometers on them - one is for the oven temperature and the other is for the internal temperature of the meat. This way you can see both critical temperatures at once and you don't have to open the lid to see what the temperature is reading on the chicken. They have an extension cord that allows you to have the timer/display outside of the oven/smoker. Another tool every kitchen must have!