Beer Can Chicken

1 whole chicken
1 – 12 oz can of beer

Spice Rub:
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. kosher salt (or 2 t. table salt)
1 T. chili powder (optional)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder

Mix spice rub ingredients.
Rub chicken all over inside and out and under the skin as far as you can go without ripping the skin. Put chicken in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to roast, preheat oven to 350.
Open the beer and drink half of it. Sit the beer can in a baking dish, an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 work well, that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place the chicken over the beer can, pushing down so the legs reach the bottom of the pan, balancing the chicken upright. You can also use a special beer can chicken rack, which makes the chicken more stable. Carefully place on the bottom rack of the oven and roast for 1 ½ hours. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Be careful when removing the can from the chicken, the can and the liquids will be very hot. You might need a helper for this.

Note: If you don’t want to use beer, you can use another liquid. Apple juice, lemon lime soda or wine would work good, but the can is essential.

I’ve also added a little Liquid Smoke to the liquid. It gives it just a hint of smoky flavor.

To cook on the barbecue grill, prepare as above. Use the indirect heat method. It should take about the same amount of time as in the oven, depending on how hot your grill is.