This smoked beer can chicken on a pellet grill combines the perfect smoky flavor from your wood pellet grill with the subtle infusion of your favorite beer, resulting in a juicy, tender chicken with crispy skin.
Perfect for any occasion, this beer butt chicken will quickly become one of your new favorite ways to make chicken.
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Why You'll Love It
- Easy recipe: Minimal prep time required.
- Low maintenance: Once prepped, let the pellet grill do the work. (Use any wood pellet grill, including a Traeger grill or Pit Boss pellet grill).
- Super flavorful: The beer steams the inside of the chicken, keeping it moist while the skin becomes perfectly crispy.
- Great leftovers: Use leftover chicken for sandwiches or smoked chicken noodle soup.
Smoked Beer Can Chicken Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Beer Can Chicken
- Beer: Use your favorite beer.
- Chicken: Use any whole chicken between 3-5 pounds.
- Olive oil or avocado oil.
Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken
- Brown sugar
- Garlic powder
- Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning
- Paprika (smoked paprika is best).
- Onion powder
- Chili powder
- Seasoning salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Smoked Beer Can Chicken
For more detailed instructions with measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Step 1: Prep. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F. While the smoker is heating up, remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Step 2: Oil. Brush olive oil all over the outside of the whole bird.
- Step 3: Season. Mix the ingredients for homemade rub in a small bowl with a whisk or spoon. Apply dry rub generously over the entire chicken, including under the skin of the breast, inside the chicken cavity, and in any crevices.
- Step 4: Position. Drink half of the beer (any kind of beer) or pour it into a glass for later. Place the can in a beer can chicken holder, on a roasting pan, or on a baking sheet. Place the chicken upright on the beer can.
Pro Tip: Use butcher twine to tie the legs together and tuck the tips of the chicken wings behind the shoulder joint to help keep them in place while cooking.
- Step 5: Smoke Chicken. Securely place the chicken on the grill with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and thickest part of the thigh. Close the lid and smoke for approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
- Step 6: Rest and Serve. Once fully cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the smoker (you may need two people). Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving and serving with your favorite side dishes.
Pro Tip: If the chicken isn't fully cooked after 3 hours, increase the temperature to 325°F and continue smoking until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
Top Tips
- Use a beer can chicken holder if you can - they support the chicken really well.
- Don't open the pellet smoker more than you have to.
- Brush on your favorite barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Use grill gloves when handling the scorching hot beer can.
Variations
- Make it Spicy: Add some chili powder or cayenne pepper to your spice rub.
- Sweeten it Up: Substitute the beer with root beer or Dr. Pepper for a sweeter flavor.
- Alcohol-Free Option: Use chicken broth or apple juice instead of beer.
- Herb-Infused: Add fresh rosemary or thyme to the beer can to infuse more flavor into the chicken.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this smoked beer can chicken with delicious sides like smoked baked beans, smoked cheesy potatoes, and Traeger smoked corn on the cob.
It also goes great with Miracle Whip coleslaw, Hawaiian macaroni salad, smoked baked potatoes, or oven-roasted potatoes.
Smoked Beer Can Chicken FAQs
Hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry, pecan, and Traeger's Signature Blend are great options. Experiment to find your favorite!
No, it is not necessary to brine the chicken before smoking.
Use long-handled tongs or a spatula to lift the chicken from the grill and place it on a large cutting board. After resting, remove the can from the cavity with tongs or heat-resistant gloves.
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
No, it doesn't matter. You can't taste the beer at all; it just steams inside the chicken, making the meat super moist. So skip the fancy beer and use something cheaper.
More Smoked Chicken Recipes To Try
- Pellet Grill Slow Smoked Whole Chicken
- Smoked Pineapple Stand Chicken
- Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
- Smoked Chili Lime Chicken Breasts
- Smoked Boneless Chicken Breast on Pellet Grill
- Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs on Pellet Grill
- Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs Bone-In
- Smoked Chicken Legs
Printable Recipe
Smoked Beer Can Chicken on Pellet Grill
Equipment
- Pellet grill
- Meat Thermometer
- Wood pellets
Ingredients
- 3-5 pound whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons dry chicken rub the recipe below makes 9 tablespoons, but save the extra rub the next time you make any kind of chicken.
- 6 ounces beer your favorite beer
Homemade Dry Chicken Rub
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your pellet grill to 250°F. While it heats up, prepare the chicken by removing the giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Oil: Brush olive oil all over the outside of the chicken.
- Season: Mix brown sugar, garlic powder, Roasted Garlic and Bell Pepper Seasoning, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Apply the dry rub generously over the entire chicken, including under the skin of the breast, inside the chicken cavity, and in any crevices.
- Position: Open a can of beer and pour out half (or drink it!). Place the can in a beer can chicken holder, on a roasting pan, or on a baking sheet. Lower the chicken onto the can so it stands upright. Just make sure you have some sort of pan underneath to catch the drippings. (Use butcher twine to tie the legs together and tuck the tips of the chicken wings behind the shoulder joint to help keep them in place while cooking.)
- Smoke: Securely place the chicken on the grill with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast and thigh. Close the lid and smoke for approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh. ( If the chicken isn't fully cooked after 3 hours, increase the temperature to 325°F and continue smoking until it reaches the desired internal temperature.)
- Rest and Serve: Once fully cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the smoker (you may need two people). Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.
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Notes
- Use a Beer Can Chicken Holder: These holders provide excellent support for the chicken.
- Avoid Opening the Smoker Frequently: Keeping the smoker closed helps maintain the heat.
- Add BBQ Sauce: Brush on your favorite barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking for an extra layer of flavor.
- Use Grill Gloves: Handling the scorching hot beer can requires caution, so grill gloves are essential.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ben says
Second time I am using this recipe. Have only owned my pellet smoker for a few weeks.
Probably going to increase the heat to 325 at the end to get a crispier skin.
The rub is really good. I made extra and keep it stored in a small mason jar.
Jeri Walker says
Hi Ben! I'm so glad you like the beer can chicken! Upping the heat for crispier skin is a great idea - and I'm thrilled you like the rub too! Enjoy cooking with your new pellet smoker! 🙂
Ben McPherson says
I brined the chicken for about two hours this time. I also purchased the traeger beer holder the first time.
I have noticed that the thigh, even though it is temping 180. Still doesn’t seem done close to the bone. Any suggestions?
The breast meat is cooked perfectly. Don’t want to dry it out by cooking longer.
Jeri Walker says
Great question, Ben. I would suggest maybe lowering the temperature to 225 degrees and cooking the chicken a bit longer. That will give the thigh meat more of a chance to cook without drying out the breast meat. Other suggestions I have would be to heat up the beer before pouring it into the beer holder, and you could also cover the breast meat loosely with aluminum foil to prevent it from over cooking. I hope these suggestions help! I have two smokers, a Pit Boss and a Traeger, and I notice that they both cook differently.