Traeger Beer Can Chicken gives you tender, juicy meat with crispy skin every time. The key is cooking it hot and fast while the beer steams the inside and the grill roasts the outside. The can props the bird upright, and gravity helps keep those juices where you want them…inside the chicken, not all over your cutting board.
Traeger Beer Can Chicken
Summertime, the best time of the year! You can cook outside, eat outside, just BE outside.
Grilling and BBQs are the things I look forward to the most every year, and this popular Beer Can Chicken method is one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken.
It takes about and hour to an hour and a half to cook over indirect heat.
This chicken is golden and crispy and carves up juicy and delicious and goes with any occasion or event. Having a large group for dinner? Prepare 2 or more on your grill!
It’s even great cold, so pack up that picnic basket and head for the park or the lake.
Why You'll Love This Dish
- No Special Equipment – Just a can and a chicken.
- Juicy Every Time – Beer steams from the inside while the outside roasts.
- One-Step Prep – Season, stuff the can, and cook.
- Great For Groups – One bird feeds the family or a few hungry friends.
- Easy Clean-Up – No pans, no racks, no mess.
More Easy Traeger Recipes here!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Whole Chicken – Look for a plump bird with intact skin. No rinsing needed.
- Dry Chicken Rub – If you don't have our Chicken Rub yet, your favorite will work!
- Beer – Any standard 12-ounce can will work. Light beers like lagers or pilsners are ideal. Don’t overthink it.
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat The Grill – Start your Traeger on the “smoke” setting with the lid open for 4–5 minutes. Then set it to high and close the lid. Preheat until it reaches 450 degrees, about 10–15 minutes.
- Prep The Chicken – Pour out (or drink) half the can of beer. Season the chicken liberally with dry rub, inside and out.
- Mount The Can – Insert the half-full beer can into the cavity of the chicken. Use the chicken legs to balance the bird upright like a tripod.
- Grill It – Place the chicken directly on the grill, standing up. Cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Rest And Serve – Carefully remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve hot.
Make Roasted Chicken Stock!
Recipe FAQ
It used to be a common practice to rinse your fowl before cooking. Now, this subject has taken on a different view. Cooking your chicken to the proper internal temperature will kill any bacteria that may be present.
There is no need to rinse and risk spreading and contaminating your whole kitchen with the splashing that happens, the exposure to everything in the area of washing, and not to mention your hands. You're doing way more harm than good, in most cases.
Everyone has their own opinion, so you do what you feel you must, but also know if you are rinsing your chicken you're wrong.
If you choose to rinse despite all evidence and advice to the contrary, be sure to thoroughly clean the whole area with a disinfectant and to wash any utensils used and your hands before proceeding with the preparation of other foods.
The key here is being careful, and making sure to use a good meat thermometer to ensure the meat reaches the proper internal temperature before serving.
The recommended internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees. Insert your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh but not touching the bone.
So do your research, and choose your preference is what I suggest.
Pat dry your whole chicken, being sure to remove the neck and packet of giblets from the cavity and discard. Rub chicken with oil and grab your favorite dry rub and salt and pepper and apply inside and out.
Grab a can of beer (your choice) and drink or pour out around ½ of the beer. If you are using a drip pan, however, you can pour the other ½ a can of beer right in the bottom.
Place your chicken, legs down, onto the can of beer.
Side note: Some like to stuff a bunch of fresh herbs into the can of beer and also into the top of the cavity. I like to use fresh thyme or rosemary, but you could use whatever you prefer. I love cooking with fresh herbs whenever possible because they add to the flavor.
This is a well debated subject, and really depends on your preference. True, the chicken may remain more stable when using the beer can chicken stand, but if you don’t have one and would prefer not to buy one, you can make it work without.
Now that we’ve covered the do’s and don’ts and what if’s of cooking chicken, let’s get on with the fun part.
More Easy Traeger Chicken Recipes here!
Serve This With
All of the following side dish recipes are available for you right here on my site!
- Easy Broccoli Salad Recipe (this is a GREAT option for a BBQ or picnic, whipped up the night before and left to marinade in the refrigerator, easy and quick)
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad (great for a crowd)
- Traeger Grilled Prosciutto Asparagus
- Traeger Grilled Smashed Potatoes
- Grilled Corn On The Cob
- Coleslaw Recipe
Beer Can Chicken
This simple beer can chicken is perfect for a backyard BBQ!
Ingredients
- 6 pound chicken
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 tablespoons OWYD Roasted Chicken Rub
- 1/2 can of beer
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a sheet pan.
- Melt butter and garlic paste together...using an injection syringe inject the chicken with the garlic butter mixture. After that I use either what's left of the garlic butter or just some softened regular butter and rub it all over the chicken. Try to get under the chicken skin with the butter where you can.
- Season chicken with your chicken seasoning all over, on both sides, and under the skin.
- Open a can of beer and pour about 1/2 a cup into a glass.
- Pour about a teaspoon of dry rub into the beer. Hold the chicken above the can of beer and slide the chicken over the can. Place on a cookie sheet.
- Set your smoker to 350°F and preheat, lid closed, for about ten minutes.
- Place the chicken in the smoker and cook for about 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165° in the thickest part of the breast.
- Remove from the grill and let rest for about ten minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 901Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 21gUnsaturated Fat: 36gCholesterol: 351mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 82g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Jan
Saturday 6th of November 2021
So we just got our first Pellet grill and this is the second recipe we tried. It was perfect! I made my own rub and we used German wheat beer. Can’t say we tasted the beer but it was the most moist and tender whole chicken we’ve ever had. Thanks for a great recipe! Temperature was just right. It was done in an hour and 10 min. This one’s a keeper!
Dakota Avery
Sunday 1st of August 2021
Hey!!! This was amazing!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing!! We did 2 birds at once, and they were just divine!!!! I love all your other side suggestions to go with it too!!! Keep it up, and thank you again!!!
Nicole Johnson
Sunday 1st of August 2021
I'm so glad to hear it, Dakota! We love this recipe. I'm glad you did too. Enjoy!
Pamela Beaverson
Friday 2nd of July 2021
I bought the smallest chicken I could find, but still had trouble cramming it in my Traeger Junior and closing the lid. I crumpled the can in the process of cramming and had to lean it back to get it in there. That said, it was still the most delicious chicken I have ever made. If I can find one, next time maybe a 3.5 lb chicken will fit.
Nicole Johnson
Friday 2nd of July 2021
Oooohhhh yeah. I think that would be a struggle with a JR! Those are pretty short. Maybe you can try a chicken throne and some cornish game hens?
Susie
Tuesday 25th of May 2021
Ok now, let me interject a little 80 year old wisdom. First of all, when using a recipe which I do most of the time, you need to use common sense. Make it your own. If something doesn’t sound good, don’t use it. Keep an eye on your food cooking. I cut the top out of my beer can and stuffed it with herbs. Used almost all the beer so might have a problem. My bad tho. If it looks not right, I will make it right. Love my Treager and thanks for the recipes. P.s. pour another glass of wine and it will look just fine!
Greg McDaniel
Saturday 6th of March 2021
450 is WAY too hot for beer can chicken, keep it around 250
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 6th of March 2021
Well, IDK, but myself and at least 131 people who have made, loved, and reviewed this recipe disagree! ;) That's the good thing about BBQ. There's a lot of right ways to do it, and everyone's definition of what is the best is different too.
Thanks for stopping by!