Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons sweet paprika, or mild smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2tablespoons dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon crumbled dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chile de arbol or red-pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 whole chicken, approximately 4 to 5 pounds
- 1 12-ounce can of beer
- White BBQ Sauce (recipe follows) or your favorite barbecue sauce
Instructions
Prepare your grill (either gas or charcoal) for indirect cooking, leaving approximately half the grilling area free of coals. If using a gas grill, turn burners to high and then, when ready to cook, turn off the burner on the side where you will place the chicken.
Remove neck and giblets from the cavity and pat the chicken dry.
Combine all the spices in a large bowl then apply a good layer of the dry rub to the chicken, inside and out. Save any extra rub in an airtight container for future use.
Pour out or consume half of the beer, then put the can on a solid surface. Pick up the chicken and, taking a leg in each hand, put the cavity over the can and slide the bird down onto it. For a few bucks you can purchase a rack that holds the can in place, and makes it a bit sturdier on the grill. Place a disposable baking pan on the cool side of the grill and fill it with ½ inch of water. Carefully transfer the bird and the can to the pan, its back to the fire, balancing the chicken upright and using the legs as support.
Cover the grill and cook for approximately 1¼ hours, rotating the bird a few times, until the breast and thigh meat registers 165° on an instant-read thermometer or until the legs are pretty loose in their sockets. Feel free to tent the bird with foil after 45 minutes to keep the skin from getting too dark. Carefully remove the chicken from the beer can onto a cutting board. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving. Serve with any pan drippings and your favorite barbecue sauce.
