Can I make this chicken on any kind of pellet grill or smoker?

Yes! Follow the same instructions, keeping the temperature of your grill/smoker around a constant 275°F for the first hour and a half and 450°F for the last 15 minutes or so.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Check out our suggestions on how to use the leftovers above!

How long does it take to cook a beer can chicken on the Traeger?

Beer can chicken takes a little short of two hours on the Traeger. We cook ours at 275°F for an hour and a half, then crank it up to 450°F for the last fifteen minutes or so.

Easy Traeger Beer Can Chicken - The Hangry Economist

Name: Easy Traeger Beer Can Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: PT-1H29M26S
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon mustard powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds); 1 12-ounce can beer (pilsners and lagers work well)

Description

This Traeger beer can chicken is so easy and delicious. We use our own simple Kansas City-style dry rub and a lager to smoke this chicken to moist, flavorful perfection. It's the perfect rotisserie chicken substitute.

Ingredients

Scale

For the dry rub:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Everything else:

1 whole chicken (about 5 pounds)

Olive oil

1 12-ounce can beer (pilsners and lagers work well)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat your Traeger to 275°F.
Add the dry rub ingredients to a small bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.
Remove the giblets from your chicken. They're usually conveniently packaged in a bag in the cavity. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, then cover the outside and the center of the cavity with olive oil. Then cover it with the dry rub.
Empty (or drink) two-thirds of the beer, then place it directly on the grill grates of your Traeger. Place the chicken on top of it so that the beer can is inside the cavity of the chicken and it is sitting upright on the Traeger.
Smoke for 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken (we usually test a breast) is 150°F. Then turn the heat to high (450°F) and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 175°F.
Remove the chicken from the Traeger, discard the beer can, and allow to rest before cutting. Then serve!

Notes

Season your chicken with a generous amount of dry rub. If it feels like you're using too much, then it's probably the perfect amount.

Don't use a hoppy beer (such an an IPA)—it will make your chicken bitter. Use something mild, light, and neutral like a pilsner or lager.

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1.75 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Grill
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6th of chicken
Calories: 490
Sugar: 9.8 g
Sodium: 529.7 mg
Fat: 17.5 g
Carbohydrates: 11.2 g
Protein: 68.4 g
Cholesterol: 220.6 mg