Basting is a great way to insure a juicy chicken, but every time you open the oven you let precious heat escape. A better method is to baste the chicken from the inside out. There’s no delicate way to explain this process. Take a can of beer, be sure to pop the top and then push the can into the cavity of the chicken so that the bird is perched upright with the can of beer in its “tush”. The beer infuses the cavity with constant moisture and the metal can helps conduct the heat consistently from the inside out. The result is an incredibly moist chicken that roasts very quickly. If your chicken is on the wagon, try filling the can with chicken stock, herbs and freshly squeezed lemon.
Simple Beer Basted Chicken
Servings
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 3 ½ – to – 4 – pound chicken, patted dry
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves or 1/3 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 OPEN can of beer
- 2 bay leaves and fresh herbs optional
- 1 large onion quartered
- 6 cloves garlic unpeeled, optional
- 1 to 2 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry, inside and out and remove any packaging hidden in the cavity. If time allows, place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate and let it hang out in the fridge for an hour. When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and lower your oven rack to its lowest position. Take the chicken out of the fridge.
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl; this helps prevent cross contaminating your seasonings while working with the chicken. Take a pinch of seasoning and rub it inside the cavity. Drizzle the oil over the entire bird and then sprinkle the outside with the seasonings. Pop the top of the beer can, (toss in some fresh herbs or bay leaves for added flavor) and carefully place the chicken, upright on the can. Jiggle the legs in position so the chicken does not topple over. Place the bird, upright, in a shallow roasting pan and lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Scatter the onions and garlic, if using, and add ½ cup stock. After 30 minutes, add ½ cup more stock and continue roasting, until an instant read thermometer registers 160 to 165 degrees when inserted in the thigh, about 30 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a carving board and cover with a piece of foil, the chicken will gain 5 to 10 degrees while resting. Do not handle the can- it will be very hot.
- Place the roasting pan directly on the stove, skim off some of the fat, and add more stock if needed to create the gravy. If you roasted the garlic cloves, squeeze them to extract the roasted garlic and add to the sauce. Let the gravy simmer until heated through. If you prefer thicker gravy, create a slurry by mixing 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water, stir back into the pan, heat and repeat if necessary. When ready to carve, using an oven mitt, carefully remove the can from the chicken, it will still be hot. Carve the chicken and serve with the gravy drizzled on top.
- This recipe is from June’s book The Kosher Carnivore.
Funny enough I have made this a while ago. It comes out really juicy and moist. My daughter mentioned that the chicken also didn’t shrivel up like it normally does and kept its size. The only problem the can fell over when removing the chicken from the oven which made the beer run out but it wasn’t really a problem.
Couldn’t wait until shabbos was over the chicken was ssooooooo good. I have peeled a few to many potatoes for chulent so put them in the pan to bake with the chicken they were also awesome. Thank you for another easy way to make chicken.
Planning on making this for Friday night.
i make this all the time!! kids love it! chicken comes out the moistest you ever eaten. i sometimes will also braise the chicken in the beer instead. the smell is tantilizing!!