| The BBQ Quarterback’s Dr. Pepper Can Chicken |
Recipe Type: Main
Author:
Cook time: 5 hours
Total time: 5 hours
Well I finally got around to cooking on the Grill Dome on Saturday. I did a whole chicken. The chicken was just over 5 lbs and I thought I would try the ‘beer can’ approach. I used a can of Dr. Pepper.
Ingredients
- 1 (5 lb) Chicken
- 1 (12oz) Can Dr. Pepper (Half full)
- 1 batch Chicken Rub (Cook’s choice)
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (to Coat Chicken)
- 2 Slices Lemon
Instructions
- I prepped it the way I always do: a little olive oil rubbed on the skin, then some rub on the skin and also under it and inside the cavity. Then into the fridge for an overnight rest.
- Pulled it out the next day, thinly sliced two slices of lemon and put under the skin on each breast. Then I shoved the half can of Dr. Pepper up his rear (Whole Chicken Bottom Opening) and put it on the Grill Dome. Normally cook at 250ºF for 5 (or more) hours. Most of this cook was a little below that (around 225-235ºF). After 6 hours and 27 minutes, it looked beautiful and temps were right for breast and leg (170ºF breast, 180ºF leg).
- It tasted delicious but the breast was a little dry. I never had that happen before when I cooked it breast side down for about 3.5 hours and then finished breast side up. The only difference this time was that I had it sitting up.
- By the way, the legs and thighs were great.
- Some Comments made on this cook in the original thread:
- Once upon a time someone needed an excuse to buy a six-pack, so the beer butt chicken was invented. Now we can be sure that this method isn’t ancient, old or even past grandmas’ time, beer came in bottles. Here is what occurs,
- First the beer absorbs large amounts of heat suppressing the grill temp. Second the beer begins to vaporize which will control the chicken’s ass at the boiling point of beer. Third the beer vapor condenses on the relatively cooler chicken internals, which also stabilizes the chicken’s ass temperature. Effectively you are steaming the chicken not BBQ’ing. That beer has far better uses than steam cleaning a chicken’s ass. Would be better distribution of beer flavor to just inject the bird.
- The 170 breast and 180 thigh is what I have been using for some time now on chicken. Don’t remember where I saw it, but it has always worked well for me. I’ve also heard that 160 for boneless breasts is good, though I usually go to 165 or so “just because.”
- I bought some willie chicken sitters when I first got my Dome to do a variation of the beer butt thing and they were always good. However, after trying various methods, I believe I prefer halving the chickens instead. I have done the spatchcock thing and while I do think it adds a lot to the presentation, I’m not sure its any better tasting or jucier to me.
- With halves, I find it easer to serve since I can just make one cut and separate them into two servings (on small enough birds anyway). My wife likes the thigh and leg, I prefer the wing and breast. Perfect match huh?
- I’ve also done some injections and that turns out well too. I believe our favorite has been creole butter from Cajun injector. Even my picky niece got seconds of that.
Notes
Recipe Submitted by: The BBQ Quarterback
Cooking and Serving Size will vary by the size of the whole chicken.