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Drunken Chicken

There are 1001 ways (plus) to make chicken. One problem often faced when making a whole bird is that the white meat gets overcooked or the dark meat comes out undercooked. A simple solution is using brine. Beer brine infuses meat with flavor and tenderizes at the same time.
This isn’t a difficult recipe. It involves brining your chicken, applying a dry rub, and grilling the bird.

Ingredients

BRINE INGREDIENTS

  • 3 lb whole chicken
  • 2 bottles Belgian ale (3 if you want one for yourself!)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tbsp pink salt
  • ½ tsp dill
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp pink peppercorns
  • 1 garlic clove (smashed)

RUB INGREDIENTS

  • You have a lot of options for a chicken rub. You can buy one you like from the supermarket. Or you can blend up one of your own. Here’s one blend to try:
  • 1 tbsp honey powder
  • 1 tbsp flaked salt
  • 3 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smokey paprika
  • 1 tsp citrus zest (lemon, lime, or orange)
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • You can serve the chicken as-is. If you’re looking for sauce ideas (consider:)
  • Buffalo-style hot
  • Caribbean jerk
  • Garlic chili
  • Chimichurri
  • Ginger
  • Honey mustard
  • Mango
  • Mushroom cream
  • Sesame
  • White wine

Instructions 

  • Mix your brine in a plastic container large enough to hold the whole chicken.
  • Put the chicken in the brine in the refrigerator
  • Leave them for 8 hours, turning the chicken every two hours
  • Preheat the grill to 350F
  • Drain the chicken
  • Pat it dry inside and out
  • Sprinkle the rub evenly on the chicken, making sure to get some inside **
  • Place the chicken on the grill and close the lid
  • After 1 hour, check the meat. It needs to be at 165F before removing.
  • It may take another 30 minutes of grilling, particularly if you have a larger bird.
  • ** You can also put aromatics inside the cavity, such as a small whole onion, an orange, and a sprig of thyme.

Notes

For even juicer meat, put a tbsp of butter underneath the chicken skin right at the top of the bird. You can also slip some under the skin on the legs.