Lemon Herb Brined Beer Can Roasted Chicken

Products Used
Lemon Herb Brined Beer Can Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 quarts water
  • 5 tablespoons salt
  • 4 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
  • 4 lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 handful fresh rosemary
  • 8 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon peppercorns, crushed
  • 2 whole roasting chickens
  • 2 cans light beer

Rub

Sauce

  • 1 jar gravy
  • 1 cup pan drippings from roasted chicken, defatted

Directions

  1. To brine chicken, bring water placed in a stock pot to a boil over medium high heat. Turn off burner, and add remaining ingredients listed under "chicken" in order listed, reserving 1/2 of one can of beer for later use. 
  2. Once brine has cooled, add chickens until they are fully immersed in liquid. Cover and let sit for 50 minutes on stove top.
  3. While chickens are absorbing brine, make rub by mixing spices and seasonings in quantities specified. Set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 325°F. You may have to remove the second rack in your oven and move the other rack lower, so that chicken will fit in while standing upright.
  5. Remove chickens from brine. Coat chicken all over, including inside cavity, with spice rub.
  6. Open the rear cavity of the chicken and carefully place it over beer can, so only about an inch of can is showing. 
  7. Stand beer can chickens upright in a roasting pan large enough to allow space between two chickens.
  8. Pour 2 quarts of brine into pan. Add remaining 1/2 can beer.
  9. Roast chickens uncovered for about 1.5 hours, rotating pan 4 times.
  10. When a thermometer inserted into thickest part of each leg reads 165°F, birds are fully cooked. Using tongs, free beer cans and discard them.
  11. To make sauce combine jarred gravy with 1 cup of defatted chicken drippings. 
Dixie Crystals Insight

This recipe was shared with us by Sweetalk Community Member Mya Z.

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