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Swell Fed FamilyGOOD FOOD FOR THE WHOLE CREW

Dinner · From Adam's kitchen

Beer Can Roast Chicken

One chicken works. Two is just as easy, and now you've got dinner, leftovers and the start of a pot of broth. A couple of beer cans do the standing up; you do the seasoning.

Cook once. Eat multiple ways.

  • Chicken
  • Cook once, eat multiple ways
  • Freezer-friendly
Makes
2 whole chickens (4–5 lb each)
Skill
Easy
Cook
55–65 min
Two beer can roast chickens standing on a sheet pan beside roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted sweet potato cubes with browned edges on a parchment-lined sheet pan
Angled view of two upright roast chickens with a tray of roasted sweet potatoes in front

Method

  1. Heat the oven and dry the chickens

    Heat the oven to 400°F with the rack in the middle. Pat the chickens dry.

  2. Stand them up

    Pour a little beer off the top of each can. Settle each chicken upright onto its can, legs forward, so it stands on a rimmed sheet pan.

  3. Season bird one

    If using the butter, garlic and rosemary, mash them together and work the mixture under the skin over the breasts and thighs. Salt and pepper the outside.

  4. Season bird two

    Coat the skin generously with salt and pepper, or use the smoked paprika or lemon zest mixed into the salt.

  5. Roast (55–65 min)

    Roast for 55–65 minutes.

    Ready whenA digital probe in the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F.

  6. Prep the sweet potatoes

    While the chickens roast, cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes, enough to fill a second sheet pan in a single layer. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Lightly oil, then season with salt and black pepper.

  7. Put the hot oven to work

    About 40 minutes into the chicken's roasting time, slide the sweet potatoes into the same oven. Take advantage of a hot oven and get two things done at once. Roast until tender and browned at the edges, then serve alongside the chicken.

    Ready whenThe sweet potatoes are tender and browned at the edges.

  8. Rest (20–30 min)

    Rest the chickens for 20–30 minutes before carving.

  9. Carve and eat

    Carve and serve alongside the roasted sweet potatoes. Save the carcasses for Chicken Bone Broth.

Swaps

  • Cook one chicken instead of two if that is what you need.
  • The butter, garlic and rosemary are optional; salt and pepper work too.

Make ahead & storage

Make ahead

Cook once. Eat multiple ways.

Storage

Pull the rest of the chicken apart and freeze it for another day. Save the carcasses for Chicken Bone Broth.

Macros per serving

Estimate

No macros estimate has been provided for this recipe.

Tonight → Tomorrow → Later

Tonight

Eat the roast chicken with roasted sweet potatoes, then put the carcasses to work in Chicken Bone Broth.

Chicken Bone Broth

Tomorrow

Make Chicken Quesadillas or chicken salad.

Chicken Quesadillas

Later

Pull the rest of the chicken apart and freeze it for another day, or make the Japanese Sweet Potato Chicken Bowl.

Japanese Sweet Potato Chicken Bowl

A few practical questions

Can I use one chicken instead of two?

Yes. One chicken works too, but two is just as easy and gives you leftovers and carcasses for broth.

Do I need the butter, garlic and rosemary?

No. The butter, garlic and rosemary are optional. Season the outside generously with kosher salt and black pepper.

How do I know the chicken is done?

Roast at 400°F for 55–65 minutes, until a digital probe in the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F. Rest for 20–30 minutes before carving.

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