When it comes to BBQ, smoking, and grilling, Stephen Raichlen is an icon. His cookbooks are full of tips and how-tos to make the most clueless cook turn out perfectly cooked food outdoors. Beer-Can Chicken: Foolproof Recipes for the Crispiest, Crackliest, Smokiest, Most Succulent Birds You’ve Ever Tasted is another excellent cookbook by Raichlen that outdoor cooking enthusiasts will definitely want on their cookbook shelves.

Beer Can Chicken has been popular during the last couple of years, and most of us have made it at least one or twice on the grill or in the smoker. Although this cookbook has a basic recipe for Beer Can Chicken, the best part of the book is the variations that are possible that most of us haven’t thought of. There are Indian, Vietnamese, Cajun, Japanese, and others, as well as birds without the beer, but done with other liquids.

The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first with step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. Both beginning and advanced cooks can successfully prepare these recipes with picture perfect results. And the book includes beautiful, professional photographs of the chickens that will make your mouth water.

All told, Stephen Raichlen knows what he’s doing and has a way of teaching all of us what we need to know to make moist, juicy chickens with little effort. There are enough good recipes to keep barbecue chefs cooking new dishes for months. This, like most of Raichlen’s cookbooks, is a winner.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Beer-Can Chicken is a tutorial guide with recipes by Steven Raichlen. Originally published in 2002, this reformatted, revised second edition is out 23rd April 2024 from Hachette on their Workman Publishing imprint. It's 208 pages and is available in paperback format.

The basic idea is that supporting chicken on a beer can while cooking will end up with a bird which is crispy on the outside, well moistened and tender and flavorful on the inside. A simple internet search will turn up thousands of recipes. It's become a favorite all around recipe from the jaunty presentation to the no-fail tenderness and flavor.

The book's introduction covers basics such as grill options, tools, supplies, ingredient choices, and general instructions. The following chapters contain the recipes, arranged thematically: beer-can chicken (multiple recipes), beerless birds (coke and other canned drinks), other bird options (surprisingly many), non-can chicken prep methods, sides (lots of options), and desserts.

Recipes contain a description and background introduction, ingredients in a bullet list, and step-by-step cooking instructions. Ingredient measurements are supplied in imperial (American) measurements. The nutritional information is not included. Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in text boxes in the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made for the most part with easily sourced ingredients.

The photography is well done and abundant; many, but not all, of the recipes are illustrated with photographs which are clear easy to understand.

This is a nice collection of recipes and even allowing for the fact that some of them are very similar to others in the same category, this will keep grilling fans going for ages. These are simple "everyday" recipes which are anything but boring.

Four stars. This is a solid recipe book which will be used. It would make a superlative housewarming gift to a friend or family member who enjoys grilling.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fabulous cookbook which had me very excited about cooking.

There were excellent pictures on how to set up and cook the beer can chicken as well as how to carve the chicken after it’s cooked. I appreciated the safety tips on using beer cans to roast your chicken.

Each recipe includes servings, type of grilling, ingredients, and instructions. The recipes are divided into the following sections. I have included a couple of the recipes from that section.

1. Beer-Can Chicken - Basic Beer Can Chicken and Sake Chicken
2. Beerless Birds - Cola Can Chicken and Thai Coconut Chicken
3. Other Birds Meet the Can Beer - Can Game Hens and Peking Duck
4. Birds off the Can - Game Hens Under the Bricks and Diabolical Chicken.
5. On the Side - Caviar on the Coals and Pepper Soup on the Grill
6. Just Desserts - Peaches n Cream and Baked Hawaii

As always, I tested a recipe and chose the Lemonade Chicken. Oh my, that was the best chicken I’ve had in quite some time. Lemon is always a marvel to me at how it lifts a recipe. The recipe was quite easy using a lemonade rub mixture and a can of lemonade. There was a lemon mustard sauce to serve on the side. Phenomenal.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

Don’t be put off by the title — yes, this book does have a great recipe for chicken grilled on top of a beer can, but it also includes recipes for more exotic Thai coconut, tandoori, and an aquavit-flavored chicken that I have to try. Raichlen rounds out the recipe with chicken cooked on and under bricks, sides like corn and potatoes, and even a few desserts cooked on the grill. The intro material includes many great tips that novices and experts will appreciate.

The recipes are straightforward, and I look forward to trying many more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I’ve always been a little wary of grilling chicken, since it’s so easy to burn the skin or undercook it, but this book has great ideas from novice to experienced grillers!

I really like how there are workarounds for cooking in the oven or on a gas, charcoal, or electric grill. I tried the “Peking” chicken in the oven, on one of those beer can like roasters and it was delicious! There are other rubs and things that I think I’d like to try. Definitely a nice, niche cookbook with really interesting and fairly simple recipes. Worth it!

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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Revised, redesigned, and beautifully photographed, this updated classic from America’s barbecue guru offers 50 recipes for the ultimate chicken grilling technique—on a beer can—plus brilliant recipes for birds off the can, perfect sides, and even desserts!

Chicken on a beer can? You bet! When Steven Raichlen, America's barbecue guru, says it's the best-grilled chicken he's ever tasted, cooks stop and listen. An essential addition to every grill jockey's library, Beer-Can Chicken presents foolproof recipes for the ultimate poultry grilling technique, plus the perfect sides and desserts—more than 50 recipes in all.

The results? The perfect bird, crackly crisp, succulent within—the most flavorful chicken you've ever tasted. Beer-Can Tandoori with yogurt, warming spices, and of course, India’s Kingfisher Lager. Sake Chicken with a wasabi-sesame rub. Truffled Chicken and Cousin Rob’s Cajun Chicken. Other birds on the can: Root Beer Game Hens and Beer-Can Turkey (perched on a 32-ounce can of Foster's). ”Beerless birds” (Ginger Ale Chicken, Black Cherry Soda Chicken), and birds cooked off the can in clever ways—like Stoned Chicken (grilled under a brick) and Welder’s Chicken (wrapped in foil and turned with welder’s gloves)

Whether on a can, under a brick, or in the embers, each grilling technique is explained in easy-to-follow steps, with recipes that guarantee no matter how wild the process, the results are always outstanding. Includes sides, desserts, and all new instructions for beer-canning on a pellet grill—with full-colour step-by-step and beauty photography throughout.

I love beer can chicken – ditto any bird cooked on a can of soda as well – and this book did not disappoint although I have no idea where to find a quart-sized can of beer here in Ontario. Great recipes, easy-to-understand instructions and the side dishes and desserts that round out the meal in excellent ways. Yummy.
#shortbutsweetreviews

PS- need Yeungling from NY ... anyone going ???