Steven Raichlen has a great book on the subject with tons of different ways of using this method of cooking. It’s aptly called “Beer-Can Chicken” and to get a copy, just click on the link below and buy one for yourself from Amazon and while you’re at it, pick up a few extras as gifts (and hope you get invited to your friends house when they try out a recipe or two).

My favorite version doesn’t use regular beer but the other variety, Root Beer. Since my oldest one is sensitive to citrus, I stuff the chicken with apples and onions before hoisting it on top of the can of root beer.

There are other “beer can stands” that lets you set the chicken on a stainless steel contraption that serves the same purpose as the can with better stability for around $20 or so.

Try this method and you’ll never cook chicken (or any other bird) the same way again.