I’ve wanted to try this one for a while. Grilled beer can chicken is so easy and fun to make, but access to a grill in Boston is surprisingly hard to come by. So we improvised and stuck the birds in the oven to astonishing success!
These are Cornish hens which are smaller than most chickens, and easier to fit in apartment-size ovens. The hens are too small, in fact, to fit over a beer can, so we filled empty tomato paste cans with Colt 45. The recipe follows:
Beer Can Chicken… in the oven!
2 1.5-2lb. Cornish hens
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
About 6 tbsp. spice rub (or a mix to your liking of chopped garlic, onions, sage, thyme, paprika, brown sugar)
some beer (appx. 1 can)
Rinse the hens under running water, pat dry, and rub them inside and out with 1/2 cup olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper them, then liberally apply the spice rub on the inside and outside of the bird. Fill tomato paste cans 3/4 full with beer, and set them in a roasting dish or shallow pan. Sit the hens one on top of each can so that they won’t fall over while cooking. Use the legs for balance. Now get those birds in the oven!
Cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for appx. 1.5 hours. Rotate the pan after the first half hour to ensure even cooking. When the juices from the chicken run clear, they’re done. Take the pan out of the oven, and let the hens sit for 10 minutes. Serve with roasted red potatoes and asparagus, yum!
slow food boston university | recipe exchange 