It looks like it is going to be a rainy, cloudy and muggy day here for Labor Day today, which may put a damper on some people’s plans for picnics or cookouts. While you may not be able to have the barbecue you were hoping for on the last unofficial day of summer, you can still have food that tastes just as great. I came across this recipe in the New York Times awhile back and have been waiting for the right time to use it and with the rain we had yesterday and the fact that I found a whole chicken on sale for $4.00 the time was right to give it a try. I have done beer can chicken outdoors before, but I had never ventured to try it in the oven.

Indoor Beer Can Chicken

1 whole chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds

4 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 can beer, ideally yellow in color, with the top half consumed or poured off

Remove the top rack from the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the neck and giblets from the chicken. Rinse the chicken well in cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Combine all the spices together in a large bowl and blend. Apply the dry rub to the chicken both inside and outside. Place the beer can on a solid surface such as a counter top or tabletop. Pick up the chicken and, taking a leg in each hand, put the cavity of the chicken over the beer can and slide the bird down the can. Carefully transfer the bird and the can to a roasting pan and place the pan carefully in the oven.

Roast the chicken for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours until the breast meat registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer or until the legs of the chicken feel very loose in their sockets. You can tent the chicken with foil after 45 minutes of cooking if you want to try to keep the skin from getting too dark. Carefully remove the chicken from the oven, remove the can from the chicken and allow the chicken to rest, tented loosely with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving.

The one I cooked was literally falling off the bone. It was very moist on the inside and the spices not only added great flavor but made for a super crispy skin that everyone just loved. You could easily just use this spice rub if you want to just roast some chicken pieces or do some chicken on the grill. You could also baste the chicken with barbecue sauce along the way as it roasts if you want that flavor, but I chose to just go with the dry rub this time. We had the chicken with some mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and biscuits and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be making this one again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back again during the week to see what else comes up. I have a few things on hand to make this week and I am going to get to the lemon icebox pie, ciabatta bread, some homemade pizza rolls, a new pork chop recipe and a nice polenta with roasted vegetables recipe I got from Williams-Sonoma. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!