Product Review and Recipe: Beer Can Chicken in Opies BBQ Sauce

For a little while now, I’ve wanted to do a BBQ ‘beer can chicken’ recipe and after seeing a picture on Twitter of @LoveAndCake’s and then more recently on North/SouthFood‘s blog, I was even more inspired to give it a go. I was sent some naturally smoked BBQ sauce samples from  Opies’ new range. They come in three flavours – hickory, chilli and garlic, and thought one of them would make a great marinade for the chicken.

The ingredients in the sauces are smoked in a traditional Sussex smokehouse, and free from any artificial smoke flavourings. Each sauce had an intensely rich, distinctive flavour, but all balanced wonderfully. I think all of the sauces would work well in this ‘beer can’ recipe, but I opted for the hickory sauce in the end. The result was very good. The sauce boosted the BBQ taste in the chicken and the ‘beer can’ method made it really juicy. It was such an easy dish to prepare that I’ll definitely be trying it again – may go for the chilli one next time.

I used the sauce as a marinade, but they would work just as well, as an accompaniment to meats and vegetables too. Not fish though, as I think the flavours would be too powerful for it.

Opies is a family run business that has been in operation for over 130 years who specialise in sauces, condiments, pickles and chutneys. Their new range of BBQ sauces are stocked in Ocado, Booths and other independents, RRP £2.29.

Thanks to Opies for sending Food I Fancy the samples.

Beer Can Chicken

August 10, 2012

Servings: 4/5

Prep: 24 hr

Cook: 1 hr 45 min

Total: 25 hr 45 min

Difficulty: Easy

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An alternate way to cook chicken

By: Natasha Miles

Ingredients

• medium whole chicken
• 1 can Red Stripe (or beer of choice)
• 1 bottle Opies Hickory BBQ sauce
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Step 1 Generously coat the chicken with Opies BBQ sauce, salt and pepper, and leave to marinade for at least a few hours, or overnight in a fridge would be even better.
• Step 2 Prepare the barbecue. Empty half the can of beer (I drank the excess) and sit the chicken on the can so the can goes into its cavity.
• Step 3 When the coals on the barbecue turn white, place the chicken on the grill, cover with the lid and leave to cook for about 1hr 45 mins, longer depending on size. From time-to-time baste the chicken with the BBQ sauce.
• Step 4 Insert a knife in the thickest part of the chicken (I tested it on the thigh), and if the juices run clear then the chicken is done. Take the chicken off the grill – it will be very hot, so leave to rest for about 10 mins before separating it from the can. Enjoy!