Chili lime BBQ chicken with corn salad
- Preparation 10 min
- Refrigeration 8 h
- Cooking 1 h 30 min
- Servings 2 to 3
- Freezing Absolutely
Ads
🍺 I love chicken and I love beer
I love chicken and I love beer… Everyone has heard of the famous BBQ beer can chicken! Here, the lime and chili marinade brings out the flavor of the bird, while the beer keeps the meat nice and juicy.
🌽 Not my other beer can chicken
I already have a beer-roasted chicken on the BBQ. This one is different because of its lime and chili marinade, and its grilled corn and black bean salad.
🔥 The beer, and the stand
Obviously, the choice of beer is crucial here. I have nothing against light commercial beers, but if you’re cooking a chicken on fire, you might as well go all the way! The chicken stand is a must, you can’t stand a chicken up on the can by itself. You’ll find them in most big grocery stores, or on Amazon.
This recipe takes time to prepare but is VERY easy to make.
Ads
Ads
🪑 The stand is a must
Without it, the chicken won’t stand up on the can. No stand, no recipe.
🌡️ Two temperatures, not one
Aim for 165°F (74°C) in the breast AND 180°F (82°C) in the thigh. The thermometer decides, not the clock: an hour to an hour and a half is a guide, not a promise.
🔻 Don’t forget to lower the temperature
This is what can go wrong. The BBQ is hot at the start, then you turn one burner off for indirect cooking and adjust so the chicken cooks gently instead of roasting on the surface.
🧻 Top browning too fast? Aluminum foil
The chicken is upright, so it sits higher in the BBQ. Heat rises and the top cooks faster than the rest. If it browns too much, cover it with aluminum foil.
🌽 Fresh corn works too
Fresh corn on the cob, grilled, works very well in the salad in place of frozen corn.
🍺 No beer?
A non-alcoholic beer or a can of hard cider does the same job. The can keeps the meat juicy, and that’s all we ask of it.
✅ What to serve with chili lime BBQ chicken
The corn salad, of course: it’s in the recipe. If you like this marinade, look at my best chicken marinade for the BBQ and my beer, lime and BBQ spice chicken drumsticks. And for oven-roasted chicken, my oven-roasted BBQ chicken.
Ads
Ingredients for the chicken
- 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg)
- 1 can (473 ml) pilsner beer (or a non-alcoholic beer, or a can of hard cider)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- ½ cup (125 ml) honey
- The juice of 2 limes
- 10 sprigs of chives, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 red bird’s eye chilies, seeds removed and very finely chopped
- Herbes de Provence
- Equipment needed: vertical chicken stand for the BBQ
Ingredients for the corn salad
- 3 cups (750 ml) frozen corn (or fresh corn on the cob, grilled)
- Olive oil
- 1 can (540 ml) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 dry pint of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) finely chopped red onion
- 1 big handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- The juice of ½ lime (or more to taste)
Ads
Preparation
- Chicken: place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and set aside.
- In a bowl, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of beer. Except for the herbes de Provence, add the rest of the marinade ingredients, season generously with salt and pepper and mix. Pour 3/4 of the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate (along with the rest of the marinade) for 8 hours and turn from time to time. Keep the can and the rest of the beer for cooking on the BBQ.
- Preheat the BBQ to medium heat, about 400°F (200°C), then turn one burner off.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and drain. Put the can in the stand, then sit the chicken on the stand so it stands upright. Place on an aluminum tray, season generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle with herbes de Provence, to taste.
- Place the chicken over the burner that’s off for indirect cooking. Cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the breast and 180°F (82°C) in the thigh. Baste the chicken with the rest of the marinade from time to time. Cover the top with aluminum foil if it browns too quickly!
- Corn salad: in a large skillet over high heat, add the corn followed by a good drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Cook, stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes or until the corn is golden. Pour into a salad bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients followed by a thin drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Stir. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes before serving with the chicken!
165°F (74°C) in the breast AND 180°F (82°C) in the thigh. Take both with a thermometer, the 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes cooking time is only a guide.
No, the stand is a must. Without it, you can’t stand the chicken up on the can by itself.
Cover it with aluminum foil. Since the chicken is upright, the top sits higher in the BBQ, heat rises and it cooks faster than the rest.
Yes. Replace the beer with a non-alcoholic beer, or with a can of hard cider.
Yes, the chicken freezes well. In the fridge, it keeps for 3 to 5 days.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads