Instant Pot Beer Can Chicken
Beer can chicken – also known as beer-butt chicken or chicken on a throne – is a classic dish for grilling season. The traditional way to make it this: first, you rub the chicken all over with spices. Then, you pop open a can of beer, drink about half, perch the chicken on top, and set it on the grill as it cooks.
This position keeps the bird in the perfect position so it roasts evenly, and the remaining beer steams up and into the meat. It comes out moist and flavorful on the inside, beautifully browned on the outside.
Now, here’s the great news: you don’t actually have to wait for grilling season to enjoy this dish. You can get the same tender, golden, beer-infused chicken in your Instant Pot.
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It sounds crazy, but if you put the whole seasoned chicken, beer can and all, right inside the Instant Pot, you can achieve the same tender, perfectly cooked bird in just 30 minutes of cooking time. After releasing the pressure, you can pop it under the broiler for just a couple of minutes to give it that browned, crisp skin you get on the grill.
So if you just can’t wait for the start of grilling season, give this recipe a try. You won’t get that summertime charcoal smell, but it’ll tide you over until it’s time for the real thing.
Instant Pot Beer Can Chicken
Ingredients
5-6 pound whole chicken
1 (16oz) can of beer
4 Tablespoons butter, cut into tabs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 small onion
2 stalks of celery
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Carefully place butter tabs under the skin. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, celery salt, and garlic powder.
2. Rub seasons all over the chicken.
2. Cut veggies into large, bite sided chunks and place in the bottom pot with 1 cup water. Open beer and place inside your Instant pot, in the middle of the veggies.
3. Place the chicken inside the pot on resting on top of the beer can. No trivet needed. Place your Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Do a natural release for 20 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the chicken (it will be falling off the bone tender) and place on a baking sheet. Placed under broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin!
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Instant Pot Beer Can Chicken
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Ingredients
- 5-6 pound whole chicken
- 1 16oz can of beer
- 4 Tablespoons butter cut into tabs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 small onion
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Rinse chicken, pat dry. Carefully place butter tabs under the skin. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, celery salt, and garlic powder.
- Rub seasons all over the chicken.
- Cut veggies into large, bite sided chunks and place in the bottom pot with 1 cup water. Open beer and place inside your Instant pot, in the middle of the veggies.
- Place the chicken inside the pot on resting on top of the beer can. No trivet needed. Place your Instant Pot on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Do a natural release for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the chicken (it will be falling off the bone tender) and place on a baking sheet. Placed under broiler for 2-3 minutes to crisp up the skin!
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Will this size chicken fit in a Duo 6?
Barely! I used a 3 lb. chicken and it is pressed against the lid. It is cooking now so I can’t tell you if it all works out but…..
how did it turn out?
The chicken was very moist and was a little bland. It barely fits in a 6 qt but I did make it work! I’ll make a soup from the leftover meat and carcass. It’s a 12 ounce beer, not a 16 ounce, by the way. Thanks!!
If you do not eat the skin, can you skip the broiler part?? Our stove does not have the broiler function.
Yep! That is just to crisp up the outside of the chicken a bit.
a can of water or a can of apple beer
Can you use water in acan or do you have to use beer in a can what’s the difference of taste
Depending on which beer you use, it does give it extra flavor and you can have a beer with your meal 🙂 You’re already having a cup of water over veges so I say use a can of beer; I made it last night and it’s delicious! I tweaked the recipe adding lemon wedges and carrots on top of the celery. It tastes so good I’m making another pot tomorrow to share with others! 🙂
I had to tilt the can on an angle. It wouldn’t fit otherwise. Hope it turns out ok. Time shall tell. Will update once done!
I used a young chicken (4-5 lbs) in an 8-qt and it fit fine 🙂 Aa mentioned above, I tweaked the recipe and also forget to mention I also added a pack of chicken tender long also for extra chicken. So with the whole young chicken, tenderloins, celery, carrots, & lemon wedges and can fit comfortably 🙂
My chicken is 6 pounds how long do I cook it for in the instapot.
This recipe is for a 5-6 lb chicken, so I would follow the directions as written.
I made this tonight, forgot to get a picture. It definitely was fall off the bone using the 30 min cook time and 20 min NPR. Didn’t feel like heating up the oven just to broil it for 2-3min. It was the juiciest chicken I have ever made. I used Stonemill Brew Pub Chicken Grill Seasoning instead of the spices listed.
Do you use the veggies to make stuffing afterward or are they just for flavor?
For flavor, but you could use them for stuffing if you would like.
Beer can chicken is an old family favorite, so I was thrilled to find pressure cooker instructions. Tonight is my second time around with thus recipe. (I hope I remember to take a picture.)
Inside a 6 qt pot like mine, today’s whole chickens may have to go in an angle. In the oven I had a beer can holder that gave the bird and can extra stability. In the pressure cooker, that’s not a problem. Just shove the can in the bird, press down to get the lid on and off you go
I like to put the dry rub (don’t forget inside the cavity) and let it sit half an hour before it goes in the pot. I like lots of flavor, so I’m liberal with the spices. I use sweet paprika because my daughter hates the really hot stuff. Another splash of smoked paprika before it goes in the broiler gives a nice zing.
As for what beer? We’re traditional around here and use a can of Budweiser. I’d say Amy beer you like to drink will be just fine.