Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Bean Butt Chicken

Since grilling season has been upon us Matt seems to be craving baked beans. I really never knew until this year what a fan of them he was. So, when we saw this recipe for Bean Butt Chicken in Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking we knew we had to try it. Nothing like pairing our love of roast chicken with baked beans!
Bean Butt Chicken
Basically Bean Butt Chicken is made like Beer Can Chicken but you are cooking the chicken on an open can of baked beans allowing all the yummy chicken fat to flavor them. I really loved the Fragrant Chili Rub on the chicken & in the beans. It made the skin of the chicken taste fabulous & gave the beans a little zing! We have a lot of the rub leftover so we'll be trying it on some other grilled meat soon.

Fragrant Chili Rub

2 T kosher salt
2 T paprika
1 t brown sugar
1 T ground ancho chile
1 to 3 t ground chipotle chile (make it as hot as you like)
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t ground pepper

Combine all ingredients. Can be stored for 1 month in an airtight container at room temperature.

Bean Butt Chicken

1 4-lb chicken, washed & dried
2 T + 1 t Fragrant Chili Rub
3 t canola oil
1 16-oz can baked beans (look for the thin tall can instead of the squat ones as it will fit in the chicken better. Our favorite beans came in a squat can so we washed out another thin can & put them in that.)

Heat the grill to 325 - 350 F. You want to cook over indirect heat so for a gas grill leave some burners off.
Rub the chicken inside & out with 2 T of the Chili Rub. Stir the other 1 t of the rub into the beans. Rub the outside of the chicken with 2 t of oil. Rub the remaining 1 t of oil on the outside of the bean can. Lower the chicken onto the can so it goes into the internal cavity. Position the bird so the legs help it stand up.
Bean Butt Chicken
Put the chicken & can on the grill away from the direct heat. Cover & cook until a thermometer registers 170 F at the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the chicken & can to a baking sheet or cutting board. Use tongs to help hold the can while you twist & lift the bird off of it. The bird will be hot so use a dish towel or oven mitt to hold it. Let the chicken rest a few minutes then, carve & serve with the beans.
Bean Butt Chicken
Serves 4

11 comments:

  1. That second photo with the chicken “sitting on the can” just cracks me up! I know, I know, it doesn’t take much to amuse me...Very interesting idea with the beans.

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  2. When this first came through my reader, I thought it was a spelling mistake but NO...you used a can of beans!

    I'm a big fan of beet can chicken so I gotta try this out...the bird looks awesome!

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  3. He looks so cute sitting on that can of beans. Like he's sitting on the pot or something. I've done beer, orange juice, champagne, but never beans.

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  4. I have never heard of doing this before - but what a great idea!

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  5. That is a really great idea. I've done beer can chicken before. Looks like I'm gonna have to do "bean" butt chicken sometime soon.

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  6. I had to laugh out loud when I saw that picture. There's something so vulnerable about a chicken with a can stuck up its tender parts. :P

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  7. The chicken looks like ti's getting ready to make a run for it in the first pic! *giggle*

    It looks amazing--so perfectly done! I really, really want to try this.

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  8. I love doing chicken on the bbq this way - except I have trouble getting them to stand up straight on the beer can. I would make this just for the name bean butt chicken -
    Hey...what's for dinner...
    bean butt chicken...I love it

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  9. Now this is an interesting twist on beer can chicken! Wow!

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  10. I think I would make this just so I could say I've made bean butt chicken. The skin looks nice and crispy. I admit I'm a fan of crispy chicken skin. Yum!

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  11. I've had this marked for ages, and finally made it for our Labor Day dinner. OH, MY. My husband and I agree that this was THE BEST CHICKEN we have ever done (and we'be done the beer-can type several times.) I did use a 6lb bird, so had lots of yummy leftovers. Made a delicious stacked chicken enchilada casserole last night for dinner, even incorporating the leftover beans! Thanks for this keeper recipe.

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