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It all started with a beer-butt chicken…

Cowboy took a six-pound whole chicken, seasoned it with a handful of his favorite chicken rubs and spices, perched it over a can of Coors Light, and let the smoker do its thing.

What came off the smoker was a beautifully seasoned, juicy chicken with enough smoky flavor to give us leftovers worth getting excited about.

And those leftovers? Well, they became two more RGJ recipes.

First came a classic, creamy chicken salad. Then I turned the rest into a cozy pot of Beer-Butt Chicken & Pot Pie Dumplings.

So this is where the story begins.

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https://youtube.com/shorts/N8VIcqBZGRc

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Tools from the Kitchen:

• Smoker

• Beer-can chicken holder or upright roasting rack

• 6-pound whole chicken

• Instant-read meat thermometer

• Small bowl

• Basting brush, optional

• Carving board

• Sharp carving knife

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Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 6 pounds

• 1 can Coors Light

• Traeger Rub Brown Sugar Paprika Garlic

• Famous Dave’s Chicken Rub

• McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning

Seasonings are to taste. Cowboy didn’t measure—he generously and evenly rubbed the chicken with the seasonings.

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Prepare:

1. Remove the chicken from its packaging and pat the skin dry with paper towels.

2. Coat the entire chicken with the Traeger Rub Brown Sugar Paprika Garlic, Famous Dave’s Chicken Rub and McCormick Perfect Pinch Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning. Don’t worry about exact measurements here—this was a true Cowboy-style little of this, little of that situation.

3. Open the can of Coors Light and use it as the base for the upright chicken.

4. Carefully place the chicken upright over the beer can or into a beer-can chicken holder, making sure it is stable before transferring it to the smoker.

5. Preheat the smoker to 325°F. Place the chicken on the smoker and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F.

6. Remove the chicken from the smoker carefully and let it rest before carving.

7. Enjoy the chicken hot, then save the leftover meat for chicken salad, pot-pie dumplings or another leftover-chicken creation.

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Notes from the Kitchen:

This is one of those recipes where exact seasoning measurements aren’t the point. Cowboy didn’t measure anything, and honestly, that’s part of the charm.

The combination of brown sugar, paprika, garlic rub, chicken rub and rotisserie seasoning created a deeply seasoned, savory-sweet crust.

For food safety, use 165°F as the finished temperature for the breast.

And don’t toss those leftovers! The seasoning on this chicken is exactly what makes the next two recipes special.

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Start here: Beer-Butt Chicken: The Chicken That Started It All

Then try: Classic Beer-Butt Chicken Salad

Or turn those leftovers into: Beer-Butt Chicken & Pot Pie Dumplings