Beer can chicken is one of the best ways I know to roast a chicken, especially in summertime, when you can do this recipe on the grill. But, while you can jam a regular beer can into a pheasant, the birds are generally too small. But a Red Bull can will fit. Fill it halfway with beer.
Recipe by Hank Shaw on July 11, 2010
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT75M
Rating
4.89 stars (9 reviews)
Keywords
grilling, pheasant
Ingredients
2 empty Red Bull cans
Enough beer to fill half the cans ((use any beer you want))
2 whole pheasants
1/4 cup olive oil to coat birds
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Steps
Take the pheasants out and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Bring the beer out, too, as you don’t want cold beer in the can.
Prepare your grill for indirect heat. If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.
Rub the pheasants all over with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, and thyme in a bowl and sprinkle it over the pheasant.
Fill the Red Bull can halfway with beer; it doesn’t matter what kind. Drink the rest of the beer. Put the can inside the pheasants' cavity and place the pheasants on the cool side of the grill. The legs and the can will act like a tripod to keep the pheasant upright.
Cover the grill and come back in 40 minutes. After that time, check the pheasants and add more coals if needed. Stick a thermometer into the thickest part of the pheasant’s thigh — you want it to read 160 degrees. If it’s not there, close the grill lid and come back in 15 minutes. Keep checking this way until the pheasant is done. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, poke the spot between the leg and breast with a knife and look for the juices to run clear, not pink.
Carefully move the pheasants to a pan. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift it off the can and carve up into serving pieces.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 620 kcal
Carbohydrates: 1 g
Protein: 78 g
Fat: 32 g
Saturated Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 242 mg
Sodium: 137 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Dave on 2020-07-26 (5 stars): Great recipe! On your tip, I brined the bird for about 6 hours the day before I grilled it. Used a pale ale for the beer in the recipe and it turned out both moist and delicious. It was a little tricky balancing a well oiled and seasoned bird on top of the can over a 500 degree gas grill, but once I got on there it stayed in place, thank goodness! I will definitely use this recipe in the future for ducks too!
Mark on 2020-07-25 (5 stars): Made this while on a hunt trip. Awesome. Here in Ontario we have Molson Canadian Cold Shots. Fits perfect for bigger sharp tail grouse
Jesse S on 2019-04-05 (5 stars): I haven't yet had the luck to make this recipe with pheasant but for a beer can chicken it blows my mind every time. I love this recipe. It defines great cooking to me, simple ingredients prepared in such a way that results in near perfection. Crispy skin, full of flavor, perfectly moist meat. One thing I have noticed with Hank's cooking is that a lot of it takes time. Not to much time to prepare but, waiting on a brine, or marinade. This recipe is no different, follow his instructions and give the bird the time to brine and rest in the fridge and you will be rewarded. The recipe is made with simple ingredients but, the method of prep and especially the time to dry in the fridge makes the most delicious crispy skin on the bird. Hank's recipes take time because wild game deserves special care. Even if you decide to use chicken this recipe deserves the best bird you can find. I have made it with a cheaper bird and the taste was noticeable.
Carol-Ann Brown on 2017-08-26 (4 stars): Thanks Hank for this recipe - we found that for a 45 minute cooking time, not much beer was steamed, though we could taste it in the chicken. We are thinking we might try it with only a quart er of the beer can full next time, unless you think that makes the can less able to withstand the weight of the pheasant? It was wonderful - keep the BBQ recipes coming please!
Michelle Salois LCSW on 2017-07-29 (5 stars): V8 smaller than red bull?
Brad Henry on 2017-07-06 (5 stars): In an effort to move away from using aluminium, I too started using bottles and they work great! Make a mixture of 1/2 beer and 1/2 BBQ sauce and fill the bottle about 2/3. After cooking the bird and while it's resting, reduce the remaining sauce mixture to use for dipping or pour over the meat.
