Dinner Poultry Dishes Chicken Main Course Roast Chicken Wine Can Chicken 4.3 (6) 5 Reviews Popularized throughout the American South in the 1980s, this vino version of the cheeky “coq au can” swaps a wine can for a beer can. By Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia is a recipe developer and tester for Dotdash Meredith with a focus on baking and pastry as well as a passion for all things food-related. She has developed over 1,200 recipes, which have appeared both in magazines, online, and in cookbooks alike. She is a former Baking and Pastry Editor with experience in food styling, video production, and crafting culinary curriculum for more than a dozen culinary and lifestyle brands. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 26, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Active Time: 1 hr Chill Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 10 hrs 10 mins Servings: 6 Legend says that someone in Texas first devised the beer can chicken method, wherein a whole bird is perched on a beverage can and then grilled. What might have been a backyard barbecue flight of fancy has proved to be an ingenious and enduring adaptation of vertical roasting. But with so many excellent canned wines out there, who says the vehicle needs to be a beer can? We pulled in F&W recipe developer Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman to put the chicken-on-a-can through its paces in our test kitchen. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen The attractiveness of Wine Can Chicken rests on the gadget-free, uncomplicated process and the symbiotic culinary relationship between wine and chicken. The challenge was finding the vertical grill-roasting sweet spot to coax out optimal flavor and finish from the bird. On the grill, the wine keeps the chicken moist but does not impart overt wine flavor, so Stuedeman created a pan sauce using the drippings and the wine from the can. (A light-bodied red like Pinot Noir goes well with both white and dark meat; for more suggestions, see below.) Berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend that brings warming heat and a mix of pungent and earthy tastes, flavors a paste that gets rubbed beneath and over the chicken skin and inside the cavity. Chilling the chicken uncovered overnight dries out the loosened skin, inducing it to crisp in the covered grill’s wraparound heat. The placement of the bird is also key: The can, along with the bird’s legs, supports the upright position that allows for 360-degree heat circulation. By straddling the chicken in the middle of the grill and heating only one side of the grill, the faster-cooking breast faces the unlit, cooler side of the grill, while dark-meat thighs face the hotter direct heat. What emerges is superbly flavored, moist chicken with fall-off-the-bone meat and crackly-crisp, seasoned skin, ready to be enjoyed with another can — or glass — of wine. The dish is tied together with a quick-to-come-together pan sauce using the flavorsome skillet drippings and the remaining wine mounted with butter. Serve the chicken on a bed of seasonal greens, veggies, or roasted potatoes. — Cheryl Slocum Great canned wines for wine can chicken Underwood Pinot NoirRed currant and cherry notes in this Oregon wine complement grilled chicken flavors.Nomadica WhiteThis Chardonnay-Colombard blend has bright acidity to contrast rich roast chicken.Sans Wine Co. Carbonic CarignanThis dry red, with hints of plum and rhubarb, pairs well with herbal rubs. Ingredients Berbere Paste 2 tablespoons berbere (such as Kalustyan’s or Spicewalla) 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (from 1 large shallot) 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated and peeled 1 teaspoon light brown sugar Chicken 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, giblets removed 1 serving (5 fluid ounces) Pinot Noir 1/4 cup shallot, finely chopped (from 1 large shallot) 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped 2 cups unsalted chicken stock 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pats 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste Lettuce, for serving Directions Make the berbere paste Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Process berbere, shallot, garlic, salt, oil, ginger, and brown sugar in a food processor until well combined into a fine paste, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Make the chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Pat chicken dry using paper towels. Place chicken, breast side up, on wire rack; rub berbere paste beneath and over skin and inside chicken cavity. Refrigerate chicken, uncovered, at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Grill the chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Preheat a gas grill to high (450°F to 500°F) on one side, keeping other side unlit. Meanwhile, gently pat chicken dry using paper towels, taking care not to wipe off berbere paste. Let chicken rest at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes. Wash and dry outside of wine can. Open wine can, and place in center of a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Tuck wing tips behind breast to secure, and lower chicken onto wine can, inserting the can as deeply as possible into the cavity. (Wine can should stick out 1 to 2 inches from cavity.) Place skillet in middle of grill with chicken breast facing unlit side and thighs positioned toward heated side. Cover and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of breast and thighs registers 160°F to 165°F, 55 minutes to 1 hour and 5 minutes. If necessary, face chicken breast toward lit side of grill during final 10 minutes of grilling time to ensure it is fully cooked. Remove chicken and skillet from grill, and set aside. Carve the chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Using two sets of tongs, secure wine can, and lift chicken off can, taking care not to tear skin. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to a cutting board, and let rest 10 minutes; reserve drippings in skillet. Cut chicken into eight pieces; set aside, and keep warm. Cook drippings with wine Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Pour 1 cup wine from can, and reserve; discard can. Strain chicken drippings into a bowl, and discard solids. Return drippings to skillet, and add shallot; cook over medium, stirring constantly, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in reserved 1 cup wine. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is mostly evaporated, 6 to 10 minutes. Add chicken stock Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Pour 2 cups chicken stock into skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture lightly coats back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Finish sauce Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Remove skillet from heat. Whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. Whisk in thyme, lemon juice, and salt; season with additional salt to taste. Plate and serve chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Serve chicken with lettuce alongside wine sauce. To make ahead Chicken can be coated in berbere paste and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Note Berbere is an Ethiopian spice blend made from chiles and a variety of warm spices. Find it at specialty grocery stores or online from Kalustyan's. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, August 2023 Rate It Print