Sweet Heat Coke™ Can Chicken

More About This Recipe

• Roasting or grilling a full chicken is one of my favorite showstopper meals. The truth is that it’s really easy to do, but people are always impressed. One trick I like to use to make the process even easier is to roast or grill the chicken with a can of liquid in the cavity of the bird. It might sound crazy, but you can stand the chicken upright on the can up the chicken right on the can and it keeps the chicken really moist as it cooks. To take it up yet another notch, I used a quick “sweet heat” (Sriracha and honey) glaze for this version and the results are pretty incredible. While I prefer to grill my chicken, you can absolutely roast it in the oven as well. Either way you’ll end up with great results. When it comes to prepping the chicken, be sure to pour off about half of the liquid in the can of Coca-Cola™. You don’t need a full can of liquid for this to work and using just half will mean the liquid heats faster and there’s less of a chance of spilling. Another trick I like is to actually pour out the soda (or beer) and warm it up on the stovetop before you cook. Then pour it back into the can. It gives the liquid a little heat boost so it evaporates faster while the chicken roasts. As always, whether you are grilling or roasting this beauty, the best way to know when it’s done is with a meat thermometer. In general a four pound chicken should be done in about an hour, but please check it to make sure it hits 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast. Nothing will ruin a showstopper roast chicken like uncooked meat. Get a few steps right though, and you’ll be left with a beautifully spicy, sweet, and moist bird.