Brazilian Beer Chicken

diner524's Note:

Another recipe I found in Steven Raichlen's "The Barbecue Bible" and this is what he states about the recipe: "The United States isn’t the only place where beer and barbecue are inextricably interwoven. In Rio de Janeiro, I came across this savory grilled chicken, which owes its exceptional succulence to a two-day bath in beer. Try, if possible, to find a Brazilian beer if you can: Antarctica (a pilsener-style brew) will produce a mild-flavored chicken; Xingu Black Beer (a dark bitter stout) will produce a bird with a rich, malty flavor. Serve with Crazy Rice or Brazilian Black Beans with Bacon. Note: Time doesn't include the 6 - 48 hours for marinating.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 cups beer
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon paprika, sweet
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
• salt, coarse (kosher or sea)

Directions:

1. Combine the beer, oil, mustard, paprika, and pepper in a large nonreactive bowl and whisk thoroughly to blend. Stir in the onion, garlic, and bay leaves.
2. Rinse the chicken pieces under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Add to the marinade in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 6 hours or up to 2 days (the longer the better), turning the pieces occasionally.
3. Preheat the grill, using the two-tiered method.
4. When ready to cook, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and blot dry. Season the pieces generously with salt. Oil the grill grate and arrange the chicken, skin side down, on the grate over the hotter section of the grill and cook. During the first 10 minutes only, brush several times with the reserved marinade.
5. Transfer the chicken pieces to serving plates and serve immediately.

Reviews

[loof]

Great marinade for chicken! I used Sam Adams Winter Lager and marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts for about 30 hours. The chicken grilled up very moist with great flavor. I'd like to try this on a whole chicken too. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

[breezermom]

I cut this down for one serving and used a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast that weighed about 1 pound. I cut the marinade down to a third, and marinaded for 20 hours. I did lift the skin off the breast so the marinade would get into the meat...also poked through the meat with a fork so it would absorb the flavor. This chicken was so moist and delicious! I sort of questioned cooking skin side down at first, but this made for a really dark, crispy skin that I enjoyed eating! I did marinade again (under the skin) after the 10 minute mark, and turned the skin side up. Stuck some of the sliced garlic up under the skin too! Just loved this.

[Queen Dana]

This was wonderful marinade. I used bone-in chicken breasts and grilled outdoors. I basted a couple of times while grilling and the chicken came out very moist and flavorful.