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Sweet Heat Coke™ Can Chicken

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Macheesmo
Updated Apr 21, 2017
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You’ve heard of beer can chicken, right? Allow us to introduce you to its sweeter cousin. This Coke™ can chicken is spicy, sweet and perfectly moist, thanks to a hidden can of soda.

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.

Sweet Heat Coke™ Can Chicken

  • Prep Time 15 min
  • Total 1 hr 30 min
  • Servings 4
  • Ingredients 4
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Ingredients

Sweet Heat Glaze

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup Sriracha
  • 1 can (12 oz) Coca-Cola™
  • 3 1/2- to 4-lb roaster chicken

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Pour contents of Coca-Cola™ can into a small pot and heat until steaming (do not boil). Pour warm (again, not boiling) soda back into can until it’s about half full, discarding the rest of the liquid.
  • Step 
    2
    Combine honey and Sriracha to make the sweet heat glaze, and set aside half for later. Pour remaining glaze over a whole chicken, rubbing thoroughly over the entire bird to coat on all sides.
  • Step 
    3
    Insert the half-full soda can into the chicken cavity, standing the chicken upright on the can. We recommend wrapping kitchen twine around the chicken to secure it and ensure even cooking.
  • Step 
    4
    TO GRILL: Prepare grill for indirect heat. If you’re using charcoal, scoot hot coals to one side of the grill. If you’re using gas, leave one burner off, which is where the chicken will sit so it isn’t exposed to direct heat. Place the chicken and Coke™ can on your grill (carefully!) and cover the grill. Every 15 minutes, rotate the chicken a quarter turn to ensure even cooking. If the skin on the chicken is getting too dark, cover it with foil to prevent burning.
  • Step 
    5
    TO ROAST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Move the oven racks to the lowest settings so there is room inside for the chicken to stand upright. Place prepared chicken in a roasting pan and bake, rotating the chicken after 25 to 30 minutes to make sure it cooks evenly. If any areas start to brown too quickly, cover them with foil to prevent burning.
  • Step 
    6
    Whichever method you use, cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh and breast. It should take about 1 hour for either method, but a meat thermometer is the only way to know.
  • Step 
    7
    Brush chicken with additional sweet heat glaze right before it finishes cooking.
  • Step 
    8
    Let chicken rest for 15 minutes after you remove it from the oven or grill. It should be cool enough to remove the soda can at that point. Use some paper towels or a clean dish towel to remove the can, being careful not to spill any of the hot liquid.
  • Step 
    9
    Cut chicken into pieces and serve topped with any remaining glaze.

Nutrition

490 Calories
24g Total Fat
47g Protein
21g Total Carbohydrate
20g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
490
Calories from Fat
210
Total Fat
24g
36%
Saturated Fat
7g
33%
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
150mg
51%
Sodium
560mg
23%
Potassium
460mg
13%
Total Carbohydrate
21g
7%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
20g
Protein
47g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
15%
15%
Vitamin C
4%
4%
Calcium
4%
4%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 6 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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