Beer Basted BBQ Chicken

Chicken barbecued and basted with a butter, beer, rosemary and garlic sauce.

Summertime is grilling time! I love using our grill all year round, but during the summer time, our grill gets used almost every day! These beer basted BBQ chicken quarters are super delicious and are frequently on our summer menu.

Rod is the real grill master in our house, but sometimes I have to step up to the grill and get dinner on the table. This recipe for Beer Basted BBQ Chicken is one of his standby recipes.

I decided to see if I could replicate it last week while he was with the boys at a soccer tournament.

The beer baste consists of butter, garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and… you guessed it….beer! It is brushed on the chicken while it is cooking and it is pure deliciousness! You could substitute thyme for the rosemary if you wanted.

I used chicken hind quarters but you could use any cut of chicken. When grilling chicken, use a low, indirect heat. On my gas grill, I turn off the middle burner and keep the other two on low. This helps avoid flare ups, but you do need to keep an eye on your chicken and move it around if you do get a flare up.

Start adding the basting sauce when the chicken is about half way done. You just baste on the sauce and let the chicken cook. I reapply about every five minutes when I turn the chicken.

What is Basting?

Basting is taking juices and fat and pouring it over the top of the chicken while cooking. The juices in this recipe is beer and the fat is butter! While the chicken is cooking you begin brushing the butter mixture over the top of the chicken. This helps seal in the chicken’s natural juices and adds extra moisture and flavor.

If you like cooking with beer, here are some of my favorite recipes – Beer Battered Fish, Beer and Cheddar Bread and Beer Can Chicken!

5 from 3 votes

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Beer Basted BBQ Chicken

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Barbecued chicken basted with a beer, butter and garlic sauce.

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Basted BBQ chicken, BBQ chicken with beer, BBQ chicken with butter and beer, grilled chicken recipe

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 244 kcal

Author: Kathy

Ingredients

Sauce

• 1 cup beer
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Chicken

• 4 Chicken Hind Quarters
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Sauce

1. Add beer, butter, whole garlic clove and whole rosemary sprig to a small saucepan. 

2. Heat over low heat until butter has melted. 

3. Set aside until ready to use on chicken. 

Chicken

1. Salt and pepper chicken on both sides. 

2. Place chicken on a preheated barbecue grill. If using an gas grill, turn off middle burner and turn other burners to low. 

3. Flip chicken every 5 minutes. Watch for flareups. Move chicken away from any flames if flareups do occur. 

4. When chicken is about half way cooked (15 minutes) begin basting chicken with sauce. 

5. Reapply sauce every 5 minutes, when you turn chicken. 

6. When chicken is fully cooked, apply a final layer of sauce and serve. 

Recipe Notes

Any cut of chicken works for this dish.

Can substitute fresh thyme for the rosemary.

Cooking time varies depending on the size of your chicken pieces and the temperature of your grill. 

Nutrition Facts

Beer Basted BBQ Chicken

Amount Per Serving

Calories 244 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Cholesterol 94mg 31%

Sodium 127mg 5%

Potassium 162mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 1g 0%

Protein 12g 24%

Vitamin A 5.9%

Vitamin C 0.2%

Calcium 0.8%

Iron 2.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Other Great Recipes to Try

Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken 

Zucchini and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken Salad