• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
×
Home » Grilling

Published: Jun 10, 2017 · Modified: Apr 2, 2023 by Kathy

Beer Basted BBQ Chicken

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

Crispy chicken thigh on a plate with a green salad.

Beer Basted BBQ Chicken is barbecued and basted with a butter, beer, rosemary and garlic sauce. This delicious tasting grilled chicken is a perfect recipe for your outdoor grilling.

Grilled chicken and thighs topped with fresh chopped parsley.

Grilled chicken

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. They are perfect served with Roasted Zucchini, Oven Roasted Potatoes, Santa Maria Beans and a Caesar salad or an Italian Pasta Salad.

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.

Another delicious summertime grilled chicken recipe is this Cornell Chicken from Platter Talk.

Chicken served on a white plate with a green salad.

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.

A dinner table set with grilled chicken and a green salad.

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!

A tasty option for finishing this chicken is after it comes off the grill, add a pat of Roasted Garlic Butter to each piece of chicken. The butter will melt over the chicken adding extra flavor!

More great recipes for the grill

  • Smoked Baby Back Ribs
  • Grilled Brats
  • Grilled Flank Steak 
  • Lemon Rosemary Grilled Chicken
  • Honey Lemon Chicken
  • Grilled Baby Potatoes
  • Grilled Pineapple 

If you want to BBQ, but don't have access to a grill, check out these Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Legs.

You'll also want to check out this tasty smoked whole chicken!

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my main dish recipes here!

  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken with spinach and tomatoes on a white plate.
    Creamy Tuscan Chicken
  • Easy baked spaghetti casserole in a white baking dish.
    Baked Spaghetti
  • A steak quesadilla cut into wedges and stacked on a wooden board.
    Steak Quesadilla
  • Sheet Pan Shrimp with butter, garlic, parsley and lemon.
    Sheet Pan Shrimp
Grilled chicken pieces on a white plate.

Beer Basted BBQ Chicken

Kathy Berget
Barbecued chicken basted with a beer, butter and garlic sauce.
5 from 27 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 244 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Read Thermometer
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

Sauce

  • 1 cup beer
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Chicken

  • 4 Chicken Hind Quarters
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions
 

Sauce

  • Add beer, butter, whole garlic clove and whole rosemary sprig to a small saucepan. 
    1 cup beer, ¼ cup butter, 1 clove garlic, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • Heat over low heat until butter has melted. 
  • Set aside until ready to use on chicken. 

Chicken

  • Salt and pepper chicken on both sides. 
    4 Chicken Hind Quarters, salt, pepper
  • Place chicken on a preheated barbecue grill. If using an gas grill, turn off middle burner and turn other burners to low. 
  • Flip chicken every 3-5 minutes. Watch for flare ups. Move chicken away from any flames if flare ups do occur. 
  • When chicken is about half way cooked (15 minutes) begin basting chicken with sauce. 
  • Reapply sauce when you turn chicken. 
  • When chicken is fully cooked (165°F), apply a final layer of sauce and serve. 

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. 

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 12gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 127mgPotassium: 162mgVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

 

More Grilling

  • A plate filled with BBQ wings.
    BBQ Wings (Grilled)
  • Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers on a white dinner plate.
    Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
  • Lemon Herb Chicken with lemon slices on a white plate.
    Lemon Herb Chicken
  • Teriyaki Chicken Skewers on a white platter.
    Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fred G says

    February 21, 2019 at 4:16 pm

    5 stars
    Great diner idea.

    Reply
  2. Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl) says

    June 16, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    It looks so juicy and amazing!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 18, 2017 at 5:15 am

      The beer/butter baste does keep the chicken very juicy!

      Reply
  3. stacey @ The Sugar Coated Cottage says

    June 14, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    I have to try this! The chicken looks fabulous and that skin!! So good. Take care.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 15, 2017 at 5:25 am

      I hope you do give it a try...you're gonna love it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ashley@CookNourishBliss says

    June 14, 2017 at 1:56 pm

    I am not a beer drinker at all but I LOVE to cook / bake with it! This chicken sounds fantastic!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 15, 2017 at 5:25 am

      Thanks, Ashley!

      Reply
  5. Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

    June 14, 2017 at 3:43 am

    This chicken looks so tender and juicy, Kathy. Beer + butter + garlic sound the best combo ever. I am sure it would make a great summer meal.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 15, 2017 at 5:24 am

      It is a pretty great combination of flavors.

      Reply
  6. Agness of Run Agness Run says

    June 13, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    Delightful recipe, Kathy! Can't wait to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:44 pm

      Thanks, Agness!

      Reply
  7. peter @Feed Your Soul Too says

    June 13, 2017 at 6:40 am

    Beer, butter, garlic & rosemary - I can taste it from here. Looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:44 pm

      I hope you weren't licking the screen! It's much better coming straight off the grill 🙂

      Reply
  8. Julia says

    June 13, 2017 at 6:22 am

    5 stars
    I think beer makes everything better. Beer and butter - amazing! I can almost taste the flavour combo - sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:43 pm

      Beer and butter is a perfect combination...as long as you aren't drinking it!

      Reply
  9. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    June 12, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    5 stars
    Anything basted in butter sounds pretty darn good to me!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm

      I totally agree!

      Reply
  10. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    June 12, 2017 at 6:41 am

    Hooray for summer grilling! BBQ chicken is such a delicious classic, so I love that you gave it a fancy upgrade, Kathy!! Basting it with that beer mixture is genius!! I absolutely MUST try this! Cheers, friend!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm

      I wish I could take full credit for it, but this one is Rod's invention!

      Reply
  11. David @ Spiced says

    June 12, 2017 at 5:57 am

    This chicken is making my mouth water right now, Kathy! From the looks of it, you mastered Rod's recipe, and I'm glad you did. Thanks so much for sharing this one...we grill pretty nonstop in the summer, and I need to work this into the lineup soon. The flavors sound amazing!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      I do love barbecuing when the weather is beautiful!

      Reply
  12. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    June 12, 2017 at 4:54 am

    What a delicious recipe and perfect for summer! Our grill gets lots of use during the summer months too (easy way to keep the kitchen clean 😉 ). Love the use of beer here too! Great idea :)!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      A little beer for the chicken....a little beer for me. Makes for good grilling! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    June 12, 2017 at 3:50 am

    I don't think you're missing any flavor with this dish 😉

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      Nope....packed full of flavor!

      Reply
  14. Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

    June 12, 2017 at 12:22 am

    5 stars
    Yummm this chicken looks so juicy and tender!! Can't wait to try it!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:40 pm

      Thanks, Sam! The butter and beer does help keep the chicken extra juicy!

      Reply
5 from 27 votes (23 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

More about me →

Mother's Day Favorites

  • A baked egg in a puff pastry shell with the yolk running on the plate.
    Puff Pastry Baked Eggs

  • French toast with strawberries on a blue plate.
    Baked Strawberry French Toast

  • A stack of pancakes topped with fresh fruit and syrup.
    Quinoa Pancakes

  • Skewered shrimp on a plate.
    Honey Lime Shrimp

  • Puff pastry onion tart on a wooden board.
    Onion Tart

  • A glass parfait glass filled with raspberry mousse topped with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.
    Raspberry Mousse

  • A slice of lemon poke cake on a small white plate.
    Lemon Poke Cake

  • Oreo cupcakes topped with a swirl of frosting.
    Oreo Cupcakes

Popular Recipes

  • A single muffin topped with a crumbly topping on a plate.
    Banana Oatmeal Muffins

  • Breakfast sausage cooked in the oven.
    Breakfast Sausage in Oven

  • Crispy fish fillets topped with lemon wedges.
    Pan Fried Walleye

  • Gravy pouring over a pile of mashed potatoes.
    Homemade Brown Gravy

  • Crispy fish cakes on a white platter with lemon wedges.
    Fish Cakes

  • Pasta twirled around a fork and in a large white bowl.
    Garlic Butter Pasta

Cookbooks

Two cookbooks piled on a counter.

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Disclosure Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 Beyond the Chicken Coop LLC ®

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.