Sweet Heat Coke Can Chicken

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

Steps

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 7

  Brush chicken with additional sweet heat glaze right before it finishes cooking.
• 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.
• 9

  Cut chicken into pieces and serve topped with any remaining glaze.