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Drunken Church Chicken

Drunken Church Chicken

Not to be taken literally, Drunken Church Chicken puts a twist on the old school method of cooking chicken over an open flame, mopping often, for a juicy chicken with crispy skin and all the flavor you could want.
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Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 9 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beer can chicken, chicken, church chicken, cornell chicken, drunken church chicken, fireman chicken, shenandoah valley chicken, southern church chicken, state fair chicken, virginia barbecue chicken
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 310kcal
Cost: $30

Equipment

  • Grill or Smoker

Ingredients

For the Marinade

  • 8 Chicken quarters
  • 8 Chicken legs
  • 1 cup Vegetable oil
  • 4 cups Apple cider vinegar
  • 4 Lemons Juiced
  • 2 bottles Bell's Oberon beer (or your choice of beer)
  • 2 TBSP Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
  • 2 TBSP Song Bird chicken seasoning

For the Mop Sauce

  • 1 cup Vegetable oil
  • 4 cups Apple cider vinegar
  • 4 Lemons Juiced
  • 1 bottle Bell's Oberon beer (or your choice of beer)
  • 2 TBSP Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
  • 2 TBSP Song Bird chicken seasoning

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, the juice from 4 lemons, beer, Kosher salt, red pepper flakes, and Song Bird rub until the salt dissolves and the seasonings are well incorporated.
  • Place your chicken quarters and legs into a large Cambro container or Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over it, making sure all of the meat is submerged.
  • Place into the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  • When you are ready to cook, fire up your grill or smoker to 350 degrees using direct heat. I like pecan wood with chicken.
  • While your grill is coming up to temperature, mix up another batch of the same sauce you used for your marinade. This will be your mop sauce, so set aside. Don't just re-use the marinade.
  • Once your smoker is ready, place your chicken quarters and legs onto the grate. Also put the juiced lemons onto the coals. Close the lid and smoke for about 30 minutes. You just want to give it a subtle smoke.
  • Open up the lid and start mopping with your mop sauce. Keep the lid open and mop every 10-15 minutes, flipping the chicken each time.
  • Keep going until your chicken reaches at least 165 internal temperature. You may have to rotate your chicken around the grill to keep from charring too much, depending on where your hot spots are.
  • Once it reaches 165 and the skin is nice and crispy and charred but not burnt, you're done. Pull it and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Quarter | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 690mg | Sugar: 1g
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