Today Show: Sunny Anderson Glazed BBQ Root Beer Chicken Recipe

Today Show: Sunny Anderson

You’ve heard of Beer Can Chicken, but you probably don’t know Root Beer Chicken. Sunny Anderson shared this idea on Today Show as part of a tailgating menu that also included Chili Pie in a Bag and Nacho Cheese Hot Dogs.

Today Show: Sunny Anderson Glazed BBQ Root Beer Chicken Recipe Ingredients

“That’s a root beer can inside of a chicken and then a root beer barbecue glaze,” Sunny Anderson said. “I think I can make a barbecue sauce out of anything.”

Rub Ingredients

• 4 tbsp soft Unsalted Butter
• Zest of 2 Limes
• 2 Whole Chickens (remove gizzards and necks)
• 1 tbsp stripped, chopped Thyme
• Salt & Pepper

Glaze Ingredients

• 2 cups Root Beer
• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2 cloves grated Garlic
• 1 pierced Ghost Pepper (or use Habanero Pepper)
• 2/3 cup Ketchup
• 2” fresh Ginger (cut in 1/4” discs)
• 2 tbsp Lime Juice

Sunny Anderson: Today Show Root Beer Chicken Recipe Directions

1. Combine rub ingredients. Loosen the chicken skin and rub the buttery mixture underneath it.
2. Combine root beer with sugar, garlic, ketchup, ginger, and lime juice in a pot on medium high.
3. Whisk until it starts to boil. Ketchup and sugar should dissolve.
4. Reduce to simmer. Once it starts to thicken, turn off the heat and add the Ghost Pepper.
5. Let ginger and pepper steep for about 10 minutes before removing them. Stir the finished sauce.
6. Turn the burner on under one side of your grill. Keep the lid closed during preheating.
7. Place root beer cans on the opposite side, over indirect heat.
8. Place the cavity opening of the chicken over the root beer can. It should be able to stand up on its own. Repeat this with the second chicken and can.
9. Close the lid and grill about 25 minutes. Open the lid to rotate chickens before closing and cooking another 25 minutes, or to an internal temperature of 155-160 F.
10. Glaze chickens during the final five or 10 minutes of cooking; reserve some glaze for serving.
11. Remove chickens from grill and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest about 15 minutes.
12. Carve and serve chicken. Optionally, serve shredded chicken tossed in leftover glaze.