Slow Cooker Orange Beer Chicken is a great combination of flavors – your chicken will be a hit with any crowd! Throw on the grill too, so versatile!
Orange Beer Chicken … It’s delish – and I don’t drink beer. The beer gave the chicken a really nice flavor and didn’t allow the orange juice to make it too sweet. It turned out to be a really nice combination.
I love this dish because it really can be used in your slow cooker or on your grill. It’s a great summer meal that will keep you from having to heat up the kitchen!
As with any marinade type dish – the longer the chicken sits in the sauce the more flavor it will have. If you are cooking it in the slow cooker (as I did) then you really don’t need to marinade it – it cooks all day low and slow and absorbs TONS of the flavor. If you are going to grill the chicken – then I would definitely let it sit for 24 hours before grilling. You’re going to love this! I know that I did.
Oh, and if you’re not a drinker – that’s ok. Get a “near” beer – a non-alcohalic beer and use that instead. We aren’t using the beer for alcohol, we are using it for the flavor. And non-alcoholic beer has come a long way with the flavor.
The beer I used is Bell’s Oberon. I realize it’s not available every where so I was not specific in the recipe. I would suggest something like a summer wheat beer – a Blue Moon and Leinenkugal Sunset Wheat, a Sierra Nevada Summer Ale – all of these are good choices!
Definitely serve Orange Beer Chicken with:
Quick Mini Cheddar Cheese Loaves
{copycat} Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Slow Cooker Orange Beer Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs
- 1 12 ounce bottle of beer
- 1 12 ounce can of frozen orange juice concentrate
- 8 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp of basil
Instructions
- For Slow cooker place chicken into slow cooker, combine the rest of the ingredients and stir then pour over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours
- For Grill Place chicken in zip bag, combine other ingredients and pour into bag. Marinade about 24 hours and grill until chicken is thoroughly cooked
- For Freezer meal Place chicken in bag. Combine ingredients and pour into bag with chicken. Freeze. Thaw over night in fridge for slow cooker, thaw completely for grilling
I’m not a huge fan of chicken on the bone. Can I use chicken breasts instead? Thank you for the great site!
absolutely – 🙂 It would be delish!
OMG I will have to try this! Any other beer recipes you have?!
haha 🙂
http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/11/spinach-feta-beer-bread/
http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/12/cheesy-beer-bread/
http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/10/spiced-cream-cheese-frosted-pumpkin-ale-cupcakes/
I was VERY skeptical when I read this recipe, however………………………when I made it…….
VERY, VERY good. My take on it, though:
I think 4 cloves of garlic will be enough.
WATCH YOUR SLOW COOKER!!! I have a 3 1/2 qt Cuisinart, and the meat was falling off the bone at 5 hrs. If folks have the same model as I do, I’d use SIMMER and check at, oh about 6 1/2 hrs
I’d use 8 oz of beer, next time Newcastle Brown Ale
…here’s my kicker….strain the cooking stock, add a light splash of soy sauce, take a generous 1/3rd of that ,and reduce it by half, then put the whole smash over the chicken with steamed rice….YIPE good, IMHO……
bottom line…..DEFINITELY try this !!!! Gonna do it again!!!!! Thanks for an absurdly simple recipe. And a ton of leftovers for us single types!!!!!!!
YEA 🙂 I’m glad you liked it….and yes all slow cooker are NOT created equal;)
Do you think ginger ale would be a good substitute for the beer?
Ginger Ale would work (but be on the sweeter side)…maybe a ginger beer? (not real beer) let me know what you use!