Cilantro Lime Beer Can Chicken Tacos

Juicy and tender beer can chicken marinated in a flavorful cilantro lime marinade and served on warm tortillas with a quick slaw. A beer can chicken recipe that you’ll make over and over again!

This recipe is sponsored by ALDI. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Beer can chicken is one of my favorite foods to grill in the summer because it’s incredibly easy to prepare and delicious! It always turns out juicy and moist, and I come out looking like a pro every time I make it.

To get the chicken as flavorful as possible, it’s tossed in a heavily seasoned cilantro lime marinade and then grilled with an entire beer can stuck in the cavity to help keep it extra moist while it cooks.

The result is a tender, fall-off-the-bone, finger-licking good chicken that you’ll want to make again and again.

It’s truly the ultimate summer grilling recipe!

All of the ingredients in this recipe were purchased at ALDI, including the Simply Nature Fresh Organic Whole Chicken, the Hopping Nomad Session IPA Beer, and all the fresh produce used in the marinade as well as the quick slaw for the tacos!

If you’re not shopping at ALDI, you are missing out. They have a huge selection of high-quality and affordable organic produce, meat and poultry, and everything you need for the perfect summer BBQ feast including beer and wine!

And don’t even get me started on their snacks.

ALDI is a literal one-stop shop that you can shop at in store or online via curbside pickup or delivery.

Beer Can Chicken Marinade

For this recipe, I used a 4.5 pound Simply Nature Fresh Organic Whole Chicken from ALDI. To prep it, just remove and discard the neck and giblets that are typically stuffed in the cavity, then pat it dry with paper towels and place it in a zip-top storage bag.

For the marinade, I used a mixture of fresh cilantro, onion, olive oil, lime zest and juice, fresh garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, chili powder, ground cumin, and black pepper. I pulsed it a few times in a food processor until it was fairly smooth (you could also do this in a blender), then poured it into the zip top bag with the chicken to marinate it.

How long to marinate

To get the flavors infused into the chicken as much as possible, I recommend marinating it for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

I tested this recipe with an 8 hour marinating time as well as a 24 hour marinating time, and both were absolutely delicious and full of that cilantro lime flavor, so you can’t go wrong with either amount of time.

How to grill beer can chicken

Once the chicken is finished marinating, remove it from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade.

Now comes the fun (and weird) part – sticking the beer can in the chicken! You’ll need a half-empty can of beer. You can drink half of it (my preferred method) or just dump half of it. Then stick the half-empty can inside the cavity of the chicken so that the chicken is sitting upright.

To preheat the grill, light the burners (or charcoal) on only one side of the grill so that one side is hot and one side is a little cooler. Then place the chicken with the beer can on the cool side of the grill so that it isn’t directly over the heat. Close the lid of the grill and cook for a total of about 2 hours, rotating the chicken halfway through so that it cooks evenly.

You’ll know the chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.

What beer is best for beer can chicken?

An affordable beer that’s refreshing and perfect for sipping on hot summer days is best. A pilsner, lager, kolsch, or low ABV session IPA are all great options.

I used a can of Hopping Nomad Session IPA from ALDI and it was perfect!

Beer can chicken tacos

When serving this chicken in tacos, you need a crunchy element like this quick cabbage slaw. It’s made with fresh produce I got at ALDI including cabbage, carrots, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper. It’s super simple to make and gives that much needed crunch that is perfect in every taco bite.

If you’ve never shopped at ALDI, they have a wide selection of fresh produce with prices that just can’t be beat, including a growing organic produce section! They carry everything from avocados and tomatoes to berries and squash. I can typically find all the produce I need for my family in one ALDI trip, which is incredibly important.

I chose to use corn tortillas for these tacos because I think they’re the perfect little vehicle for grilled chicken, but you can also use flour tortillas if you prefer.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Me and my husband are obsessed with it and have both said that this is one of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever made.

If you make this recipe, please let us know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below. Thank you for all your support!