Smoked Chicken Lollipops

Smoked Chicken Lollipops Recipe

Smoked Chicken Lollipops Recipe

In the KCBS competition world skin-on, bone-in thighs are the norm for the chicken category. I’ve been turning in thighs for a while now, but many times last year, I heard of people winning the category with Smoked Chicken Lollipops. I knew that it had to be something special besides the traditional “drumstick”, so with a little research, it led me to the chicken lollipop. ) What is a Smoked Chicken Lollipops? The chicken lollipop is a “frenched” chicken leg. The meat is cut loose from the small end and pushed down creating a “lollipop” look. The leg bone is left clean and creates the “stick”. Chicken Lollipop trimmed To turn regular chicken legs into lollipops you’ll need a sharp knife and a pair of kitchen shears. Make a cut completely around the lower part of the leg just below the knuckle cutting through the skin and tendons. Push the meat down to the large end and pull the remaining skin and cartilage off the knuckle. I’ve found it helps to use a dish towel for extra grip. There’s a tiny bone right against the leg that needs to be removed. It can be sharp, so be careful not to ram it into your hand while pushing down on the meat. Remove this bone with your fingers or the shears, and trim away the tendons sticking out the top. You can remove the skin if you want, but for contests, we’re judged on bite-through skin. Judges will be looking for it. The skin is often the deciding factor in the chicken score. The meat can be perfectly cooked, but if the skin is rubbery, your entry will be marked down. Smoked Chicken Lollipop rubbed To season the Smoked Chicken Lollipops I start with a dusting of my Killer Hog’s AP Rub. It’s a combination of Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and a few other ingredients. Or you can create a simply version using the following ratio (add whatever seasonings and spices you want to make it your own).
  • 1 part salt
  • ½ part granulated garlic
  • ¼ part black pepper
Next I layer on Killer Hog’s The BBQ Rub. I give it a good dose for flavor and color. One last step is to cover the exposed bones with a small piece of aluminum foil. This will prevent the bones from turning black during cooking, and will help your appearance score in the end. Smoked Chicken Lollipops drumsticks Let the chicken sit for 30 minutes at room temperature while the smoker is coming up to temperature. At the house and in contests I’m using a Yoder YS480 pellet smoker. It’s set for 300 degrees running BBQr’s Delight Apple pellets. Hint: Chicken needs to cook at a higher temp for the skin to be bite-through. If you’re struggling with rubbery skin, crank up the heat to 275-300. This will improve your scores. While the cooker is heating, place a stick of butter in a ½ size aluminum pan. Go ahead and set the pan inside the cooker, so it has time to melt. The butter adds flavor and moisture to the cooking process, but it doesn’t need to cover the chicken. Smoked Chicken Lollipops drumsticks in a butter bath Once the smoker is up to temp, place the Chicken Lollipops in the pan with the bones sticking up straight. Close the lid and let it cook for 2 hours. After 2 hours the internal temperature should be in the 165-170 range. Dark meat is done at 175 and that’s just enough time to glaze the Smoked Chicken Lollipops. Smoked Chicken Lollipops drumsticks dipped in sauce For the glaze I use Killer Hog’s The BBQ Sauce. Warm a small pot of sauce just until it starts to thin. Be sure to remove the aluminum foil and dip the entire lollipop in the warm sauce. I use a chicken rack inside a half pan to keep the mess down. The rack makes it easy to transport the chicken all at once back to the smoker. lollipop chicken drumsticks on smoker Continue cooking the Smoked Chicken Lollipops for 30 minutes until the glaze is set. You’ll want to keep an eye on it, to prevent the glaze from burning. The final temperature should be 175 when you pull the legs off the pit. As you can see the final product looks great. The sauce is caramelized and the skin is bite-through. chicken lollipop drumsticks If you’re looking for a different way to smoke chicken legs give this method a try. I’ll be working these into my chicken arsenal this year! Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram Buy Killer Hogs Products Here Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Find me on Google+ Follow me on Instagram Buy Killer Hogs Products Here Smoked Chicken Lollipops

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12 responses to “Smoked Chicken Lollipops Recipe”

  1. William Hough says:

    Looks good…

  2. Pamela Pitts says:

    Hi, I want to know if I can use my barbecue grill since I don’t have a Yoder?

  3. Lloyd Rowe says:

    That looks amazing
    I’ve got to try this!

  4. Dom Korbel says:

    Malcom, great video!

    DId lollipops for first time today! My cook was perfect as far as temp and they were juicy and tender, however I still was not able to get the bite through skin on them. Any tips?

  5. alexm says:

    I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow. Thank you!!

  6. Stephen Warner says:

    Trying it today

  7. Jonathan Williams says:

    I love your channel. I watch and have tried most on your recipes. My wife and families thinks I’m a professional grill chef. They don’t know I have a competition grill chef as a mentor. Thanks!

  8. Mike Beason says:

    My boys requested these for Super Bowl Sunday. Made them once before and they were a hit!

  9. Troy says:

    Made these yesterday for ncaa bball tourney party. I only got one to try myself. Had people that said they don’t like chicken legs end up raving about them. Used your killer hogs vinegar sauce. They were a hit.

  10. Dom Korbel says:

    Hey there Malcom,

    I can see above I posted on here just over a year ago=-) I have used this method about 6-8 times in the last year for friends and family and they are an absolute hit. The visual wow factor always makes me look like a “fancy” chef which is pretty funny!

    My question is why don’t more competition teams go with lollipops versus thighs to stand out from the competition even a tiny bit?

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