SMOKED STELLA ARTOIS CHICKEN LOLLIES RECIPE - (4.7/5)

Steps:

• Smoked chicken lollies are named due to the built-in handle on chicken legs. Push the meat up to the top and smoke them for a great way to eat smoked chicken. Smoker Temp: 225°F Meat Finish Temp: 165°F Recommended Wood: Cherry What You'll Need Make the Lollipops Rinse the chicken legs under cold water. Lay one of the chicken legs on the cutting board or other hard surface to begin turning it into a lollipop. Using a sharp knife, make a cut all the way around the chicken, down to the bone, just below the knuckle. Holding the bone in one hand, pull all of the chicken meat down to one end away from the knuckle. Clean up the bone just a little bit removing any stray fat or meat and snipping off any tendons that might be sticking out beyond the ball of meat. The first couple of chicken legs might be a little slow going but you'll get the hang of it quickly and the rest of them should go a lot faster. Place all of the "cleaned up" chicken legs into a bowl or large ziptop bag for seasoning. Season the Chicken If you want to use a sticking agent, mayonnaise works really well on chicken. I just used the rub by itself in this particular batch but I often use mayonnaise, olive oil or mustard to create a nice sticky surface that the rub can adhere to. Once you are ready for the rub, pour on about ¼ cup of Jeff's rub and stir the chicken around to make sure it's well coated. A more methodical way to season these chicken legs is to lay a single layer of chicken legs into the bowl, sprinkle with seasoning, flip them over and sprinkle the other side with seasoning. Lay down a 2nd layer and repeat. Continue this same process until all of the chicken has been thoroughly coated with rub. Place a lid on the container or zip it closed and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to seep into the skin and meat of the chicken. You can also leave the seasoned chicken in the fridge overnight if time allows. Once the chicken is done marinating, remove from the fridge and proceed. Cover the Handles with Foil To keep the handles (bones) from burning and turning dark, cover them with foil. It is easier, in my opinion, to cut enough squares of foil before you get started wrapping. Wrap each handle in foil and lay the finished legs onto a smoke rack or cookie sheet for easy transport to and from the smoker. The chicken is now ready to cook! Get the Smoker Ready This step can easily be done while the chicken is marinating in the fridge. Fire up the smoker (or plug it in if you have an electric model) and set it up to smoke cook at about 225°F. You can definitely cook hotter if you want to but as with most small things, I like to cook low and slow to make sure and get plenty of smoke flavor time. If your smoker has a water pan installed from the factory, be sure to use it. It helps to keep the temperature stable and creates a barrier between the heat and the food. Once the smoker is up to temperature and holding steady, it's time to cook. Smoke the Chicken Lollipops Place the chicken directly on the smoker grate or if you used the smoker rack, just lay the entire rack of chicken on the smoker grate. Maintain 225 °F for about 2 hours or until the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 °F using a digital meat thermometer. Smoke Wood I used cherry wood for this chicken and kept the smoke going the full 2 hours. You can use any smoking wood and it will work fine. Some of my favorites are Mesquite, Pecan, apple and of course cherry. There is no reason, in my opinion, to soak wood chips/chunks before using them. I get better results and better smoke flavor by using the wood completely dry. Saucing the Chicken If you want to sauce the chicken, brush it on about 30 minutes before the chicken is finished cooking. To glaze the chicken while it cooks, take 1 part Jeff's sauce and add it to 1 part Stella Beer, Red Wine, water, juice (cherry juice is great if you can find it), or other liquid. Mix well to make a really flavorful and beautiful glaze. These chicken legs were glazed several times during the cooking/smoking process: Finishing Up Once the smoked chicken lollipops have reached 165 °F, remove them from the smoker and remove the foil from around the handles. Serve the smoked chicken lollipops immediately or you can also place it in a pan covered with foil and into a warm oven to hold it for an hour or so until dinner.