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For Killer Hogs BBQ Sauce, Rub and Competition BBQ equipment, visit: howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/
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".
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. There's a tiny bone right against the leg that needs to be removed. Remove this bone with your fingers or the shears, and trim away the tendons sticking out the top.
To season the lollipops I start with a dusting of my All Purpose seasoning "The General". Next I layer on The BBQ Rub. howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/ 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.
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.
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. Once the smoker is up to temp, place the 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 lollipops.
For the glaze I use Killer Hogs "The BBQ Sauce". howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/ Be sure to remove the aluminum foil and dip the entire lollipop in the warm sauce.
Continue cooking the 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.
For more how-to recipes visit: howtobbqright.com/
For Killer Hogs BBQ Sauce, Rub and Competition BBQ equipment, visit: howtobbqright.com/bbqshop/