Smoked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops Food

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

Steps:

• Preheat the smoker. Preheat your grill or smoker for indirect cooking at 225 degrees F.
• Make the chicken lollipops. Prepare your drumsticks by using a sharp knife to cut off the end of the drumstick leg, just under the bone joint. Press the meat down, away from the end of the exposed bone so the bone forms a handle for the lollipop.
• Wrap the chicken lollipops in bacon. Season the chicken meat on all sides with the sweet rub. Wrap each drumstick in a piece of bacon and either tuck the ends of the bacon or secure with a toothpick. Wrap the exposed bones tightly with a strip of aluminum foil.
• Smoke the bacon wrapped chicken lollipops. Place the chicken lollipops on the smoker, close the lid, and cook until they reach an internal temperature (not touching the bone with the thermometer) of 135 degrees F. At this point, increase the heat in your grill to 375 degrees F to crisp the bacon.
• Add the sauce and finish cooking. Close the lid and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Brush the lollipops on all sides of the meat with BBQ sauce. Close the lid and continue cooking until you reach an internal temperature of 185 degrees F.
• Rest and serve. Remove the lollipops to a serving platter or cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing the foil from the bones and serving.

SMOKED BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS

Steps:

• Preheat the smoker to 225F degrees for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed.
• Using a sharp knife, make a cut clean through the drumstick bone right below the joint (found at the top of the drumstick bone) Push the skin down from the bone so the bone is exposed (like a lollipop stick)
• Add cajun rub ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
• Rub the drumsticks with the seasoning thoroughly to coat.
• Place the drumsticks bone-up on a flat surface. Wrap each with a piece of bacon, slightly overlapping as you work your way down. Tuck the end of the bacon under the bacon wrap.
• Put a small piece of aluminum foil over the exposed bone (this step is for aesthetics so the bone doesn't burn.)
• Place chicken lollipops directly on the grill grate in the smoker for 2 hours at 225F degrees.
• Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F degrees, brush the chicken with your favorite bbq sauce to coat.
• Increase the heat to 375F degrees until the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of about 175F degrees. This should take about 15 minutes.
• While the chicken finishes smoking, make the avocado ranch. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and purée for 10 seconds. Alternatively, you can also add all to a bowl and whisk well to combine.
• Remove chicken from the smoker and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
• Garnish the chicken with dried parsley flakes (optional) and serve with avocao ranch dipping sauce.

SMOKED BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Brine:.
• Pour the water into a pitcher then add the salt.
• Stir until the salt is dissolved and the water returns to clear. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
• Pour the brine over the chicken breasts until covered, cover with lid or plastic wrap and place the bowl in the fridge to keep cold.
• Soak the 6 chicken breasts in a deep glass container for 2 hours flipping them over at the halfway mark to make sure they were evenly submerged.
• Preparing the Chicken Breasts:.
• After rinsing the breasts to make sure there was no extra salt on the outside of the meat, Lay the breast down in the brining bowl and cover them with rub.
• Lay 3 strips of bacon butted up against each other on a cutting board or flat surface. Lay one of the breasts across the bacon leaving enough bacon on the left side to wrap it over just a little.
• Roll the breast over a couple of times to completely wrap it in the bacon and use toothpicks to hold the bacon in place.
• Smoking the Chicken Breasts:.
• Setup the smoker for about 230 degrees for best results, and add dry and soaked wood chips.
• Once the smoker is ready, go get the chicken breasts and place them directly on the grate leaving about 1 inch of space between them to allow the smoke to completely surround them.
• Estimate about 3 hours of cook time but that will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts that you purchased.
• About 30 minutes before they are finished, brush a light coating of barbecue sauce all over the top of them.
• There done when a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.