Muffin Pan Chicken Stacks

I have had a cold for a week now so I haven’t cooked much. I did do a pork sirloin roast that didn’t come out the way I wanted so I didn’t bother posting it. I wanted to try something different in my muffin pan so I thought this one up. I would layer chicken breasts, onions, & red peppers, on a slice of bacon for a chicken stack.

I bought a package of 3 skinless, boneless breast halves. I had planned to flatten the breasts & cut to get 12 slices for my 6 cup muffin pan. I had drilled 3 holes for drainage in each cup earlier to do chicken thighs. When I was ready to do the breasts they were like sized so just sliced each half length wise, about ½ inch thickness; then cut in half crosswise. This gave me the 12 slices I needed.

I marinated half in Lawry’s Mexican Chili Lime marinade, & the other half I drizzled with red wine vinegar & some Penzey’s Galena Street chicken rub. In the fridge for an hour before assembling the stacks. I suppose it’s a little silly to use skinless breasts then replace it with bacon! Well the bacon sure makes chicken taste better!!

I assembled the stacks about an hour before cook time, a slice of bacon, a chicken slice, a ¼ inch slice of onion, a slice of red bell pepper, another slice of chicken; then fold the bacon over & secure with a couple presoaked tooth picks. It’s best to do 3 at a time, I did 3 on one side with the marinade then the other 3 with the seasoning, so I could keep them separate. These went back in the fridge for another half hour, while I fired up my smoker.

I figured on an hour & half, ½ hour at 225 deg, then finish at 300 or higher. After ½ hour at 225 deg I went to 300 deg. I removed them from the pan & on the grill after the ½ hour at 300 deg & inserted a temp probe in one. My sides were some pecan wild & long grain rice & frozen fresh peas so I got them cooking to be done with the chicken. After 45 min at 300 deg the bacon needed browned up some so went to 375 deg for the last 25 min. So cook time was a total of one hour 40 min. IT was at 160 deg which was actually in the center where the onion & peppers were. Bacon was crisp & chicken plenty done.

I served my wife & I one each of the flavored stacks, & some rice with peas over top. We both thought the Penzey’s seasoned ones were best; the chili lime marinade didn’t add much taste. I think these would also be good with a BBQ sauce over top or some other good sauce. The onions I used were some sweet onions from Peru & they are about as good as Vidalia onions.

Marinade & Rice

Chicken Slices

Onions & Peppers

Making up the Stacks

Ready for the Smoker

On the grill & Ready

My Plate

Smokin Don