Kasslerhähnchen (Brined Smoked Chicken Legs) – Juicy & Smoky
Chicken legs cured like Kassler and hot smoked. Juicy, with a lightly crisp skin.
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In this post, I’ll show you how to make Kasslerhähnchen yourself: brined smoked chicken legs. For this I cure chicken legs (or just the thighs) exactly like a Kassler, in a spiced brine with caraway, mustard seeds and coriander, and then hot smoke them. The skin gets lightly crisp and the meat stays really juicy. The work itself takes about 30 minutes. The rest is at least 3 days in the fridge (about 6-7 days if you don’t inject the brine) and about 2 hours in the smoker, depending on the size of your pieces.
For me this is a nice change when curing. If you’d rather stay with pork, have a look at my Kassler Kamm, or try poultry the cooked way with my turkey ham. More chicken from me: chicken in a jar and my poultry bologna. I explain how curing works in detail in my guide to curing meat, and all the basics of brined ham are in my cooked ham recipe.
Here you can find the complete Kasslerhähnchen recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Kasslerhähnchen – What do you need to make it?
Ingredients per 1 kg
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| chicken legs (or just the thighs) | 1,000 g | 100 % |
Spices for 1 litre of brine
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| Brine per 1 liter | |
| saltIm Shop | 110 g |
| sugar | 20 g |
| Cure #1Im Shop | 10 g |
| black pepperIm Shop | 8 g |
| carawayIm Shop | 4 g |
| mustard seeds | 4 g |
| coriander | 4 g |
| garlic granules | 2.5 g |
| bay leaves | 2 pc |
| water | 1 L |
| juniper berries | 1 g |
How much brine you need depends on the weight of your meat: for chicken legs with the bone in, you need 25 % of the meat weight, for boneless pieces 20 %. So for 1 kg of chicken legs with bone, that’s 250 g of brine.
The equipment to make Kasslerhähnchen
Brine injector
With the brine injector you get the brine right into the chicken legs, so they are cured after at least 3 days. No injector? Then simply put the pieces into the brine. The curing then takes about 6-7 days.
Smoker
You need the smoker to dry and hot smoke your Kasslerhähnchen: first at 50 °C (122 °F) without smoke, then at 85 °C (185 °F) with smoke and finally at 125 °C (257 °F) until the core temperature is reached.
Meat thermometer
The time in the smoker depends on the size of the pieces, so you go by the core temperature. Chicken legs and thighs are done at 80-85 °C (176-185 °F), chicken breast at 75 °C (167 °F).
For my other recommendations, see my complete sausage-making equipment guide.
Make Brined Smoked Chicken Legs – Step-By-Step Instructions
Let the brine cool down and weigh it
Let the brine cool down completely. Then weigh your chicken legs and weigh out the brine you need for them: 25 % of the meat weight with the bone in, 20 % without.
Important: The brine has to be cold before it touches the meat.
Inject the chicken legs
Inject part of the weighed brine into each chicken leg at several spots with the brine injector. Injecting cuts the curing time to at least 3 days.
You don’t have a brine injector? No problem! Then skip this step and just lay the pieces into the weighed brine. That works too, the curing just takes longer: about 6-7 days.
Put the legs into the bag with the brine
Put the chicken legs into a resealable bag together with the rest of the weighed brine.
Seal the bag and let it cure
Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and seal it. Tip: Write the date you started on it. Then the bag goes into the fridge. Injected legs need at least 3 days in the brine, pieces you did not inject about 6-7 days. Mine were injected and stayed in the brine for 3 days.
Put the chicken legs on the rack or hang them
After the curing time, take the chicken legs out of the bag. Depending on your smoker, lay them on a grill rack with a little space between them or hang them up on butcher’s twine, and put them into the smoker. It’s best to put your meat thermometer into the thickest leg right away.
Dry them at 50 °C (122 °F)
Preheat the smoker to 50 °C (122 °F), still without smoke, and let the chicken legs dry in it for about 20-30 minutes, until the surface is dry.
Smoke them at 85 °C (185 °F)
Raise the temperature to 85 °C (185 °F) and smoke the legs for 45 minutes. Important: If the legs are lying on the rack, turn them over every now and then.
Raise to 125 °C (257 °F) until the core temperature is reached
Then raise the temperature to 125 °C (257 °F) and keep going until the core temperature is reached. I smoke at 85 °C (185 °F) first and then turn the heat up, because otherwise the chicken never properly gets to its core temperature.
How long this takes depends on the size of your pieces, so go by the core temperature, not the clock: 80-85 °C (176-185 °F) for legs and thighs, 75 °C (167 °F) for chicken breast. I take mine out at 80 °C (176 °F); they carry over to about 83 °C (181 °F). Mine were in the smoker for about 2 hours in total.
Your Kasslerhähnchen is ready
The skin is now lightly crisp and has a beautiful smoky color. When you cut into it, the juice really runs out, and next to the smoke you can taste the cured flavor nicely. Your Kasslerhähnchen is ready 🙂 Enjoy it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make Kasslerhähnchen with just the thighs or with chicken breast?
Can I make Kasslerhähnchen with just the thighs or with chicken breast?
Yes. Instead of whole chicken legs you can also take just the thighs, or chicken breast if you like it a bit leaner. For boneless breast you need 20 % brine of the meat weight, and you take it out of the smoker at a core temperature of 75 °C (167 °F). That way it stays nice and juicy.
How much brine do I need for Kasslerhähnchen?
How much brine do I need for Kasslerhähnchen?
With the bone in you use 25 % brine of the meat weight, without the bone 20 %. Just boil the whole liter of brine from the recipe and only weigh out what you need for your Kasslerhähnchen.
Can I make Kasslerhähnchen without a brine injector?
Can I make Kasslerhähnchen without a brine injector?
Yes. Simply lay the chicken pieces into the brine without injecting them. The curing then takes about 6-7 days instead of the at least 3 days injected legs need in the fridge.
How long does Kasslerhähnchen take in the smoker?
How long does Kasslerhähnchen take in the smoker?
That depends on the size of your pieces. After 20-30 minutes of drying at 50 °C (122 °F) and 45 minutes of smoke at 85 °C (185 °F), they stay at 125 °C (257 °F) until the core temperature is reached. My chicken legs took about 2 hours in total. Always go by the core temperature, not by the time.
What temperature do you smoke chicken legs at?
What temperature do you smoke chicken legs at?
I start by drying the legs at 50 °C (122 °F) without smoke. Then they get 45 minutes of smoke at 85 °C (185 °F), and after that I raise the smoker to 125 °C (257 °F) until the core temperature is reached: 80-85 °C (176-185 °F) for chicken legs, 75 °C (167 °F) for chicken breast.
What core temperature does Kasslerhähnchen need?
What core temperature does Kasslerhähnchen need?
Chicken legs and thighs are done at a core temperature of 80-85 °C (176-185 °F). Chicken breast you take out at 75 °C (167 °F), then it stays juicy.
Why not smoke Kasslerhähnchen at 125 °C (257 °F) right away?
Why not smoke Kasslerhähnchen at 125 °C (257 °F) right away?
The 45 minutes at 85 °C (185 °F) are for the smoke. At that temperature alone the chicken never properly reaches its core temperature, which is why I raise the temperature to 125 °C (257 °F) afterwards and finish it there.
How long is the shelf life of Kasslerhähnchen?
How long is the shelf life of Kasslerhähnchen?
Covered, your Kasslerhähnchen keeps in the refrigerator for about a week. If you vacuum-seal it in portions, it keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. You can also freeze it in portions: then it keeps for several months.
How do I reheat Kasslerhähnchen?
How do I reheat Kasslerhähnchen?
The quickest way is the microwave. Or you fry the legs in a pan, which crisps the skin up again nicely.
