Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken Lollipops

Bacon-wrapped BBQ chicken lollipops are chicken drumsticks seasoned with a dry rub, wrapped in bacon, and smoked with barbecue sauce.

David and I made these bacon-wrapped BBQ chicken lollipops last weekend, and I’m here to tell you, they are fittin’!

Get your napkins ready because these bad boys are dripping with nothing but goodness! Lollipop chicken legs are perfect for grilling out at home while hanging out in your backyard, but I also thought you would enjoy this recipe for the upcoming holiday weekend or your next summer cookout.

One thing is for sure, bacon-wrapped BBQ chicken lollipops are a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Kids and grownups will love this easy-to-eat finger food. They make a great appetizer, or they can be served as a main course. Not to mention they are an inexpensive way to treat a crowd. But make sure you make enough because these chicken lollipops are going to go fast!

What is a chicken lollipop?

The chicken lollipop is a clever name for a “frenched” chicken leg. “Frenched” is a culinary term that is a fancy way to describe the process of cutting away meat, fat, and membranes from the bone for esthetic presentation. Almost any type of meat can be “Frenched” in some way.

To create the chicken lollipop shape, cut the meat, skin, and membrane-free from the small end of the bone. Then push the meat down towards the top of the chicken leg. The leg bone should be left clean. This creates the “stick.”

About this Recipe

The chicken lollipops are seasoned with a nice sweet and spicy poultry dry rub. After the meat is seasoned, the lollipops are wrapped in a strip of bacon. The lollipop chicken legs are smoked for almost two hours before basting in a well-balanced, rich, and smooth, classic barbecue sauce. The tender, juicy lollipops are sweet and mildly spicy with a nice rich smoke flavor.

Ingredients Needed for This Recipe

A detailed list of ingredients is provided in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Chicken Drumsticks: with the meat, skin, and membrane-free from the small end of the bone.
• Poultry Dry Rub: Use your favorite or use our blend of brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper.
• Bacon: Use regular cut instead of thick. It will be easier to wrap around the chicken leg.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite or try our Classic Barbecue Sauce recipe (to follow).

How To Make Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken Lollipops

What You’ll Need:

• Grill or Smoker
• Charcoal
• Applewood Chips
• Instant-Read Thermometer
• Tongs
• Toothpicks or Metal Turkey Lacers
• Heavy-Duty Aluminum foil
• 12 chicken drumsticks
• 1 ½ tablespoons poultry dry rub, recipe to follow
• 12 slices bacon, regular cut
• 1 ½ cups Classic Barbecue Sauce, recipe to follow

The Smoking Wood:

David used applewood to smoke the chicken lollipops. He chose applewood because of its sweet, subtle flavor and because I prefer it over hickory. Feel free to use any wood you like, but I cannot imagine these lollipops being any better than they already were with the applewood smoke.

Soak about 3 cups of the applewood chips in water for about 30-minutes before lighting the grill.

Fire up the Grill or Smoker:

The BBQ chicken lollipops do not require long hours of smoke, so David opted to use his Weber Performer grill to smoke the meat. This is a kettle-style grill he set up for indirect heat. You can use any smoker or grill as long as it is set up for indirect cooking.

Preheat the grill to about 250 to 300 degrees F. To maintain this low temperature, use a combination of charcoal and soaked applewood, but use only half as much charcoal as usual. (A half chimney-full.)

Prepare the Drumsticks:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut off the end of each chicken leg just before the bone joint. Remove the chicken skin and discard.
2. Press the meat down, away from the end with the exposed cut bone. You know, have a “lollipop.”
3. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the drumsticks.

Tips for Making “Lollipops”

• Some recipes say to leave the bone joint on and cut the skin and tendons away from it. However, David found the process much easier to make a clean break, cutting the joint off completely. This makes the skin and meat easier to remove from the handle of the “lollipop.”
• A sharp knife is the best tool for the job. David found that using kitchen shears made the bone shatter, causing bits of the bone to break off.

The Poultry Dry Rub:

Combine all the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl (make sure to work out any clumps of the brown sugar for even distribution) and stir to mix.

Generously season the meat of the “lollipops” with the dry poultry rub.

Reserve any leftover dry rub. Store in an airtight container with a lid for up to a year.

The Bacon:

It is best to use a regular cut of bacon for the chicken lollipops. We didn’t realize the bacon in the refrigerator was a thick cut. The regular cut of bacon will work best and crisp up without any chewiness.

Wrap each drumstick with a strip of bacon. You can either tuck the end of the bacon or secure the strips with small metal turkey lacers or a wooden toothpick.

David and I used small metal turkey lacers for years instead of toothpicks. They are great to have around, and you can reuse them. Toothpicks will burn and sometimes can get lost in the meat. You can grab a dozen from Amazon for under $10. Click HERE to get some.

Wrap the Bones With Foil:

Finally, wrap the exposed bones tightly with a small piece of aluminum foil. This will keep the leg bone from charring and give it a more appetizing presentation.

Smoke the Lollipops:

Place the chicken lollipops on the preheated grill grate over indirect heat, ensuring the lollipops are standing on their ends.

Cover with the lid and cook lollipops, maintaining a temperature of about 250 degrees F, until they reach an internal temperature of about 175 to 180 degrees F using an instant-read thermometer; about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Prepare the Classic Barbecue Sauce:

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Whisk all of the ingredients together and bring to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the sauce cool until needed.

NOTE: If using your own barbecue sauce, make sure it is warm and not cold!

Saucing the “Lollipops”:

Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. When the internal temp of the meat is between 175 and 180 degrees F, brush the lollipops with the classic barbecue sauce. Close the lid and continue to cook until the internal temperature is about 185 degrees F, basting with barbecue sauce occasionally; about 15 more minutes.

It may seem like the chicken would be dry at such a high temperature, but with the help of that juicy bacon and luxurious sauce, the meat stays perfectly juicy. The higher temperature also helps break down some connective tissues, so the meat is not chewy.

Serving the Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Chicken Lollipops:

Remove the lollipops and transfer them to a serving platter. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with extra dipping sauce, if desired.

What to serve with the BBQ Chicken Lollipops?

If you’re looking for a fun and exciting way to take ordinary chicken drumsticks to the next level, you need this recipe!

Enjoy!

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