Looking for a fun way to enjoy chicken drumsticks? Make these Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops! Loaded with flavor and coated with sweet chili sauce, these lollipop drumsticks are finger-licking good!

What Is A Chicken Lollipop?

This chicken lollipop recipe will steal your heart and captivate your tastebuds with its unique look and delicious taste! If you’ve never had lollipop chicken drumsticks, they have an exposed bone hold, which is what gives the chicken a lollipop shape.

You can hold onto the end of the bone while eating the chicken, which makes them easy to dip in the sauce! On the bottom of the drumstick, there is juicy, tender chicken meat with crispy skin and a beautiful glaze.

The Frenching process removes connective tissue like tough excess tendons, which is what makes this chicken differ from regular chicken drumsticks. You can enjoy these tender chicken lollipop drumsticks as an epic appetizer or as a main course, depending on how many drumsticks you want to eat!

Enjoy them with other snacky food like Loaded French Fries and Easy Homemade Pizza, or turn them into a sophisticated meal by eating them with some Garlic Herb Rice and Sauteed Veggies.

These chicken lollipops drumsticks are extremely versatile! And if you’re a fan of chicken in general, like chicken wings or breasts, you can check out some of my other chicken recipes. 

Chicken Lollipop Drumsticks

This chicken lollipop drumsticks recipe is a delicious way to serve chicken to party guests. It’s a fun way to make chicken more exciting and gives it an eye-catching appeal. Next time you host a gathering, consider making this family-friendly recipe – it will likely become a favorite dish among everyone!

You might even need to make extra because everyone will be clearing their plates. With the chicken skin’s perfect texture on the meaty part of the drumstick and the small bone that’s perfect for holding, it’s hard to resist having just one. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s no leftover chicken after serving this!

Then again, if there’s excess meat, you can enjoy the rest of the drumsticks the next day since they reheat well. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the recipe details so you can learn the techniques of making perfect chicken lollipops and get to digging in.

Ingredients Needed

This easy chicken recipe requires basic cooking ingredients. Here are some notes about the most important components of the recipe:

• Chicken Drumsticks: You’ll need roughly 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks to make this recipe. If using frozen drumsticks, you must allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight first before working with them. This is why I suggest working with fresh meat since it requires less planning!
• Assorted Seasonings: The assortment of seasonings need for this recipe is the best way to ensure that it is loaded with flavor. Some seasonings you’ll need include onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. You’ll also need table or kosher salt and chicken bouillon powder!
• Oil: The recipe uses olive oil because it has a high smoke point and a rich flavor.
• Sweet Chili Sauce: The sweet chili sauce coats the cooked chicken drumsticks. I suggest having some extra for dipping!

For the full ingredient list and quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Recipe Variations

• Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops: You can also cook these in the air fryer! Depending how big your air fryer is, you might need to break it up into batches. I suggest sticking with 400°F and cooking them for 10 minutes, flipping them, then cooking for another 10 minutes. Then, check their internal temperature to ensure the ball of meat is entirely cooked in the center.
• Grilled or Smoked Chicken Lollipops: If you are someone who enjoys grilling, you can grill the drumstick lollipops instead. Be sure to brush the grill grates with oil beforehand. If you prefer the smoking process with indirect heat, you can do that too! I suggest covering the bones with aluminum foil before smoking the meat.
• Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops: Make Korean-style lollipops by cooking the meat on the barbecue and adding some sesame seeds and brown sugar to the seasoning mix. Instead of using sweet chili sauce, glaze the chicken with Korean BBQ sauce featuring honey or brown sugar and sriracha or gochujang.
• Dry Rub Seasonings: Feel free to modify the spice blend, especially if you use a different type of sauce. You can add cumin, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, white pepper, chile powder, dried parsley, or other seasonings you prefer!

Substitutions

• Seasonings: instead of dried onion or garlic powder, feel free the use the dehydrated granules. You can also use smoked paprika instead of regular, or assorted chili flakes in place of the red pepper flakes when making Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops.
• Sauce: use an extra spicy sauce, such as garlic buffalo sauce instead of the sweet chili sauce. You can also use a homemade bbq sauce or garlic sauce with lemon juice and herbs.
• Oil: other neutral oils will work, such as canola or vegetable oil. The only thing to consider is to use an oil with a high-smoke point.

How To Make Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops

The whole process for making these Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops is quite simple! You can use the images as a guide:

1. Pat dry the chicken drumsticks with paper towels.
2. French the drumsticks: On a cutting board and with kitchen shears (kitchen scissors) or a sharp kitchen knife, cut around the bone right around the meaty part. Use a circular motion. Remove the skin and cartilage from the top. Use a pairing knife and scrape towards the knuckle side to remove extra skin and connective tissue.

3. To finish creating the lollipop form, push the meat down towards the meaty part. Once you have the shape of a lollipop, trim some cartilage from the meaty end to help the chicken drumstick stand upright.

4. Preheat oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. In a medium bowl, mix together the seasonings.

6. Brush each chicken lollipop with olive oil, and then coat it with the seasoning mix.

7. Place seasoned chicken lollipops on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from the oven and brush each chicken lollipop with sweet chili sauce.

9. Bake for another 15 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

10. Serve the Chicken Drumsticks Lollipops with more sweet chili sauce in a small bowl for dipping.

Expert Tips

• Make sure to use very sharp kitchen shears! A nice pair of scissors will make the Frenching process much easier.  You can also use a boning knife instead of a paring knife, so long as it is a very sharp knife and you use caution.
• After the chicken cools to room temperature, any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To maintain their crispy exterior, reheat them in the oven or air fryer. Brush with additional sweet chili sauce afterward!
• The higher temperature is the best way to cook this recipe since it helps give the chicken a crispy skin while retaining the juiciness inside, so I don’t recommend using low heat.
• For food safety, the USDA says that rinsing chicken with cold water is unnecessary and can actually do more harm than good since it can spread bacteria onto surfaces in your kitchen. Don’t worry about rinsing the chicken before working with it; just make sure to wash your hands properly and clean the surfaces and utensils afterward!

Serving

Serve chicken drumsticks lollipops alongside the following:

Pizza Toast

Loaded French Fries

Mango Avocado Salsa

Sourdough Bread Grilled Cheese

Spring Rolls With Beef

Plantain Fries

More Chicken Recipes

Garlic Butter Wings

Grilled Chicken Nuggets

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

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