BBQ Chicken Lollipops Recipe

The word lollipop conjures up visions of sweet, sticky candies on a stick. Well, these lollipops are made from chicken drumsticks, with the bone standing in for a stick. They are certainly sticky, though, and are actually pretty sweet, as well. In fact, recipe developer Catherine Brookes describes the barbecue sauce glaze as "sweet, smoky, [and] tangy," while she calls the chicken "succulent." While preparing the dish does require a bit of fancy knife work, Brookes assures us it is "fun to make."

"I'd say this is more of an appetizer or starter," Brookes says of these chicken lollipops but adds that you could turn it into a main course if you add a side dish or two. Among her suggestions are french fries, rice, and a salad. The dish would also work quite well with other typical barbecue sides such as baked beans, cornbread, or coleslaw, and don't forget a tall glass of sweet tea!

You only need 6 ingredients for this recipe. You should have chicken drumsticks, of course, plus barbecue sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, honey, and the juice from a lime. These last 5 ingredients all combine to make the marinade.

The trickiest bit of this recipe involves turning the drumsticks into chicken lollipops. Take a sharp, thin knife and use it to slice around the bonier end of the drumstick, cutting through all of the tendons. Pull down the meat so the bone is exposed. Use your knife or some kitchen scissors to trim away any excess meat, skin, or tendons so as to make for a neater-looking lollipop, then wrap the exposed bone in a small piece of foil. "Wrapping the ends in foil," says Brookes, "makes the lollipops easier to pick up and eat without getting your fingers dirty."

Mix all of the remaining ingredients together, then dip each lollipop in the marinade. Make sure that all of the meat is coated with the sauce. Put the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, although if it's more convenient for you, you can leave it for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Once it's hot enough, bake the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes. If you stick a meat thermometer in the thickest part of a drumstick, it should read 165 F when it's done. (All of the chicken pieces should be done at the same time, so you probably only need to poke one or two of them.) Your lollipops are ready to eat as-is, but Brookes suggests accompanying them with lime wedges and extra barbecue sauce.

Once the chicken is cooked, you'll need to either eat it up or repurpose it within short order as Brookes notes that the leftovers won't last for more than 2 days in the fridge. While she suggests reheating the drumsticks in the oven, you can certainly eat them cold if you wish.