Smoked lollipop chicken legs are a game-changer! These juicy, flavorful drumsticks are smoked then slathered in BBQ sauce. Perfect for cookouts, game days, or anytime you’re craving bold, smoky flavor!
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These drumstick lollipops are not only super tasty but also really easy to make. Our kids can’t get enough of them, which is always a plus!
What we love about this recipe
Presentation – The shape of these chicken lollipops makes them fun to eat and look great on the plate! It adds a creative touch to your meal.
Tender & Juicy – Cooking them low and slow, plus basting with melted butter, helps keep the chicken legs tender and juicy.
Smoky Flavor – Smoking the chicken lollipop drumsticks adds a mouthwatering smoky flavor that makes every bite taste amazing!
What Are Lollipop Chicken Legs?
Chicken lollipops are chicken legs that have been "Frenched," which means the bone is trimmed clean for a neat look. This creates a handle, making them fun to eat, just like a lollipop!
Ingredients
- Chicken Legs: Chicken drumsticks are perfect for this recipe.
- Soul Food Seasoning: Use a mixture of Lawry's seasoned salt, granulated garlic or garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- BBQ Sauce: Choose your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Unsalted Butter: You'll baste the chicken with melted butter throughout the cooking process to help keep the chicken lollipops moist and juicy.
Special Equipment & Tools
- Chicken leg rack: We used this convenient chicken leg rack, which we highly recommend. However, you can also stand the chicken lollipops on the grill grates while cooking.
- Smoker: You can use any smoker for this smoked chicken legs recipe, as long as your smoker is set up correctly. We recommend using either a stick burner smoker or a pellet grill. We like the stick burner because it allows us to control every aspect of the cook, and we love the flavor it gives off when smoking with the wood splits. You can also use a pellet grill, a type of smoker that uses wood pellets instead of wood splits.
How to "Lollipop" Chicken Legs
- Use a sharp knife to cut around the tip of the drumstick, separating the bone from the meat.
- Remove the skin and cartilage from the end of the drumstick.
- Push the meat down toward the base to shape the drumstick into a lollipop.
Directions
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F and add cherry or apple wood for the smoke.
- Season the drumsticks with soul food seasoning (or a mix of seasoned salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, and kosher salt).
- Cover the tips of the drumsticks with a small piece of foil to keep the bone from burning. Place the drumsticks upright on a leg rack in the smoker. If you don’t have a leg rack, you can stand them up on the grill grates with the meat side down.
- Baste the drumsticks with melted butter every 15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 155°F.
- Heat BBQ sauce in a saucepan. Brush the sauce onto the chicken, or dip each drumstick into the sauce.
- After coating with BBQ sauce, place the drumsticks back on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Preheating the Smoker: Make sure your smoker is heated to 250°F before adding the chicken. Keeping the temperature steady is important for getting that perfect smoky flavor and texture.
- Choosing Wood for Smoke: Use cherry, apple, or your favorite wood for smoking. These woods give the chicken a mild, sweet flavor. Feel free to try different woods to find the flavor you like best.
- Preparing Chicken Lollipops: Use a sharp knife to cut around the tip of the drumstick. Carefully separate the meat from the bone and push the meat down to create the lollipop shape.
- Basting: Don’t forget to baste the chicken with melted butter every 15 minutes. This adds extra flavor and helps keep the chicken moist.
- Internal Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken’s temperature. When it reaches 165-175°F, it’s done and ready to enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
- Pair lollipop chicken with a few classic sides like baked beans, coleslaw, or a classic potato salad.
- It also goes great with grilled vegetables like asparagus, zucchini, and bell peppers.
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I prevent smoked chicken legs from drying out?
Regularly basting butter helps keep the smoked chicken legs moist. Additionally, smoking at a lower temperature (around 250°F) helps retain the juiciness.
Is it necessary to remove the skin and cartilage from the end of the drumstick?
Removing the skin and cartilage ensures a cleaner lollipop shape and allows the flavors to penetrate the meat better. However, you can leave them on if you prefer.
📖 Recipe
Lollipop Chicken Legs Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 chicken legs drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons Soul Food Seasoning
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1.5 cups BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 250°F. Add cherry or apple wood for smoke.
- Use a sharp knife to cut around the end tip of the drumstick so that the bone and the meat are no longer connected. Remove the skin and cartilage from the end of the leg and push down the meat so the drumstick becomes a lollipop.
- Season chicken with Soul Dust and place upright on your smoker.
- Once the seasoning is set, start basting with melted butter, about every 15 minutes, until the chicken legs reach an internal temperature of 155°F.
- Heat BBQ sauce and dip drumsticks into sauce, evenly coating the legs.
- Place chicken back on smoker and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
Notes
- If using a charcoal grill, set your coals and smoker wood to one side for a hot and cool zone. When cooking, the drumsticks will go over the cool zone.
- If you are using a propane grill, you only have to worry about maintaining a 250 F temperature throughout the cooking process. It would also help to use the burners furthest away from where you set the legs.
Renee B jones says
Loved the lollipop chicken legs. Since this was my first time it took me about 45 minutes to do 14. We didn’t base as much as the recipe called for, I put them in the oven for about 20 minutes. I will definitely make them again! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Patrick says
Thank you!