Lollipop Chicken Drumstick Recipe | Smoker, Air Fryer, BBQ

This lollipop chicken drumstick recipe is a crowd pleasing way to enjoy chicken drumsticks as a finger food. Whether you are getting ready for some game day appetizers, another party, or using these grilled chicken lollipops as a main entree, you won’t be disappointed! Frenching chicken drumsticks involves removing meat, skin, and tendons from the bone of the chicken… leaving the drumstick meat free floating like a savory lollipop.

If you are a bbq pro, feel free to do a main content skip and use the “Jump To Recipe” section to quickly find the recipe card.

Once you have mastered frenching the drumsticks, these chicken drumstick lollipops are a breeze. This chicken lollipops recipe can be made on the smoker, other grill, or even in the air fryer. Love smoked chicken? Check out these Crispy Smoked Chicken Thighs and these Grilled Chicken Quarters with crispy skin.

Why Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks Rock!

Tips + Tricks

• have a pair of kitchen shears handy to cut tricky pieces of skin or tendons from around the drumstick
• use a smoker blanket or welding blanket if you are smoking these chicken lollipops in the frigid cold like I did (-20°C)
• prepare the drumsticks in advance, season with rub, and leave them in the fridge for several hours or a full day before cooking to save time later on
• simply chop the top of the drumstick bone (knuckle) off when frenching to save you time cleaning around it
• resting your chicken lollipops after cooking is important to allow the juices to redistribute, retaining the moisture and resulting in tender drumsticks
• if you prefer a more well-done texture, grill the chicken lollipops until the internal temperature reaches 175°F
• Don’t skip the reverse sear step if you are smoking. Often times when chicken is smoked for a long time at a low temperature, the skin tends to be rubbery. The higher heat helps to render the fat in the chicken skin properly, giving it the perfect crispy crust.
• Have time? Consider brining your chicken drumsticks before prepping and cooking to lock in the moisture and further ensure that your chicken skin is crisp. Check out this super Simple Brown Sugar Chicken Brine.

Key Ingredients

Cooking Oil– Choose your favorite high-heat cooking oil. I love olive oil for this recipe.

Barbecue Rub- Choose your favorite chicken rub for the lollipops. If you have an extra five minutes to spare, consider whipping up this simple Smoked Chicken Rub Recipe. If you are pressed for time, Traeger’s Pork and Poultry rub is a great choice.

Barbecue Sauce- I used Traeger’s Texas Spicy barbecue sauce… it gave these chicken lollipops the perfect kick of heat.

Chicken Drumsticks- I chose a family pack of chicken drumsticks with 10 medium sized legs- economical and convenient!

How To Make Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks on a Traeger, Pit Boss, or other Pellet Grill

Optional first step: Brine your drumsticks before turning them into chicken lollipops. Brining meat adds flavor from the inside out. In the brining process, the salt denatures meat’s proteins, softening muscle fiber and allowing tons of flavor and moisture to flow into the chicken lollipops! Check out this Simple Chicken Brine Recipe.

Step 1. PREHEAT Preheat your smoker to 275°F.

Step 2. PREP Prepare the drumsticks. Rinse your chicken and then using a sharp knife, score around the bone (around two inches from the top) removing the upper skin and stopping at the “meaty section.” It is a good idea to go around the drumstick twice to ensure most of the skin and tissue are sliced. Continue to cut away at any remaining sections with either kitchen shears or your knife so that the bottom section of the lollipop is detached from the upper section of skin and tissue. Pull the top part of the skin back from the bone and using your knife or scissors, detach from the bone. Lay the drumstick on its side and cut a small amount of meat/bone off to ensure that the lollipop stands up. This part takes a bit of practice but after a few drumsticks you will be a well-oiled machine. Check out this quick video for extra help.

Step 3. SEASON Brush the bottom of the frenched chicken drumsticks with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with your favorite chicken rub or other dry rub. Wrap the tips of the prepared drumstick lollipops in aluminum foil, arrange on a wire rack or grill mat, and place on the smoker for 45 minutes cook time at 275°F.

Step 4. REVERSE SEAR Remove the drumsticks and turn the smoker up to 425°F. Brush on your favorite bbq sauce, and return the chicken lollipops to the smoker to reverse sear for 10-15 more minutes or until the internal temperature of the lollipops reaches 170°F.

Step 5. SERVE Allow the lollipops to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce and some fresh vegetables.

How To Make Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks on a Barbecue or Other Grill

Step 1. PREHEAT Preheat your barbecue or grill to 350°F.

Step 2. PREP Prepare the drumsticks. Rinse your chicken and then using a sharp knife, score around the bone (around two inches from the top) removing the upper skin and stopping at the “meaty section.” It is a good idea to go around the drumstick twice to ensure most of the skin and tissue are sliced. Continue to cut away at any remaining sections with either kitchen shears or your knife so that the bottom section of the lollipop is detached from the upper section of skin and tissue. Pull the top part of the skin back from the bone and using your knife or scissors, detach from the bone. Lay the drumstick on its side and cut a small amount of meat/bone off to ensure that the lollipop stands up. This part takes a bit of practice but after a few drumsticks you will be a well-oiled machine. Check out this quick video for extra help.

Step 3. SEASON Brush the bottom of the frenched chicken drumsticks with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with your favorite chicken rub. Wrap the tips of the prepared chicken drumsticks in aluminum foil, arrange on a wire rack or grill mat.

Step 4. GRILL Place on the grill for 20 minutes at 350°F. Check the temperature with an infrared thermometer or probe thermometer. Once the chicken lollipops have reached and internal temperature of 165°F, brush with barbecue sauce and replace for an additional 5 minutes. If you prefer a more well-done chicken lollipop, bring it up to 175°F.

Step 5. SERVE Allow the lollipops to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce and some fresh vegetables.

How To Make Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks in an Air Fryer

Step 1. PREHEAT Preheat your barbecue or grill to 400°F.

Step 2. PREP Prepare the drumsticks. Rinse your chicken and then using a sharp knife, score around the bone (around two inches from the top) removing the upper skin and stopping at the “meaty section.” It is a good idea to go around the drumstick twice to ensure most of the skin and tissue are sliced. Continue to cut away at any remaining sections with either kitchen shears or your knife so that the bottom section of the lollipop is detached from the upper section of skin and tissue. Pull the top part of the skin back from the bone and using your knife or scissors, detach from the bone. Lay the drumstick on its side and cut a small amount of meat/bone off to ensure that the lollipop stands up. This part takes a bit of practice but after a few drumsticks you will be a well-oiled machine. Check out this quick video for extra help.

Step 3. SEASON Brush the bottom of the frenched chicken drumsticks with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with your favorite chicken rub. Wrap the tips of the prepared chicken drumsticks in aluminum foil.

Step 4. AIR FRY Arrange the chicken lollipops in your air fryer, standing up. Fry for 10 minutes at 400°F. Check the internal temperature with an infrared thermometer or probe thermometer. Once the chicken lollipops have reached an internal temperature of 165°F, brush with barbecue sauce and replace for an additional 1-2 minutes. If you prefer a more well-done chicken lollipop, bring it up to 175°F.

Step 5. SERVE Allow the lollipops to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite dipping sauce and some fresh vegetables.

Batch + Storage

This recipe uses a “family pack” of chicken drumsticks. My package had 10 drumsticks, you may have one or two more or less depending on the size. Aim for a package of 10 drumsticks to get 10 perfectly grilled chicken lollipops.

Store the bbq chicken lollipops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If freezing, consider vacuum sealing.

*You may choose to french and season the chicken lollipops and freeze raw for up to 6 months for a prepared appetizer that can be whipped up in no time.

Chicken Lollipop Variations

Salt + Pepper Chicken Lollipops- Prepare chicken lollipops as directed but replace the seasoning with salt and pepper and instead of brushing on sauce toward the end of the cooking process, sprinkle on a bit of extra salt and pepper to suit your preferences.

Buffalo Chicken Lollipops- Prepare and season as directed but replace your favorite barbecue sauce with buffalo wing sauce toward the end of the grilling process. Serve with extra buffalo sauce and ranch on the side.

Garlic and Parmesan Chicken Lollipops- Prepare and season as directed but instead of basting with barbecue sauce, brush on this simple garlic and parmesan wing sauce before and toward the end of the grilling process. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan to serve.

Chicken Lollipop FAQ

Printable Lollipop Chicken Recipe

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