Smoky Chicken Lollipops
These smoky chicken lollipops are an easy way to turn everyday chicken drumsticks into something seriously impressive. The chicken is seasoned with a smoky spice blend, cooked on the smoker at 375°F, then finished with a sticky glaze for a sweet, savoury and slightly smoky bite.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Using a sharp knife, cut around the base of each drumstick, just above the knuckle. Push the meat down toward the thicker end of the drumstick to create the classic "lollipop" shape. Remove any excess skin, cartilage or connective tissue around the exposed bone.
- Season: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Toss the drumsticks with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, chili powder and cayenne until evenly coated.
- Smoke the chicken: Preheat your smoker to 375°F. Arrange the chicken lollipops on the smoker with the exposed bones facing upward. Smoke for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- Make the glaze: While the chicken cooks, whisk together the BBQ sauce, honey, hot sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika and garlic powder.
- Glaze the chicken: Brush the chicken generously with the glaze during the final few minutes of cooking. Continue cooking until the glaze becomes sticky and caramelized and the chicken reaches your desired level of doneness. For especially tender drumsticks, you can cook them beyond 165°F.
- Rest and serve: Remove the chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with extra glaze or BBQ sauce for dipping.
If you don't have a smoker, these can also be made on a grill using indirect heat