Jump to Recipe

These bacon wrapped hot and spicy chicken lollipops turn frenched drumsticks into a sticky, smoky party food. You french 12 drumsticks, wrap each in bacon, and season with a sweet BBQ rub. Then you smoke them at 325 to 350°F until the bacon crisps and the chicken hits 185°F. A glaze of Bachan’s Hot & Spicy Japanese BBQ sauce finishes each one. This recipe makes 12 chicken lollipops and serves 4 to 6. Foil on the bone tips keeps them from burning.

What Are Chicken Lollipops

Frenched Drumsticks Explained

Chicken lollipops are drumsticks trimmed to look like a lollipop. You remove the skin, then push the meat down to one end of the bone. As a result, you get a round ball of meat on a clean bone handle. The shape makes them easy to grab and eat. Furthermore, the exposed bone gives you a built-in handle. These lollipops cook like drumsticks but plate like appetizers.

How to French a Drumstick

Start by removing all the skin from each drumstick. Then use a sharp knife to cut around the bone near the narrow end. Push the meat down toward the thick end to form the lollipop. Additionally, shave the bottom of the bone so the lollipop stands upright. Standing them up helps them cook evenly and plate cleanly. Pat each one dry once it is prepped.

Prep, Binder, and Bacon

Skin Off, Bacon On

You remove the skin from the chicken lollipops so the bacon can grip the meat. Bare meat lets the bacon wrap tight and crisp against the chicken. Then wrap each lollipop tightly with one slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick so it holds during the cook. As a result, the bacon renders into the meat and crisps on the outside. The bacon replaces the skin with smoky, salty fat.

The Binder and Sweet Rub

Coat each lollipop with Bachan’s Hot & Spicy Japanese BBQ sauce first. The sauce acts as a binder that helps the rub stick. Then season evenly with a sweet BBQ rub. Sweet rub balances the heat of the spicy sauce. Additionally, dust a little extra rub over the bacon for color. As a result, the bacon takes on a deeper, seasoned crust.

Protecting the Bones and Smoking

Foil the Bone Tips

Wrap the exposed bone tips with small squares of foil. The foil shields the thin bone from direct heat. As a result, the bone tips do not burn or turn black over a long cook. Bare bones can scorch and look unappetizing on the plate. Additionally, the foil keeps the handle clean for serving. Remove the foil right before you serve.

Smoking at 325 to 350°F

Preheat your grill or smoker to 325 to 350°F over indirect heat. Then cook the chicken lollipops for 60 to 90 minutes. The indirect heat renders the bacon slowly without burning it. Meanwhile, the higher temperature crisps the bacon by the end. Watch for crisp, rendered bacon as your first visual cue. Applewood or cherry adds a mild smoke that suits the sweet glaze.

Internal Temperature and the Glaze

Why 185°F for Drumsticks

Cook these chicken lollipops to 185°F internal rather than the 165°F minimum. Chicken is safe at 165°F, but drumstick meat eats better higher. At 185°F, the connective tissue in the dark meat fully renders. As a result, the meat turns tender and pulls cleanly from the bone. Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. This higher finish is standard for drumsticks and thighs.

The Bachan’s Hot and Spicy Glaze

The glaze is warmed Bachan’s Hot & Spicy Japanese BBQ sauce. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after it comes off the heat. Then warm the sauce in a small pan or cup. Dunk or brush each lollipop generously in the warm sauce. As a result, the glaze coats the bacon in a sticky, spicy layer. The sweet rub underneath balances the heat of the sauce.

Setting the Glaze and Serving

Tightening the Sauce

Return the glazed chicken lollipops to the grill for about 5 minutes. The short second cook sets the sauce and makes it sticky. As a result, the glaze tightens onto the bacon instead of running off. Watch that the sugars in the sauce do not scorch. Pull them once the glaze looks glossy and tacky. This step locks the flavor onto each lollipop.

Serving and Storage

Remove the foil from the bones and serve the lollipops hot. The bone handle makes them easy to eat by hand. Serve extra warm sauce on the side for dipping. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer to re-crisp the bacon. As a result, the leftovers keep their texture better than in a microwave.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops

Step 1: French the Drumsticks

Remove all the skin from the drumsticks. Using a sharp knife, cut around the bone and push the meat down to form a clean lollipop shape. Trim and shave the bottom of the bone so each one stands upright, then pat dry.

Step 2: Binder and Season

Coat each lollipop with Bachan’s Hot & Spicy Japanese BBQ sauce as the binder. Then season evenly with your sweet BBQ rub.

Step 3: Wrap in Bacon and Foil the Bones

Wrap each lollipop tightly with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Lightly dust the bacon with a little extra BBQ rub. Then wrap the exposed bone tips with small pieces of foil to prevent burning.

Step 4: Smoke at 325-350°F

Preheat your grill or smoker to 325 to 350°F over indirect heat. Cook for 60 to 90 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and rendered and the chicken reaches 185°F internal.

Step 5: Glaze

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Warm up the Bachan’s Hot & Spicy sauce, then dunk or brush each lollipop generously to coat.

Step 6: Set the Glaze and Serve

Return the lollipops to the grill for about 5 minutes so the sauce tightens and gets sticky. Remove the foil from the bones and serve hot.