Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Turkey Lollipops

These turkey lollipops are turkey legs with the bone scraped clean to make a handle, wrapped in thick cut bacon, smoked at 325°F until the bacon is crispy and the leg reaches 185°F, and brushed with BBQ glaze for the last 5 minutes. They are cut into a lollipop for the look. It looks nice on a platter and you have something to hold on to. It’s the bacon that makes it all worth it. Check out my Fall-Apart Smoked Turkey Legs for the short version. Same legs, just don’t cut the bone and skip the bacon.

You need 2 tools to cut turkey lollipops. A knife and good kitchen shears. Turkey legs have a lot of tendons on the bone that will not let a knife through. Shears will cut right through them.

Thick cut bacon, 4 slices per leg, seam down on a wire rack. That is what keeps the bacon wrapped around the turkey. Get those two things right and the rest is a normal turkey leg cook.

Quick Look: Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Turkey Lollipops

If you want this on a smaller bone, check out my Sweet and Spicy Chicken Lollipops.

Why This Recipe

• You have a handle. By cleaning the bone you can hold the turkey by it, like a chicken drumstick.
• Thick cut bacon. I use 4 slices per leg and they barely cover a jumbo turkey leg. If you use thin bacon it’s going to tear and fall apart.
• 325°F. You want the bacon to crisp up, and that takes a little more heat. If you smoked them at 250°F the bacon would never crisp and would stay limp.
• Pulled at 185°F. Turkey legs are loaded with connective tissue. At 165°F your turkey is safe but not pulling apart and ready to eat. 185°F lets the leg fall off the bone.
• Wire rack. Keep your turkey lollipop on a wire rack, seam down. This lets the bacon stay on the turkey.
• Glaze the last 5 minutes. You do not want to burn your BBQ sauce. Give it the last 5 minutes and let it stick to the turkey.

These are a platter food. Three or four on a tray in the middle of the table and people pick them up by the bone. The lollipop cut is for the look and the handle. The meat underneath cooks the same as a regular turkey leg, so if you have done my fall-apart legs, you already know how this one eats. The bacon is the part that makes the extra knife work worth it.

Key Ingredients

For the Turkey Lollipops

• Turkey legs. As many as you need to feed your family, one per person. Use the biggest legs you can find. A jumbo leg gives you a longer bone to clean and more meat under the bacon.
• Bacon. 4 slices per turkey leg. Make sure your bacon is thick cut.
• Poultry seasoning or your favorite BBQ rub. I use poultry seasoning on all sides of the turkey.
• BBQ glaze. Use your favorite BBQ sauce. Apply the glaze for the last 5 minutes of the cook. Make sure it’s a thicker sauce so it sticks to the turkey.

Tools

• Knife. A good sharp knife to expose the bone.
• Shears. You will need shears to cut the tendons on the turkey leg.
• Paper towels. When pulling the skin and meat off the bone, you will need something to grab onto.
• Wire rack. Smoke your turkey lollipops seam down on a wire rack. The rack goes straight from the counter to the smoker grate, so you never have to lift a wrapped leg by hand.

Check out my Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Onion Bombs if you have more bacon than turkey legs.

Substitutions or Additions

• Chicken drumsticks. I use 2 slices of bacon per chicken leg. Smoke at the same temp and pull between 175 and 185°F. They cook in about half the time, and the lollipop cut is easier on a chicken bone.
• Thin sliced bacon. You can use regular bacon, but I highly recommend thick cut. You will have to overlap more slices and your bacon will shrink.
• Hot honey glaze. You can use hot honey in place of BBQ sauce, or over the BBQ sauce. Check out my Smoked Turkey Breast for the hot honey finish.
• Rub only. Skip the BBQ sauce. Season your turkey with your favorite rub and skip the glaze. The bacon still crisps and you get a drier bark on the outside.
• Oven. Put your turkey lollipops on a wire rack in the oven at 325°F until the leg reaches 185°F. Apply your glaze and broil until sticky. You will not have the smoke flavor, but the bacon will crisp up.
• Brine the legs. Before cutting your turkey legs, soak them in a salt brine overnight. Pat dry and follow the steps above. Check out my Brown Sugar Brined Smoked Turkey Breast for the brine.
• Grill. Use a two zone grill with one side on medium and the other off, and put your wood chunks on the coals. Smoke your turkey lollipops at 325°F until 185°F. Apply your BBQ glaze for the last 5 minutes.
• Pork belly. The same handle idea on pork. My Smoked Pork Belly Lollipops are that.

How to Make Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Turkey Lollipops (Step by Step)

Your turkey should reach an internal temp of 185°F. That is what lets the meat fall off the bone. The USDA minimum for poultry is 165°F, so you are well past safe before you are at tender, same as any turkey leg. If the bacon is crispy before the leg gets there, slide the rack to the cooler side of the smoker and let the inside catch up.

Tips From Miguel

Storage and Reheating

• Fridge: 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Let them cool first so the bacon does not steam itself soft.
• Freezer: You can freeze your turkey lollipops for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
• Reheat: In the oven at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes, on a rack. The bacon crisps back up. The microwave makes it soft.
• Make ahead: You can cut and wrap your turkey lollipops the night before. Store them on the wire rack in the fridge, uncovered. The bacon dries a little and crisps better, and the next day the rack goes straight to the smoker.

Once you are done with your turkey lollipops, use the leftovers to make my Smoked Turkey Sliders.

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Bacon-Wrapped Smoked Turkey Lollipops FAQs

What are turkey lollipops?

Turkey lollipops are turkey legs with the skin and meat cut off the top of the bone. The bone is exposed and clean, so you can hold on to it like a handle. It gives the turkey a nicer presentation, and the meat cooks the same as a regular leg.

How do you cut the tendons on a turkey leg?

Once you have cut around the bone with your knife, use your shears to cut the tendons. Go around the bone and cut through each one. There are several, and a knife will not get through them.

What temp should you smoke turkey lollipops?

Smoke your turkey lollipops at 325°F. That lets your bacon crisp up. Cook until the turkey leg reaches 185°F in the thickest part.

Do I need a wire rack for turkey lollipops?

A wire rack is the best way to keep your bacon on the turkey. Seam down on the rack, the rack holds the seam closed. If you do not have a rack, you can pin the bacon with toothpicks through the seam.

Can you cook turkey lollipops in the oven?

Yes. Put your turkey lollipops on a wire rack in the oven at 325°F. Once the leg reaches 185°F, apply your BBQ glaze and put it under the broiler to set the sauce. No smoke, same crispy bacon.

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