The Best Chicken Lollipops

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken drumsticks (12 drumsticks)

1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce; optional)

Directions

French the drumsticks

Hold the drumsticks bone-side up. Using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors, cut around the bone just below the meat. Make sure you cover the entire circumference of the chicken bone.

Remove any tendons, cartilage, or little meat pieces from above the cut that was made (at the very end of the bone). Then, push the meat downwards on the bone to create the lollipop shape with the bone acting as the stick. Repeat with all the drumsticks.

Season

Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and onion powder with the lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over the chicken and, using your hands or a large bowl, toss the chicken so it’s coated on all sides.

You can cook this immediately after or marinate the chicken for a few hours in the fridge. I find the marinade gives a deeper flavor, but they taste just as good if you cook straight after seasoning.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200℃. Cover the tips of the lollipop drumsticks with foil and stand them upright on a baking tray.

Bake in the oven at 400ºF/200℃ for 30 minutes or until the chicken drumsticks have reached an internal temperature of 175°F/79°C.

You can serve these straight away but for an extra crispy, flavorful exterior, brush the baked lollipop drumsticks with your favorite sauce (I used BBQ) and broil for a further 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on them in the oven to make sure they don’t burn!

Once your drumstick lollipops have been broiled, serve them immediately while they're still warm. Garnish with roughly chopped fresh parsley or scallions and serve together on a large platter.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 g
• Calories: 352 kcal
• Total Fat: 21 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 140 mg
• Sodium: 801 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 8 g
• Protein: 27 g