Baked Chicken Lollipop Recipe (2024)

Aug 12, 2015 · Last Updated: Apr 1, 2020 by Calleigh ~

Baked Chicken Lollipop - these drumsticks are perfect finger food appetizers and are shaped like lollipops. These juicy, tender lollipop chicken drumsticks are marinated with hoisin, ginger and baked to deliciousness.

Cooking for family get-togethers can be rewarding and frustrating at the same time. I hate to admit it, but my competitive spirit tends to get the best of me when I'm planning the dish or dishes I'm going to take.

I want something that everyone will love, which is not only tasty but also attractive, memorable and has flair.

I've spent hours planning dishes to dazzle---and I've got to admit---outdo my cousin, who also could be classified as a competitive cooker.

I know she must spend just as many hours finding the right recipe to create.

Even though I'm competitive, I'm also a problem solver when it comes to cooking. The last family gathering had dishes that were outrageously delicious, but rather hard for the kids to eat.

Each child was "marinated" (*messy hands) thoroughly after he or she finished the meat on the plate since we're all big on sauces and marinades to add magic to the main courses.

I found a few recipes that would dazzle the grown-ups but kept the problem creating kid-friendly meals in the back of my mind.

When scanning the internet, I saw the perfect solution, chicken lollipops!

They were cute, child-friendly and even had their own grip that would keep little hands cleaner.

How to make lollipop chicken drumsticks

The cooking part was easy, preparing the chicken drumsticks for cooking was the tough part. I used my kitchen knife or scissors to help with the job, cutting the skin and tough tendons around the base of each, then pushing the meat toward the end to expose the bone.

It made the chicken legs look just like a lollipop. Removing the knuckle wasn't easy either, but well worth it when you saw how cute the final product looked.

Other option

You can wrap the chicken using a piece of regular bacon (nothing thin or too thick). Make sure to tuck the ends of the bacon into the bacon above it to avoid ends from coming loose while baking. Or you can go ahead and use a toothpick to secure the bacon.

Extra Tip

Once your bones are exposed, you can wrap them in tin foil to prevent the bone from turning dark during the smoking process. I wrapped the “stick” end in tin foil to prevent the bone from turning dark during the cooking process. But importantly, for serving and it created the perfect handle for the kids with far less dripping and sticky fingers.

The only problem I had with these darling additions to the meal is that I didn't make nearly enough. So, I served them with Kung Pao Chicken.

All the adults wanted some too! The marinade made them moist and tasty and the tinfoil stick made them easy to eat. My cousin was so jealous and I smiled inside, victoriously.

Ingredients

• 10 pieces chicken drumsticks (skin attached, cleaned and pat-dry)

for the marinade:

• • 2 teaspoon ginger (peeled and minced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 3 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
  • ½ tablespoon chili sauce (mild)
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon sugar (or honey)
  • ½ tablespoon water

Chili Lime Dipping Sauce

• 2 tablespoon Jalapeno pepper (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• ½ cup lime juice
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoon cilantro (or coriander leaves)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Step by step instructions

1 Use a kitchen knife or scissor to cut the skin and tendons around the base of each drumstick.

2 Peel, scrape and push the meat down to the thick end, from top to bottom. It made the drumstick looks just like a lollipop.
3 Repeat with remaining chicken drumsticks.

4 In a bowl, prepare the Marinade ingredients. Add in the chicken drumsticks, coat well and marinate for at least 1 hour, or best overnight.

5 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the lollipop drumsticks on the wire rack set over a baking pan. Bake until the chicken is nicely browned and slightly charred, and completely cooked through, for about 35 minutes.

6 Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice. They are delicious as is without any dipping sauce.

Other chicken recipes:

• Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken
• Sesame Chicken
• 3-Cups Chicken Recipe

Full Recipe