“Chicken lollipops” are a fun variation on chicken legs that take a little prep time, but can be a fun, easy-to-handle treat for you and the family, hot off the grill.
#1 – Prep
Buttermilk brine or soak your chicken wings and drumsticks in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cutting and cooking. (Larger chicken pieces may need 4 hours or more in a brine, some people prefer to leave it overnight.) Make sure you cover your bowl with plastic wrap.
This step produces juicier and more tender chicken, regardless of whether you are baking, frying, or grilling. Your recipe may vary, but a basic brine is a quart of buttermilk with four teaspoons of salt, and pepper for taste.
#2 – Shape
To “lollipop” and lock it, first you start with a sharp paring knife or kitchen shears, and cut around the base of the chicken meat. Then scrape down the bone to remove skin and cartilage, exposing the bone to the end. Cut off any cartilage around the end of the bone (at the joint) to get a nice clean look to your lollipop “stick.”
If you want your lollipops to stand by themselves, trim any protruding bone or meat from the “top” of the lollipop so that it has a flat surface to rest for serving.
Toss excess skin, bone, and meat. Pull the remaining chicken and skin “up” to the top to create the “ball” of the lollipop.
#3 – Season
There are a few options for what to do with a chicken wing or drumette once you’ve “frenched” it: marinate and bake it, batter and fry it, or smoke or grill it with barbecue sauce.
Regardless of how you are going to cook it, season both the chicken meat and the chicken skin with the spice mix of your choice. You can wrap the bones with aluminum foil to prevent them from charring during grilling.
Refrigerate covered for at least an hour.
#4 – Cook
If you are not breading and frying the lollipops, they will take at least 30-40 minutes in the smoker, barbecue or grill you’re using, to start.
Prepping your chicken wings so that they stand up on their own is a great way to grill them, arranging the chicken off direct heat or on low heat (160˚F – 180˚F). Check on your lollipops periodically to make sure they are not getting too cooked on one side.
When the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚F, baste with a barbecue sauce of your choice and return to the hot grill to get the “candy” coating on your lollipop. (You should increase the temperature of your grill or smoker to at least 350˚F for browning during this last step.)
Cook for another 15 minutes or until an internal temperature of around 180˚F has been achieved (or the outside of the lollipop is sticky and caramelized to your liking.)
Don’t forget to enter the #WhatsGrillin contest!
This year there’s no photo needed, no purchase required—just some good old-fashioned summer fun! All it takes is a quick entry with a few fun questions and you’re in the running to win big from Porter’s and Weber Grills. Winners will be drawn on Saturday, July 14 during Porter’s GRILLED Event in Riverton (but don’t worry, you don’t have to be there to win!).
