Sure, lollipop chicken legs look fancy (it’s what makes them an ideal appetizer, IMO), but they’re so much more than a pretty face. First of all, kids love these! After all, it’s chicken with BBQ sauce. But with the funny name and the easy eating to boot, why wouldn’t they? But adults love them, too, TBH. They’re fun to look at and less messy than a regular chicken leg. Plus, with my homemade BBQ sauce, it’s really hard not to go back for seconds…and thirds. 😆 Sound complicated? Don’t worry because it isn’t hard at all. Besides, I give you easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions below so you can master this super useful cooking technique in no time.
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Lollipop Chicken Legs
Make the Barbecue Sauce
Cook Onion & Garlic – In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine onions and garlic and microwave for about a minute or two until the onions are soft and translucent. (Photo 1) Add Seasonings – Then, add the ketchup, vinegar, lemon juice, chili, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, paprika, molasses, pepper flakes, and celery seeds to the bowl. (Photo 2-3) Mix everything together until thoroughly combined. (Photo 4) Divide the barbecue sauce in half. You’ll use half for basting and the rest for serving.
French the Chicken Legs
Prep Drumsticks – Rinse the drumsticks and pat them dry with paper towels. Start Frenching – Place each chicken drumstick on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears, cut right through the tendons around the bottom end of the bone. (Photos 5-6) Finish Frenching – Next, push the meat down towards the top end of the drumstick and then remove the joint by bending it back and pulling it off. (It will be a little tough. Try using kitchen shears to cut it off if you don’t have a very sharp knife.) Use a knife to scrape off any skin left on the bone. (Photos 7-10) Final Touch – Turn the chicken leg around and cut off a little bit of the cartilage on the meaty end of the leg to ensure that it can stand upright.
Marianate & Bake
Season the Chicken – Put the chicken legs in a large bowl and add oil, Creole seasoning, and salt. Mix until the legs are well coated. (Photos 11-13) Marinate – Let the lollipopped chicken legs marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge. (Photo 14) Prep Pan – Place the chicken legs, meat-side down, on a cookie cooling rack set on top of a baking tray lined with foil paper. Bake chicken legs in the preheated oven for 20 minutes (until the skin crisps and the fat renders). (Photos 15-16) Baste – Remove them from the oven and baste them generously with half of the barbecue sauce. (Photo 17) Finish Baking – Then return the chicken legs to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, turning the pan midway to ensure they brown evenly. (Photo 18) Serve – Take chicken legs out of the oven and serve with fresh BBQ sauce for dipping.
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can easily make these lollipop chicken legs a day or two ahead. To reheat them, you can use the oven set at 350℉/177℃. Just keep them in there until they’re heated through (for about 10 minutes). You could also use an air fryer or microwave. The air fryer set to 400℉/205℃ will heat them up in 7-10 minutes. Even better, though, is to french the chicken legs the night before and marinate them overnight in the fridge. Then all you need to do is pop them in the oven the next day. 🙌
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve lollipop chicken legs as an appetizer or a full-on meal with homemade BBQ sauce for dipping. Store leftover chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
What Goes With Lollipop Chicken Legs
If you serve it as an appetizer, pair it with other crowd-pleasers like deviled eggs and beer-battered onion rings. These also work well as a main course, though, so feel free to pair them with your favorite chicken-loving side dishes. I like to serve them with avocado corn salad and Hasselback potatoes.
More Fun Chicken Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Are these barbecue-sauce-covered lollipop chicken legs just a little fancy? Yep! And totally fun and family-friendly, so go ahead and try these pretty little legs! Let me know how they turned out! Can’t wait to hear from you. 🫶
Watch How to Make It
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