Chicken and bacon are the perfect couple to invite to your next party.
Ah, bacon. Is there anything it can’t do? It elevates plain veggies, like cabbage or Brussels sprouts, to the level of art. It complements sandwiches and salads and even casseroles. And of course, it’s great for breakfast. But if there’s one place where bacon really shines, it’s at a party. 
So many super special party dishes, from cheese balls to dips, get their kick from the smoky, salty crunch of bacon. And now, bacon is trying its hand at a whole new kind of finger food – a lollipop.
Oh, not a sweet lollipop, of course. These Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops are actually chicken drumsticks with their ends snapped off. They’re rubbed with spices, wrapped in bacon, and roasted – and then, to finish them off, basted with barbecue sauce and broiled until the bacon is good and crisp.
These Baked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops are the perfect dish for a dinnertime party where you don’t want to serve a sit-down meal. They’re heartier than appetizers like dips and bite-size nibbles, but they’re still easy to eat with one hand while you mingle and chat. And they fit right into any party atmosphere, dressy or casual.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the skin around the end of the drumstick. Place the knife directly across the bone and snap down to snap through the bone and take off the knob on the end.
- Pull the skin and meat down toward the large end of the drumstick and stand it on its end.
- Mix together the smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
- Rub a few pinches of the seasoning over the skin and meat of the drumstick to season.
- Wrap 1-2 pieces of bacon around the seasoned chicken leg, using enough bacon to coat the exposed top and sides of the chicken, but no need to wrap the bottom of the “lollipop.”
- Place prepared drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Check internal temperature of drumstick to make sure it has reached 165°F – if it has not, cook for a few minutes longer until desired internal temp is reached.
- Use a pastry brush to baste each drumstick with a generous amount of barbecue sauce. Return drumsticks to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, rotating the pan, until the bacon has crisped.
- Best served hot.
- Don’t forget to pack up leftovers for lunch! These are the lunchboxes we love to use!
Tips for Bacon Wrapped Lollipops
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- We didn’t remove the skin from the drumsticks, but you can if you’d like. After trimming the end of the drumstick, peel back the skin and continue pulling it all the way off of the drumstick.
- There are some tendons/ligaments that are cut loose from the end of the drumstick when you cut off the end. You can use kitchen shears to trim these out or tuck them down into the lollipop.
- You can reheat using an air fryer to crisp up the bacon! These lollipops are just as good leftover cold though!
- This recipe is for 8 drumsticks but you can certainly make more (or less!) You may need to mix up additional spice rub to cover more than 12 drumsticks. Estimate 2 pieces of bacon per drumstick.
- You can use toothpicks to secure the ends of the bacon strips or tuck them into the strip beneath. I didn’t need to use toothpicks to secure, but you can if you’re having trouble.
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Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon coarse freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Remaining Ingredients:
- 8 chicken drumsticks
- 16 strips bacon not thick-cut
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the skin around the end of the drumstick. Place the knife directly across the bone and snap down to snap through the bone and take off the knob on the end.
- Pull the skin and meat down toward the large end of the drumstick and stand it on its end.
- Mix together the smoked paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.
- Rub a few pinches of the seasoning over the skin and meat of the drumstick to season.
- Wrap 1-2 pieces of bacon around the seasoned chicken leg, using enough bacon to coat the exposed top and sides of the chicken, but no need to wrap the bottom of the “lollipop.”
- Place prepared drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Check internal temperature of drumstick to make sure it has reached 165°F - if it has not, cook for a few minutes longer until desired internal temp is reached.
- Use a pastry brush to baste each drumstick with a generous amount of barbecue sauce. Return drumsticks to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, rotating the pan, until the bacon has crisped.
- Best served hot.
Video
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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