Asian Style Lollipop Chicken

I turn regular drumsticks into lollipops, season them well, and then wrap each one in crispy bacon. After a good grill, I brush on a sticky, smoky Korean-style sauce and throw them back on the heat to caramelize. These Asian-style lollipop chickens are juicy, bold, and absolutely addictive!

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American inspire, Asian Inspire

Keyword chicken lollipop, chicken lollippop recipe, lollipop chicken

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 567

Author Mary Thatcher

Equipment

6 toothpicks (optional for securing the bacon strips onto the drumsticks.)

Ingredients

6 drumsticks
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
½ tsp pepper (ground black or white pepper)
½ tsp coriander powder (optional)
6 strips bacon

For the Asian Style Sauce

1 tbsp Gochujang paste (Korean chili paste)
1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
6 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp chopped green onion

Instructions

Prepare the drumsticks: Locate the thin end of the drumstick and hold it upright with the thinner bone end facing down; this will be the base of your lollipop.
Cut around the bone: Use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut all the way around the drumstick about 1 inch above the bone end; slice through the skin, meat, and tendons to loosen the flesh.
Pull the skin up: Grip the skin and tendons at the top part of the drumstick and carefully pull them upward and off to expose the bone; this creates a clean bone handle.
Clean the exposed bone: Scrape off any remaining meat or tendons from the exposed bone using the back of your knife. This keeps the bone neat and prevents burning during cooking.
Push the meat down: Use your hand to push the meat down toward the thicker end; this turns the drumstick inside out and forms a round “lollipop” shape at the bottom.
Trim the base for standing lollipops: Slice a small piece off the end of the bone to create a flat, even base; this helps the lollipops stand upright when serving. Save the trimmed pieces to make chicken broth later.
Season the chicken: Rub salt, black pepper, garlic powder, coconut or brown sugar, and optional coriander powder all over the drumstick; gently lift the skin and rub some seasoning underneath for extra flavor.
Marinate briefly: Let the seasoned chicken lollipops rest for at least 5 minutes; this gives the spices time to absorb into the meat before wrapping and cooking.
Wrap with bacon: Take one slice of bacon and wrap it tightly around each chicken lollipop. Secure it with a toothpick if needed to keep the bacon in place during cooking.
Make the Korean-style BBQ sauce: Combine gochujang, gochugaru, minced garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup, and green onion in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat for about 1 minute until the garlic softens and the flavors meld. Let the sauce cool and set aside.
Cook the chicken: Grill, bake, or smoke the bacon-wrapped lollipops at 350°F for 30 minutes. (Bake at 400 degrees. Grill or smoke at 350 degrees.) Cook until the internal temperature reaches 170–175°F and the bacon is cooked through.
Glaze and finish: Brush each lollipop generously with the Korean-style sauce; continue cooking for another 10 minutes to caramelize the glaze and crisp the bacon.
Serve: Plate the lollipops with a side of salad, steamed rice, and any extra Korean BBQ sauce from earlier. Enjoy while hot and sticky!

Video

@stickyricethaikitchen
Save my Asian Lollipop Chicken Recipe so that you can turn a cheaper cut of meat into something party worthy. Ingredients 6 drumsticks ½ tbsp salt ½ tbsp garlic powder ½ tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar) ½ tsp pepper (ground black or white pepper) ½ tsp coriander powder (optional) 6 strips bacon For the Asian Style Sauce 1 tbsp Gochujang paste (Korean chili paste) 1 tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp ketchup 6 tbsp pure maple syrup 2 tbsp chopped green onion More details about cooking methods from oven to grill and smoke : https://stickyricethaikitchen.com/lollipop-chicken/
♬ JUMP - BLACKPINK

Notes

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Nutrition