Smoked Bacon Wrapped Chicken ‘Lollipops’
These Smoked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops are a super fun and super delicious handheld meal! Plus a bonus recipe for avocado ranch dipping sauce!
A FUN AND DELICIOUS SMOKER RECIPE
If you have never heard of Chicken Lollipops then let me introduce you! This is such a fun and unique recipe that you are starting to see gain in popularity at a lot of southern BBQ joints. Once you have a bite of these chicken lollipops, I guarantee it won’t be the last time you make them! You will really love all of the different flavors that are combined to create this special recipe. If you want to make a crazy-fun and unique summertime recipe for family and friends, then you need to try my Smoked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I smoke this chicken at two different temperatures. I start the smoker at 225F degrees up until the point where they are brushed with bbq sauce then I crank it up to 375F degrees until finished.
I decided to use my Homemade BBQ sauce with this recipe because the cajun rub has a slight kick of heat to it so I thought the lighter, slightly tangy taste of my bbq sauce would pair perfectly! But these would work well with any store-bought sauce you prefer.
You sure can! This shouldn’t change the cooking time at all. You just want to make sure that your smoker can accommodate the extra Chicken Lollipops.
These will be finished cooking when the internal temperature of the chicken reaches a minimum of 165F degrees. For this recipe, I am taking the temperature up to about 175F degrees, but don’t worry, they won’t be dry!
For this recipe I used pecan pellets but you can use your favorite. Hickory or mesquite would also be nice choices.
Of course! You can make this as simple or as complex in flavor as you would like. If you have a favorite chicken rub that you like to buy, then by all means, use that one!
I would go with the standard favorite BBQ side dishes: cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad or macaroni and cheese.
Yep! Follow all the same directions to prepare.
*Preheat grill to 350F degrees. Cook (with lid closed) for 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on the grill temperature. With the lid closed, the grill can get above the set temperature. Adjust heat to keep the grill as close to 350F degrees as possible.
*During the last 10 minutes of cooking, move the chicken over to indirect heat (turn off the heat on one side of the grill) and brush chicken with BBQ sauce. This will keep the BBQ sauce from burning. Cook for about another 5-10 minutes until BBQ sauce has caramelized.
*Chicken is done when an internal temperature has reached 165F.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- thick cut bacon
- chicken drumsticks
- garlic powder
- paprika
- chili powder
- cumin
- celery salt
- dill weed
- pepper
- onion powder
- ginger powder
- red pepper flakes
- dired oregano
- dried basil
- BBQ sauce
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN LOLLIPOPS:
Preheat the smoker to 225F degrees for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed. Using a sharp knife, make a cut clean through the drumstick bone right below the joint (found at the top of the drumstick bone) Push the skin down from the bone so the bone is exposed (like a lollipop stick).
Add rub ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
Rub the drumsticks with the seasoning thoroughly to coat. I find it is easiest to use your hands for this step, or you can add the seasoning and drumsticks to a ziplock bag and shake. It’s called a rub for a reason. You really want to rub it into the meat as best as possible.
Place the drumsticks bone-up on a flat surface. Wrap each drumstick with a piece of bacon, slightly overlapping as you work your way down. Tuck the end of the bacon under the bacon wrap. No toothpick should be necessary as long as you tightly wrap the bacon around the chicken as you go. But if you are more comfortable securing with a toothpick, then be sure to soak the toothpicks in water first so they don’t burn.
Put a small piece of aluminum foil over the exposed bone (this step is for aesthetics so the bone doesn’t burn).
Place chicken lollipops directly on the grill grate in the smoker for 2 hours at 225F degrees.
Be sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F degrees, then brush the chicken with your favorite bbq to coat. Increase the heat to 375F degrees until the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of about 175F degrees. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
Optional avocado ranch dip:
While the chicken finishes smoking, make the avocado ranch dip. Add all dip ingredients to a food processor or blender and purée for 10 seconds. Alternatively, you can also add all to a bowl and whisk well to combine.
Remove chicken from the smoker and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Garnish the chicken with dried parsley (optional) and serve with ranch dipping sauce. Enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Smoked Bacon Wrapped Chicken Lollipops
Ingredients
- 1 package thick cut bacon (12 pieces)
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Cajun Rub:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
Avocado ranch dipping sauce: (optional)
- 1 avocado mashed
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225F degrees for at least 15 minutes with the lid closed.
- Using a sharp knife, make a cut clean through the drumstick bone right below the joint (found at the top of the drumstick bone) Push the skin down from the bone so the bone is exposed (like a lollipop stick)
- Add cajun rub ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Rub the drumsticks with the seasoning thoroughly to coat.
- Place the drumsticks bone-up on a flat surface. Wrap each with a piece of bacon, slightly overlapping as you work your way down. Tuck the end of the bacon under the bacon wrap.
- Put a small piece of aluminum foil over the exposed bone (this step is for aesthetics so the bone doesn’t burn.)
- Place chicken lollipops directly on the grill grate in the smoker for 2 hours at 225F degrees.
- Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F degrees, brush the chicken with your favorite bbq sauce to coat.
- Increase the heat to 375F degrees until the drumsticks reach an internal temperature of about 175F degrees. This should take about 15 minutes.
- While the chicken finishes smoking, make the avocado ranch. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and purée for 10 seconds. Alternatively, you can also add all to a bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Remove chicken from the smoker and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
- Garnish the chicken with dried parsley flakes (optional) and serve with avocao ranch dipping sauce.
Notes
- Pecan wood pellets were used in this recipe. Hickory or mesquite would also work well.
- You can use any of your favorite bbq sauces.
- The tinfoil helps to not burn the ends of the bones of the drumsticks.
- You can use the rub I included here or you can use a store-bought cajun/chicken rub.
- Thick cut bacon is recommended.
- Chicken should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165F degrees. Do not let your meat thermometer touch the bone inside the chicken. This will throw off the cooked temperature of the chicken. Insert thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken meat without touching the bone for the most accurate temperature.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Could you tell me what brand of type/brand of smoker you use?
Hi Vicki, I use a Traeger wood pellet smoker. There are different brands but they all work basically the same way. It makes it so much easier to smoke meats these days!
I, too, don’t have a smoker (or a grill!) and would like oven directions please! This looks so YUMMY and I really want to try it! Thanks!
If you look above, I have directions on how to do it on a grill under “frequently asked questions.” I haven’t tested these in an oven but the directions should pretty much be the same as on the grill. 🙂
This sounds so good, but I don’t have a smoker. Can you give me a recipe for my oven or my grill? Thank you and have a most blessed day.
Hi Susie! If you look towards the middle of the post under “frequently asked questions” – I have directions on how to do this on the grill. Hope it helps! 🙂