Lollipop Chicken Legs

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Chicken legs, shaped to look like lollipops, dry-rubbed with a mix of spices, then oven-baked and slathered in tangy BBQ sauce.

Prep: 45

Cook: 45

Marinate: 30

Total: 2

Recipe makes approximately 4 servings

Get Recipe Ingredients

Add ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper to small saucepan. Mix well until ingredients are fully incorporated, then place saucepan on stovetop over medium-high heat.
Bring sauce mixture to low, gentle boil. Once mixture begins to boil, immediately reduce heat under saucepan to low. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened.
Once BBQ sauce has thickened, remove saucepan from heat and set aside. Let sauce cool completely, then transfer sauce to airtight container until ready to use.

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set baking sheet aside.
Place one drumstick on cutting board. Pat drumstick completely dry with paper towels.
Focus on section where thick area of chicken meat tapers toward end of bone, approximately 1 to 2 inches from top of drumstick. Using shears or sharp knife, cut through chicken skin, meat, and tendons in this spot. Work circularly around drumstick to separate all skin, meat, and tendons from bone.
Hold thick end of drumstick in non-dominant hand.
With dominant hand, use paper towels to pull skin, meat, and tendons off of bone, starting from incision and working toward small end of drumstick. If components don't remove easily, use shears or knife to cut more as needed to completely uncover bone. Be sure thick end of drumstick remains intact.
Once bone is fully exposed, place drumstick on cutting board. Use sharp knife to cut small angled piece off top of thick end of drumstick, creating straight edge to allow drumstick to stand upright later.
Lay lollipopped drumstick horizontally on prepared baking sheet and set aside. Repeat process with remaining drumsticks.

Add garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper to small bowl. Mix spices together until well blended.
Completely pat each drumstick dry with paper towels, then lightly spray cooking oil over chicken skin, coating all sides of drumsticks evenly.
Sprinkle dry spice mixture over chicken legs generously and evenly, coating skin completely. Use hands to gently work spice rub into skin of drumsticks.
Cover drumsticks with sheet(s) of plastic wrap or aluminum foil then place baking sheet in refrigerator. Chill seasoned drumsticks at least 30 minutes, though 1 hour is preferred. Do not exceed 12 hours.

Before removing baking sheet from fridge, preheat oven to 385° Fahrenheit. Adjust oven racks as needed so drumsticks can stand upright in center of oven. Cut 2-inch squares of foil for each drumstick.
Remove baking sheet from fridge. Remove plastic wrap or foil covering drumsticks and discard. Cover exposed bone on each drumstick with squares of aluminum foil.
Lightly spray each drumstick with cooking spray again, then stand each drumstick upright on baking sheet. Place baking sheet in preheated oven.
Bake drumsticks 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven.
Brush chicken generously with BBQ sauce, coating all sides of each drumstick completely. Return baking sheet to oven.
Bake chicken legs 5 minutes more, then begin checking internal temperature by inserting meat thermometer into thickest part of chicken meat. Continue baking drumsticks, checking temperature approximately every 5 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit.
Once chicken legs reach 165° Fahrenheit, carefully remove baking sheet from oven and set aside. Let chicken legs rest at least 5 minutes. Chicken should reach food-safe internal temperature of 170° Fahrenheit during rest time.
After rest period, serve drumsticks immediately with extra BBQ sauce and desired sides.

Cook Time: Exact cook time will vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken legs you use. Smaller legs may need less time, while larger legs may need more time. Use a meat thermometer to accurately gauge doneness. To avoid overcooked chicken, remove drumsticks from oven when internal temperature reaches 165° Fahrenheit.
BBQ Sauce: The homemade sauce is optional. You're welcome to use a store-bought sauce instead! If you make the homemade recipe listed above, you'll end up with roughly 1 cup of BBQ sauce.