This Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops drumsticks recipe is one of the best chicken recipes of all time…if I do say so myself. Juicy chicken “lollipops” with crispy skin are seasoned to perfection, smoked until deliciously tender, then doused in a sweet and spicy Gochujang honey glaze.
You’re not going to want to miss out on these chicken lollipop drumsticks!
Why You’ll Love Honey Korean BBQ Chicken
If you’re a lover of Korean BBQ, then you already know the mouthwatering flavor of these tangy drumsticks. Firing up your smoker and creating this chicken lollipop recipe is a fun and delicious way to enjoy chicken!
This recipe does take a bit of time, with 1 hour of prep and about 2 hours of cook time, but the fire-roasted flavor is entirely worth it.
Lollipop Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients for this mind blowing recipe. Get yourself some chicken drumsticks, Korean BBQ Seasoning, and chopped scallions for garnish and you’ll be ready to smoke some chicken. You’ll also need aluminum foil to wrap the exposed bone on the lollipop drumsticks.
If you’d like to make homemade BBQ seasoning rather than using the pre-made Korean BBQ seasoning, you’ll need 1.5 tbsp kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and cayenne powder.
No matter what type of seasoning you use on your chicken lollipops, finish them off with our Gochujang Honey Glaze– it is a simple recipe made with only honey and Gochujang Sauce.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Lollipops
Pick Your Seasoning
To start off, decide how you want to season the chicken meat for your chicken lollipops drumsticks. You have a couple of options:
First, our pre-made option: Korean BBQ Seasoning. It’s a spicy, smoky, and sweet blend made with chili flakes, sesame seeds, soy sauce, maple sugar, orange peel, cayenne, and more.
Second, our homemade dry rub option! Simply mix together kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder, white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, red chili flakes, and cayenne powder. I’ve listed measurements that will make a great flavor. However, feel free to play around with amounts to customize the seasoning blend just how you like it. You really can’t go wrong!
For more with Korean BBQ, check out my Crispy Korean Pork Belly Sandwiches and Grilled Korean BBQ Short Ribs.
Prep the Chicken
Now, it’s time to prepare the chicken drumsticks for lollipops. Start with twelve chicken drumsticks. Pull out a very sharp knife and cut the excess meat roughly 1/3 of the way down each drumstick towards the knuckle side.
Then slice all around the drumstick. Pull the excess meat/skin off until the bone is the only thing showing. Trim off any excess tendons, then press the meat down to form the lollipop shape.
Next, add whatever seasoning you chose into a bowl. Take each chicken lollipop and roll them in the seasonings until fully coated.
Wrap the end of the bone in small pieces of foil to prevent exposed bones on the drumsticks. Set aside until you’re ready to transform them into chicken lollipops.
Smoke the Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Now it’s time we cook our chicken! First, preheat the smoker for indirect cooking, around 275ºF. Add wood chunks or chips to the smoker to give the meat some extra smoky flavor.
Next, add the chicken to the smoker. I use a smoker rack to cook the chicken drumstick lollipops with the bottom of the drumstick pointing up, and it works great.
Cook the chicken for about 2-2.5 hours, checking with a meat thermometer until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. This will give us the juiciest and most tender chicken!
While the chicken is cooking, make your delicious Gochujang honey glaze!
Make the Gochujang Honey Glaze
Next, make your sauce, because these dark meat chicken drumsticks are next-level flavorful when doused in this sweet and spicy sauce.
To make the glaze for the Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops, set a saucepan on the smoker. Add in the honey and Gochujang sauce and allow the mixture to warm for 1-2 minutes. Pull the saucepan off of the smoker, then stir the mixture until it’s fully combined.
For other chicken glaze options check out my Smoked Chicken Thighs with Spicy Peach Glaze, Cherry Coke Chicken Skewers and Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings.
Finishing Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops
And now, we glaze and serve these chicken lollipops drumsticks!
First, pull the golden brown chicken drumsticks off of the grill grate. Then carefully dip the meaty part of the drumstick into the finished honey glaze.
Make sure they are evenly coated. Let the excess glaze drain off, then place the drumsticks back onto the smoker rack. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to give the exterior time to caramelize, because who doesn’t love a crispy exterior?
Next, pull the finished Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops off of the smoker, let them rest for 2-3 minutes to give the flavor and juices time to settle in, then garnish with chopped scallions and dig in!
More Chicken Lollipops
If you are a fan of turning drumsticks into chicken lollipops, then join the club! I have tons of other lollipop recipes, so make sure to go check them out!
- Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops
- Smoked Chicken Lollipops
- Maple Hot Chicken Lollipops
- Flamin’ Hot Chicken Lollipops
- Grilled Butterflied Chicken Drumsticks with Alabama White Sauce (not exactly a lollipop recipe, but another fun drumsticks idea!)
Until next time, cheers!
To find more delicious recipes for the next time you pull out the smoker, check out my cookbooks Flavor X Fire and Food X Fire!
Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here.
Honey Korean BBQ Chicken Lollipops
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 12 Chicken Drumsticks
- ½ cup Korean BBQ Seasoning
- Chopped Scallions for garnish
Alternate Seasoning:
- 1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1.5 tsp White Sesame Seeds
- 1.5 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
- 1.5 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- ½ tsp Cayenne Powder
Gochujang Honey Glaze:
- 1.5 cups Honey
- 1 tbsp Gochujang Sauce
Instructions
- Start by making a cut about ⅓ of the way done the drumstick towards the knuckle side. Slice all around the drumstick and pull off the excess meat/skin until the bone is the only thing showing. Trim off any excess tendons, then press the meat down to form your “lollipop.” Wrap a little bit of foil over the bones to prevent burning, if you like. Repeat this step for the rest of the drumsticks.
- Add the seasoning into a bowl (or just the Korean BBQ Seasoning) and thoroughly coat the meat. Set aside until ready to cook.
- Preheat your smoker for 275F indirect. Add some additional wood chunks or chips for added flavor.
- Add your chicken to the smoker (preferably on a smoker rack) and cook for about 2-2.5 hours until they reach 175F. When the chicken is close to being done, add a sauce pan with all the ingredients for the Honey Gochujang Glaze. Warm up for 1-2 minutes. Once warm, pull the saucepan off, stir the mixture and carefully dip each lollipop into the sauce until it is evenly coated. Let the excess glaze drain off and place the chicken back on the smoker rack. Repeat for each lollipop, then let cook for 5 more minutes.
- When chicken is done, pull off and rest for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with chopped scallions, serve and enjoy!
