Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep the grill: Set up your grill with both a direct heat zone and an indirect heat zone.
- Rinse and dry: Rinse drumsticks under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Create the lollipop shape: Using a sharp knife, cut all the way around the bone at the knuckle end of each drumstick, cutting down to the bone. Remove the small piece of chicken and skin by pulling it over the knuckle. Then, holding the knuckle end, use your other hand to push and pull the chicken meat down toward the thick end of the drumstick, exposing about 2 inches of clean bone. Repeat with all 12 drumsticks.
- Season: Season the shaped lollipop chicken legs evenly on all sides with Kinder's Butcher's All Purpose Seasoning.
- Grill upright on indirect heat: Place the lollipops meat-side down on the indirect heat zone. Stand them upright so the exposed bone points straight up (this is the classic lollipop presentation). Close the grill lid and cook for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Baste: Brush each lollipop evenly with Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce.
- Caramelize: Cook for an additional 5–7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the sauce caramelizes and becomes sticky.
- Serve: Remove from grill and serve immediately with extra Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce on the side for dipping.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use a sharp boning knife — The knuckle cut needs to go all the way to the bone in one clean motion. A dull knife drags, tears the skin, and makes the lollipop shape harder to hold.
- Push with conviction — After the knuckle cut, use firm downward pressure to push the meat toward the thick end. The tendons and skin resist — that's expected. Work each piece fully before moving to the next.
- Stand them bone-up on indirect heat — The upright position keeps the meat cooking evenly from all sides and holds the sauce below the bone, so the handle stays clean and easy to grip.
- Baste only in the final 5–7 minutes — Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce has enough sugar to burn fast. Add it too early and you get char. Add it at the end and you get the sticky, caramelized finish.
- Pull at 165°F internal — Use a meat thermometer. The indirect heat stage brings the lollipops to 160°F; the glaze stage finishes them to 165°F. Don't guess on chicken.
- Always serve extra sauce for dipping — The glaze on the lollipop is the base layer. Extra Kinder's Honey Hot on the side is what pulls the whole thing together at the table.
- Stand them upright in the center of a platter — bone handles pointing up, sauce bowl in the middle. They serve themselves from there.
- For a full BBQ plate, pair with cold slaw, pickled jalapeños or quick-pickled red onion, and cornbread. The acidity cuts through the sweet-heat glaze cleanly.
- For a cookout spread, grilled corn on the cob and crispy potato wedges round it out without competing. Keep the sides simple — the lollipops are the focus.
- Twelve lollipops handles about 4 people as an appetizer. Double the batch if the spread needs to go further. These go fast.
- Refrigerate leftover lollipops in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The glaze holds well in the fridge without getting tacky.
- To reheat, use a 375°F oven for 10–12 minutes until warmed through and the sauce re-caramelizes. An air fryer at 375°F for 6–8 minutes works even better — it crisps the exterior back up. Either way, brush a light coat of extra Kinder's Honey Hot BBQ Sauce on after reheating to refresh the glaze.