Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipops
Get ready for bold flavor with Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipops! Sweet, smoky, and perfectly spicy. Serve with your favorite sauce.
Smoked & Spicy: Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipops
My husband was way too excited when he discovered chicken lollipops. Like, full-on kid-in-a-candy-store excited. I didn’t get it at first—why go through all that extra work when regular drumsticks exist? But then I saw our kids’ faces light up when they realized they could eat their chicken like a giant meat lollipop, and I had to admit… okay, maybe it’s worth the effort.
So, armed with my Nashville hot seasoning blend (because if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right), I set to work.
Luckily, he’s the one making them. I get to sit back, sip a drink, and offer my moral support while he wrestles with raw chicken. If you’ve never made lollipops before, just know it involves trimming the drumsticks just right and pushing the meat down to create that signature shape. It’s a little messy, slightly tedious, and definitely the reason he is responsible for making them. But hey, he’s happy, the kids are entertained, and I’m not the one covered in chicken bits. Win-win.
Once he’s done, the lollipops hit the smoker, soaking up all that glorious, smoky goodness. Low and slow until they’re juicy and tender, then—because crispy skin is non-negotiable—they get a quick blast in the air fryer. That spicy, smoky crunch? Ridiculously good.
Now, let’s talk sauce. You could go with ranch or blue cheese, but if you really want to do this right, Alabama White Sauce is the move. That creamy, tangy, peppery goodness cools down the heat just enough and makes these lollipops next-level addictive.
And if you’re looking for the ultimate Super Bowl food—this is it. A pile of these crispy, smoky, spicy little lollipops, a bowl of Alabama White Sauce for dunking, and a cold drink in hand? Game day done right. Just be warned: once you make them, you’ll be stuck making them forever.
If you love this recipe, you should try his Brant’s Nashville Hot Chicken Wings and Brant’s Rowdy Ranch Chicken Wings because they are both so amazing.
Visual Process for Making Smoked Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipops
Step 1
Make Nashville Hot Chicken Rub
Get ready for bold flavor with Brant’s Nashville Hot Chicken Rub! Sweet, smoky, and perfectly spicy, it’s our best seasoning.
Step 2
Lollipop the Chicken
You want to remove the skin, cartilage, fat and meat from the neck of the chicken drumstick.
Step 3
Season Chicken Lollipops with Nashville Hot Rub
You want to get the seasoning all over hte drumstick and even under the skin if you can.
Step 4
Cover Bone with Foil
Cover the bone with foil so it doesn’t burn and become brittle in the smoker.
Step 5
Smoke Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipops
Smoke the lollipops at 275℉ for around 2 hours. Pull them when they reach a temperature of 170℉ which gives you fall of the bone tender chicken.
Step 6
Crisp The Chicken Lollipops up
Now here is our secret that you can use with any smoked chicken where you want a crispy skin. Put them in the airfryer set to 400℉ for 10 minutes.
Other Yummy Smoked Recipes
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Nashville Hot Chicken Lollipop
Ingredients
- 10-12 chicken legs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons Nashville hot seasoning
- Your favorite barbeque sauce
Instructions
- Start by removing the skin from the chicken legs. For the lollipop effect, you need to push the meat down toward the small end of the drumette. To do this, make a small cut around the bottom of the drumette (the thin end). Then, use a knife to push the meat down toward the wide end, exposing the bone. It should look like a “lollipop” where the bone is sticking out, and the meat is pushed up to the other end. Repeat this for all your drumettes or wings.
- Toss the chicken lollipops in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 6 tablespoons Nashville hot seasoning. Make sure they’re evenly coated. You can also marinate them for 30 minutes to an hour if you have the time!
- Let the lollipops rest while you preheat the smoker, grill or oven.Oven method: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the chicken lollipops on a lined baking sheet, making sure they’re not overcrowded. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside.Grill method: Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken lollipops for about 10-12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so to get that even, crispy texture.Smoker method: Heat the smoker to 275℉. Place the chicken lollipops on the grill grates and smoke for 2 hours or until they reach an internal temperature of 165℉.
- Optional Step: If you smoke them you probably want to throw them in the airfryer for 10 minutes on 400℉ to crisp the skin up.
- If you like, brush your chicken lollipops with your favorite sauce in the last few minutes of cooking or toss them in a bowl with sauce once they’re cooked.
- Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. They make the perfect appetizer or party snack. If you want extra flavor, sprinkle a bit more seasoning on top right before serving! I love to eat mine with Alabama White Sauce.