Chicken Lollipop Recipe: Cartoon Meat Party Dish in 2 Hours or Less

Easy Chicken Lollipop Recipe Using an Air Fryer

This chicken lollipop recipe is made with trimmed chicken legs that look like something out of a cartoon. They're easy to make at home in the oven or air fryer without the need for a barbecue grill, and they're a great one-handed finger food for parties and kids' snacks. Let's get started with the recipe for easy air fried cartoon chicken lollipops.

What is a Chicken Lollipop?

Chicken Lollipop is an Indo-Chinese dish made with chicken wings, deboned, and then rolled into a lollipop-like shape. It's usually made with the tips of the wings and is typically fried or baked until crispy. The unique shape makes it a popular party dish, and it's also a favorite finger food because it's easy to pick up and eat.

Chicken lollipops are often deep-fried, coated in spicy and sweet seasonings, or served with soy sauce or chili sauce. They are known for their crispy exterior and moist interior, making them a dish that can satisfy a variety of tastes. This dish is a classic fusion of Indian and Chinese culinary cultures, and it's one of the easiest dishes to make at home because it uses simple ingredients and short cooking times to achieve great flavor.
If you want to know more about Chicken Lollipop, you can use the Wikipediafor more information.

Create a barbecue rub

First, let's make a barbecue rub to enhance the flavor of the chicken lollipops. A dry rub is a powdered seasoning that binds and flavors meat, and is often used in barbecue cooking. Once you've prepared your rub, you can apply it to your meat to give it a crispy, deep flavor when it cooks.

💡 There's no set formula for barbecue rub - it's basically salt and pepper, and feel free to add your favorite spices to it. The recipe below is a combination I often use, but feel free to adjust the ingredients to your taste!

Barbecue rub ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chili seasoning
• 1/3 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon powder

By measurements: 1 T=15 cc, use 1 t=5 cc measuring spoons

Mix all the ingredients together, put them in a shaker and shake, and you'll have a dry rub that's perfect for barbecue. Apply a thin layer of yellow mustard (about 1 tablespoon) to help the rub stick, then spread it evenly over the meat for even better flavor!

Recipe: Chicken Lollipop

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 400 g (about 4) chicken thighs
• Barbecue rub (recipe above)
• 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
• 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce

By measurements: 1 T=15 cc, use 1 t=5 cc measuring spoons

Making Chicken Lollipops

1. Prepare your ingredients

Prepare 400 grams of chicken thighs. Trim the chicken legs to give them a unique shape, like cartoon meat. You can soak the chicken legs in cold water for 30 minutes to remove any blood before trimming them, or you can trim them and soak them in cold water.

2. trim and rub the chicken legs

Pull the skin off the chicken firmly, run a knife through the skin where the flesh meets the bone, and use scissors to cut away the bone. There will be one thin bone, which you'll need to remove as well.

Wrap the top with a chicken towel and flip it over to peel it off.

Trim the protruding flesh and cartilage on the underside of the chicken leg to flatten it so it stands upright.

Drain the trimmed chicken legs, brush with 1 tablespoon of the yellow mustard, then coat evenly with the reserved barbecue rub for added flavor.

3. bake in an oven or air fryer

Preheat oven or air fryer to 150 degrees and bake for about 50 minutes. It's done when the internal temperature reaches 75 degrees, and if you don't have a thermometer handy because you're going to cook it one more time, just turn it after 50 minutes, and depending on the color of the outside, add or subtract 3 minutes to the time.

4. apply sauce and finish

Prepare the sauce by mixing 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce. To adjust the spiciness, adjust the amount of Sriracha sauce to your liking.

Brush the roasted chicken legs generously with the sauce and cook in the oven or air fryer at 150 degrees for another 10 minutes to let the sauce soak in.

5. complete

The finished chicken lollipops look like they've popped out of a cartoon and are sure to whet your appetite just by looking at them. They're easy to eat by hand, making them a great addition to a home party menu or a quick snack!

Alternative ingredients and cooking tips

• With a choice of oven and air fryer, you can cook in a variety of ways.
• You can adjust the ratio of Sriracha sauce to adjust the spiciness to your liking.
• Find your own flavor with tonkatsu sauce, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, and more.
• It may seem tricky, but it's not hard once you get going, so take it one step at a time.
• If the top cartilage of the chicken leg is crushed and sharp, wrap it in cooking foil.
• The mustard is more of a glue when applying barbecue rub, so you can use oil instead of mustard.

Product information used

• Sriracha sauce: a sauce that adds a nice spicy kick 👉 See products
• Stubbs Barbecue Sauce: a barbecue sauce with a variety of spices 👉 See products
• Smoked paprika powder: A must-have ingredient that adds smokiness and flavor. 👉 See products
• Coarse black pepper: an essential ingredient in barbecue rubs. Just the right amount of coarseness so it's easy to use right away without grinding. 👉 See products
• Garlic powder: Garlic 100% Please check product before using 👉 See products
• Onion powder: Onion 100%, please check product before use 👉 See products
• Chili seasoning: adds a spicy kick 👉 See products
• Cumin powder: A spice with a strong curry-like flavor that can be used in small amounts to boost flavor 👉 See products
• Cinnamon powder: A cinnamon-flavored spice that boosts flavor when used in small amounts 👉 See products

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Chicken lollipops are fun to make, and they look more and more like cartoons as you go along. They're easy to make at home and make a great snack for a house party or a quick bite to eat. They're easy to make in the oven and air fryer, so give them a try!

Other favorite home party dishes

Texas Barbecue Spare Ribs Recipe - This Texas-style spare ribs barbecue is easy to make in the oven or air fryer.

Lasagna recipes - Simplify the ragu sauce and make a big batch for a homemade lasagna recipe that's perfect for a house party.