Chicken lollipop

Chicken Lollipop Recipe

By Swasthi on September 2, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe

These chicken lollipops are the ultimate appetizer for any occasion! Everyone will love these saucy, super flavorful and delicious lollipops with a kick! Serve them as an appetizer or a Side with some Chinese noodles or Fried rice. These spicy Chicken lollipops are perfect for any occasion – parties, family dinner or game day Snacking.

Chicken lollipop tossed in schezwan sauce

My recipe will teach you how to make great tasting chicken lollipops that are crispy on the outside and juicy & tender inside. I also cover the steps to make that finger-licking good hot and sweet Schezwan sauce into which the lollipops are drenched.

Chicken Lollipop

Chicken lollipop is a popular Indo-Chinese appetizer where a frenched chicken drumette is marinated and then batter fried or baked until crisp. These are then either seasoned and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce or simply served with a favorite sauce or dip.

Indo-Chinese fusion foods are hugely popular in the Indian-Chinese Restaurants. Chicken lollipops are one of the most ordered in these places. My family, especially my kids love Chinese foods served in the restaurants.

But these restaurant foods are not free from additives – food colors, MSG and preservatives are added to most of these. So we try to limit eating Chinese in restaurants.

After perfecting this Chicken lollipop recipe, we have never eaten them out because the homemade these lollipops are the best and better than the restaurant served. I can say these are a real thing! No additives, you have full control over the ingredients used like oil and refined flour.

You will find a few variations of the sauce served in restaurants. The recipe shared here will help you make a schezwan sauce which is slightly spicy, hot, sweet and tangy with bursting flavors.

To make kids’ friendly chicken lollipops, just cut down the chilli powder and increase the sweetness. Alternately you may use any other sweet and sour sauce.

How to French chicken drumette or winglet

For this recipe you can use store bought chicken lollipops that are pre-frenched and shaped. If they are not available easily, you can french the whole chicken wings yourself. A lot of people use both chicken drumettes and winglets to French and shape to a lollipop. But in my opinion only the drumettes are best.

However if you have both and want to use up, feel free to use both. If you are a beginner and has not handled meat before I suggest you try with drumettes. These are the first portion of the whole chicken wings and are fairly easy to french.

More Chicken recipes
Chilli chicken
Szechuan chicken
Chicken manchurian

How To Make Chicken Lollipop (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. I always prefer to brine / soak the chicken in buttermilk for at least an hour. If using larger wings or drummettes then I suggest soaking for 4 to 6 hours in refrigerator. I would not recommend skipping this step as it really helps to yield soft and tender chicken when fried or grilled.

To make buttermilk, add 3 to 4 tbsp Indian curd or yogurt to a large bowl. Whisk it well with a fork. Add 1 ¼ cup water and ¼ tsp salt. Then add chicken to the butter milk.

Always cover the chicken container and wrap with a few disposable plastic bags. Place the bowl in a separate compartment in the fridge which is not used for fruits, veggies and nuts.

soaking drummettes in buttermilk

2. Remove skin and fats before going ahead. Hold the thinner side of the drummettes. Next with the help of a knife, bring down the meat towards the other end. You can look at the picture.

frenching drummettes

3. Drain off the buttermilk completely if any. Add chili powder or paprika, spice powder, Ginger garlic and pepper powder as well. Toss gently to coat.

marinade for chicken lollipop recipe

Fry or Bake Chicken Lollipop

4. Mix cornflour with salt. Next add it to the bowl. Mix well. If you do not like to use corn flour, use unbleached and unbromated flour. You can make these without flour or can use only 2 tbsp rice flour as well.

addition of flour

5. Next shape them to balls on one side and place them all on a plate.

shaping lollypop

6. You can grill or fry the chicken. Grill in a preheated oven at 240 C for 20 to 22 minutes depending on the size. OR Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot enough, deep fry them on medium high until cooked.

Do not fry on very high flame as it may brown the chicken outside without cooking inside. Next frying on a very low flame, will make the chicken hard. I haven’t tried shallow frying or pan frying, since I am not sure if they get cooked well.

frying drummettes for chicken lollipop recipe

7. Drain them on a kitchen towel. I fried in 3 batches.

draining drumsettes

Make sauce

8. Transfer the oil to a bowl. After that keep 1.5 tsp oil in the pan. Add ginger garlic and fry until fragrant.

frying ginger garlic

9. Next add onions and fry until transparent. While the onions fry, make red chili paste. Mix ¾ tbsp chili powder with 1.5 tbsp water. You can also use ready made chili paste.

addition of onions for chicken lollipop recipe

10. Mix 1 tsp vinegar with only 1 tsp naturally brewed soya sauce for half kg chicken. Pour it to the pan.

addition of sauces vinegar

11. Add sugar and red chili paste or sauce. Saute everything together without burning.

addition of sugar in chicken lollipop recipe

12. Then pour ½ cup water and Stir.

addition of water

13. Allow the sauce to cook until it thickens.

thicken the sauces for chicken lollipop recipe

14. Add the chicken and toss. I set aside a few for the kids as the sauce is spicy.

tossing drummettes in sauce

Finally garnish chicken lollipop with spring onions or celery. Wrap the lollypops with foil towards the bone. Serve as an appetizer or a side to a Chinese meal.

Chicken lollipop recipe
chicken lollipop recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

chicken lollipop

Chicken Lollipop Recipe

Better than restaurant chicken lollipop where chicken drumettes are marinated with spices and fried or baked. Lastly tossed in a spicy sweet and tangy finger licking sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Jump to Comments

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Servings4
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • ½ kg chicken drummettes (or 1 lb)
  • oil as needed for frying

marination

  • 1 ¼ tablespoon Ginger garlic paste or mince or ½ tsp each of powder
  • ¼ to ½ red chili powder or paprika (adjust) or red chili sauce
  • ½ teaspoon any spice powder or garam masala
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoon cornstarch (white corn flour) or (2 tbsp rice flour)

seasoning for chicken lollipop

  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • ¾ tablespoon ginger minced
  • ¾ tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon soya sauce
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red chili sauce or red chilli paste or any hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup water

garnishing (optional)

  • 2 tablespoon chopped celery or spring onions


Instructions

Preparation

  • This section is optional but will tenderize the chicken & keeps it juicy.
  • Add 3 to 4 tbsp yogurt to a bowl, whisk it.
  • Then pour 1 ¼ cup water and salt.
  • Transfer the chicken and brine for 1 hour to overnight to tenderize the chicken.

Frying or grilling chicken

  • Drain off the buttermilk and add chili powder, ginger garlic, spice powder & salt.
  • Rub these well and then sprinkle corn flour. Coat the chicken well.
  • Heat oil until hot enough.
  • Then fry the chicken on a medium heat until crisp and golden.
  • Remove to kitchen tissues.
  • Alternately you can grill then in a preheated oven at 220 C for 20 to 22 mins until cooked through.

How to make chicken lollipop

  • Add 1½ tsp oil to a pan for seasoning and heat it.
  • Saute ginger garlic until aromatic. Add onions & fry until transparent. 
  • Stir in red chili sauce, sugar, vinegar and soya sauce. 
  • When the sauce begins to bubble pour water and stir.
  • Taste and check the salt, sweet, sour & spice.
  • Add more if needed. Cook until the sauce thickens.
  • Add the fried chicken. Toss them well to coat the sauce.
  • Garnish chicken lollipop with spring onions or celery.


Notes

If you do not have red chili sauce, stir in 3/4 to 1 tbsp red chilli powder in 2 tbsp water. Use it in the recipe

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Lollipop Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 322 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 305mg13%
Potassium 305mg9%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 1060IU21%
Vitamin C 2.9mg4%
Calcium 29mg3%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

chicken lollipop
Chicken Lollipop Recipe

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

Follow Swasthi’s Recipes

Comments

Recipe Rating




94 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

5 stars
lollipop is amezing, i really love your recipe!

5 stars
Excellent indeed

5 stars
I just made it right now …and trust me it was amazing like really amazing

My husband is Iranian he is not used to spicy food but he loved it like anything

5 stars
I made this as part of thanksgiving feast and kids loved it. I do not eat meat so could not have done it without the recipe. Thank you. Wish I could share photo.

Hi..
Can this be made with leg pieces too?

Hi Swasthi,

Thank you for the recipes. I tried a few and they were wonderful. I have a question on chicken lollipops. I am hoping to make it on the weekend. We live in Canada and we get corn flour and corn starch. They are both extremely different in texture. I realize it is different in the U.S, India and in other parts of the world. In your recipe, do you mean corn flour or corn starch?

Example of how we use it in Canada: Corn starch is usually mixed with water and then added to indo-chinese sauces like gobi manchurian to thicken it. Corn flour is a thicker flour and we use it to make Eggplant Bhajas or Vegetable Pakoras etc.

Would you recommend corn flour or corn starch for the chicken lollipops?

5 stars
Swasthi, I love your recipes and your style of explaining, tips, pictures are so clear to understand.
When I think of a new recipe, I always think of you !
Thank you
Mita Sengupta

First time I made lollipops and it was a huge success. Easy to follow directions with proper guidance helped to make it easily. The kids want it again tomorrow. Thank you

5 stars
Lovely recipe. Made this today, made a small change – added soya sauce and vinegar to the chicken during marination stage. Did not make the sauce as there are kids at home and it would be spicy. Thanks

5 stars
Awesome Receipe..Chicken was so soft & juicy due to soaking in buttermilk ..I followed all the steps & turned out super delicious than restaurant one..Thanks ?

5 stars
I am a big fan of your recipes. You are doing a great job. Terrific!!

Super Chicken Loli Pop

Hi Swasthi,
Liked your recipe n am going to try it out tmrw , what is spice mix .liked the fact that you are using organic n pure ingredients. Easy recipes n smile home ingredients. Finally found a chef whose recipes I can follow . R u on Instagram

5 stars
Hi Swasthi, i have tried your chicken 65 recipe quite a few times. And everybody loved it. Thanks so much.

5 stars
Wow, I tried this at home today and it turned out soooooooo good. Thank U so much for the wonderful recipe.

The other recipes available online has ingredients like corn flour, refined flour, tomato ketchup, schezwan sauce i.e. either store bought ones/unhealthy ones. But ur recipe uses mostly home made ingredients, except for soya sauce. I like that. I tried it with rice flour and it came out real good.

And Instead of sugar, can we add honey? will it be ok?

Will do. Thank U 🙂

5 stars
looks really yummy !

5 stars
I tried it n it was awesome. Thanx

5 stars
Hi Swasthi! I always wanted to try this recipe at home, but I was wondering if there is any replacement for cornflour, or if its alright if i skip it altogether?

5 stars
Hi,
Can you make these with tandoor spice?

Thanks
Steve

Thanks for your reply.
Will leave overnight to marinate.

5 stars
Hi this recipe looks yummy.

Wanted to ask u can we used chicken pieces instead of drummets
Pls lemme know as I wanna make it
Thanks

Thanks for your reply ?

Will definitely try out the schezwan chicken

5 stars
Kg morning kolar

5 stars
Thank u mam