Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks: Budget-friendly chicken drumsticks are cooked low and slow in a savory sauce until they fall off the bone tender!
If you love chicken in the slow cooker, this Crock Pot Jalapeno Chicken and this crockpot chicken pasta, need to be next on your list!
As I’m sure you know, slow cooker recipes are my jam! These Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs are perfect for a party appetizer or game day spread. And don’t get me started on these super tender BBQ Pork Steaks in the Slow Cooker! Now, I’m super excited to add this recipe for crock pot chicken legs to our dinner rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Since these crock pot chicken drumsticks are made with just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time, you can definitely add this to your easy family recipes file, along with these slow cooker chicken enchiladas.
Chicken drumsticks are a budget-friendly cut of chicken, so this easy crock pot recipe is an inexpensive way to feed the whole family! I don’t know a more kid-friendly dinner recipe than slow cooker drumsticks.
If you are looking for a healthy chicken drumstick slow cooker recipe, you’ll be happy to hear that our recipe has no butter or olive oil.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This chicken drumsticks recipe only has 5 simple ingredients. And, you probably have every one of them in your kitchen right now! If not, your local grocery store should have everything you need to make these crockpot chicken legs.
- 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks (about 6-8 drumsticks depending on the size)
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- Optional: sesame seeds, sliced green onion or parsley for garnish
See the printable recipe card below for ingredients, nutrition information and detailed instructions.
Instructions
I am a firm believer in crock pot recipes for busy weeknight dinners. If you want a “set it and forget it” meal, then this slow cooker chicken recipe definitely fits the bill. Here are the instructions and step-by-step photos for our crockpot drumsticks.
- First, prepare the slow cooker with nonstick spray and place the chicken legs in a single layer inside of the slow cooker insert.
- In a small bowl, whisk the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic together.
- Next, pour the sauce over the chicken and toss the drumsticks in the sauce to evenly coat them.
- Cook the chicken drumsticks for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low in your slow cooker.
- Finally, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and serve.
Now, I don’t mind classic crockpot chicken drumsticks with BBQ sauce. But this sauce… a definite must to make. The honey is a natural sweetener, the soy sauce brings a depth and richness, the garlic adds a savory zing and the ketchup adds a tang that brings it all together.
Finish Off in the Oven (Optional)
If you’d love for them to have more of a crispy skin, something you can do is place them in the oven a baking sheet and cook on “broil” for just a couple of minutes to crisp them up! (See below)
Variations & Substitutions
We love sharing ways to adjust our recipes to fit the ingredients you have on hand and providing creative alternatives and suggestions to fit your family’s preferences.
- Type of Chicken: You can use bone-in chicken thighs, chicken wings or chicken breasts for this recipe, too. Adjust the cooking time based on the cut of chicken you use and check it periodically. I use chicken tenderloins in this Orange Chicken Crockpot recipe, too.
- Soy Sauce: If you prefer, use low-sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos in place of the soy sauce in this recipe.
- Honey: While we used honey, you could substitute maple syrup or brown sugar in the sauce to add sweetness.
- Seasonings: This 4-ingredient sauce is delicious as is, but you can also season this chicken with your favorite spices to add additional flavor. Try garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, a spice rub or even a little chili powder for some heat.
- Garnish: To serve, you can garnish the slow cooker chicken legs with sesame seeds, sliced green onions or fresh parsley.
- Cook method: Even though this is a slow cooker chicken legs recipe, you can also boil chicken legs if you need a simple way to make the legs!
FAQs
Absolutely! The temperatures in a slow cooker (both the low and high settings) are safe to cook chicken according to the USDA.
This really depends on how much time you have before you need to serve your meal. Either setting is safe as long as the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
I know I’ve said it before, but it depends. The length of time will vary with the size of your drumsticks. Check the doneness periodically with a meat thermometer to ensure that they are fully cooked.
You can serve this with traditional side dishes like Instant Pot mashed potatoes or white or brown rice. Cauliflower rice or homemade fried rice also goes well with these juicy chicken drumsticks. We also suggest rounding out the meal with our favorite side salad, roasted broccoli or these candied carrots.
Storage
Leftover slow cooker chicken drumsticks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze leftover chicken, remove the chicken from the bone and store it in freezer bags with the air removed for up to 2 months.
Top Tip for Food Safety
Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked. Cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken drumsticks, so check them periodically for the best results.
More Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes
Our easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken is a star for meal prep. You can use it for tacos, nachos or pulled chicken sandwiches. This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is made with cherry cola – it is savory and sweet and SO delicious! We even make Venison Chili in the slow cooker for those chilly Fall and winter nights.
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
EASY Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
Instructions
- First, prepare the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and place the chicken legs inside of the slow cooker insert.
- In a small bowl, whisk the honey, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic together.
- Next, pour the sauce over the chicken and toss evenly to coat.
- Cook the chicken drumsticks on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.
- Finally, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and serve.
Optional
- If you'd like to crisp up the chicken drumsticks, you can place them on a baking sheet and place in the oven that's set to "broil" for just a couple of minutes!
Notes
- You can use bone in thighs or chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Leftover slow cooker chicken drumsticks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, remove the chicken from the bone and store it in freezer bags with the air removed for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Betty says
Just wanting to know do you serve the sauce as well or just the drumsticks ? Thankyou
Jessica says
Hi Betty! We usually just eat the drumsticks but you can definitely use the sauce!
Boise Grams says
This is a perfect recipe for something very easy to make yet delicious to serve. Not too many recipes fit that bill! I even got 3 pounds of drumsticks on sale at Fry’s (Kroger) for $5, and I had every other ingredient on hand. As per usual, my crockpot runs hot so my drumsticks were done on low in less than 4 hours. They were perfect, and the meat just fell off the bones. Thanks so much for sharing this budget friendly and delicious treat. This is a keeper!!
Jessica says
What an amazing deal on drumsticks!! I’m so glad you found this recipe then and you liked it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Karen says
My husband does not like dark meat so if I used chicken breasts how long should the cook time in the crockpot be?
Jessica says
Hi Karen. I haven’t tried chicken breasts with this specific recipe. However, I’d keep in mind that the breasts may be thicker than legs, but you can also see this crockpot chicken breast recipe as a guide!
Samantha says
Tried this recipe the other night and it was a huge hit with my entire family. My kids love drumsticks, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make them in the crockpot!
Kellie H says
So easy to make and a great dinner for busy weeknights!
Allyssa says
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make chicken drumsticks recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!