Slow cooking is the best way to get delicious, juicy chicken drumsticks that fall off the bone. Even picky eaters love these Crock Pot chicken legs!
Crock Pot Chicken Legs
These drumsticks are truly the best! The meat literally falls off the bone and is so tender. Slow cooking is such a simple way to get perfectly cooked chicken legs every single time.
I love it when the prep for dinner is only a few minutes, but my whole family actually loves it and asks me to make that easy, delicious meal again.
This chicken is covered in a delicious homemade spice blend made with garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. It’s a kid-friendly dish that even picky eaters like.
This makes such an incredibly easy Crock Pot dinner when you serve it with some yellow rice (or seasoned rice) and some vegetables.
Be sure to check out all of our Crock Pot recipes while you’re here! This cream cheese chicken chili is a slow cooker recipe that has tons of 5-star reviews.
Ingredients
Chicken Drumsticks: I think chicken drumsticks, chicken thighs, and chicken leg quarters are the best cuts of chicken to cook in the slow cooker. Since they’re dark meat, they hold up really well to the long, low and slow cooking, getting more and more tender as they cook.
Olive Oil: This mostly helps the seasonings stick to the chicken, but it also adds a little bit of a richer flavor. Feel free to use coconut oil, avocado oil, or melted butter instead.
Salt and Pepper: Salt enhances all of the other flavors in this dish and the slight heat in pepper helps cut through the richness of chicken thighs a bit.
Parsley, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Paprika: This flavor combination is savory, herby, and slightly smoky. Feel free to add chipotle powder for more spice or a pinch of cayenne for some heat. You could also swap this for curry powder for a totally different take on the flavor.
BBQ Sauce (Optional): BBQ sauce pairs so well with chicken. Even though you don’t have to do this step, I really recommend it. My son loves the way it adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the chicken. You could also use honey mustard or teriyaki sauce instead of BBQ sauce.
How To Cook Crock Pot Chicken Legs
Add the Drumsticks: Place the drumsticks in the bottom of a Crockpot. Dry the chicken legs with paper towels. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Season and Toss: Drizzle olive oil over the drumsticks and toss them to evenly coat. Sprinkle fine sea salt, dried parsley flakes, dried oregano leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and ground black pepper over the drumsticks. Toss the drumsticks again to evenly coat with the seasoning.
Cover and Cook: Cover the Crockpot with the lid and cook. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165F at the thickest part without touching the bone.
Add a Glaze (Optional): For a sticky sweet glaze, toss the drumsticks in BBQ sauce after slow cooking and before broiling.
Broil (Optional): For crispy skin, use tongs to transfer the drumsticks to a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until the skin crisps. Making sure to keep a close eye on them to prevent burning. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
Pro Tips
- Dry the Chicken: Before adding any oil or seasoning, it’s important to completely dry your drumsticks. This will help the seasoning stick better.
- Don’t Forget to Toss: Toss your drumsticks after adding the oil and seasonings. This evenly distributes all those delicious flavors, giving you the best results.
- Broil for Crispy Skin: To get perfect crispy skin, broil the chicken after slow cooking. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it because broiling can go from golden brown to burnt quickly.
Is It Better To Cook Chicken On High Or Low In The Crockpot?
Generally, it’s better to cook chicken on LOW in the Crockpot. This is especially true for chicken breasts because they have a tendency to dry out. Since chicken legs are dark meat and are less prone to drying out, you can definitely cook this recipe on HIGH with great results.
Can You Put Frozen Drumsticks In A Crockpot?
No, you should not cook frozen meat in a slow cooker. Because of the lower cooking temperature, the meat spends too much time in the “danger zone”.
Does Cooking Chicken In A Crock Pot Make It More Tender?
Yes, especially for dark meat chicken. It gives the connective tissue a chance to break down slowly, which is what makes it fall-off-the-bone tender.
How Do I Get The Skin Crispy?
The only way to get the skin crispy when you’re cooking chicken in the slow cooker is to use another method to crisp the skin. My favorite way is to transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and broil it, but you could also crisp the skin in an air fryer.
Do You Have To Put Water In A Crock Pot When Cooking Chicken?
No, there’s no need to add water. Since the chicken releases juice while it’s cooking there will be plenty of moisture in the slow cooker.
What Cut Of Chicken Is Best For The Slow Cooker?
Bone-in, skin-on cuts of dark meat are the best cuts of chicken for the slow cooker. They can stand up to the long cooking times without drying out, and actually benefit from the low and slow cooking. They end up super juicy, tender, and flavorful. Cuts like boneless chicken breasts have a tendency to overcook and dry out.
What To Serve With Chicken Legs
I love serving these chicken drumsticks drizzled with some white country gravy from scratch, my favorite Instant Pot tomato sauce, or some of my turkey gravy without drippings. It’s also great alongside a side dish of our 5-star baked Velveeta mac and cheese, simple mashed potatoes without milk, this seasoned rice, some roasted baby potatoes, these Italian green beans, or this super easy canned sweet potato casserole.
Storing Leftovers
After cooling, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I love shredding the leftovers and serving it in tacos, on salad, or in chicken soup with egg noodles. You can also freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Chicken Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out all of our other chicken recipes. Some reader favorites are:
- Garlic Butter Chicken
- Chicken Tenderloins
- Crispy Panko Chicken
- Smothered Chicken
- Air Fryer Chicken Quarters
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
BEST Crock Pot Chicken Legs (Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks)
Slow cooking is the best way to get tender chicken drumsticks that fall off the bone. Even picky eaters love these Crock Pot chicken legs!
Ingredients
- 2 - 2.5 pounds chicken legs (about 8-10 drumsticks)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the drumsticks in the bottom of a 6 quart Crockpot, then use paper towels to thoroughly dry the chicken legs.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the drumsticks, then toss them to evenly coat them in the oil. Next, sprinkle the salt, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper over the legs. Toss again until the drumsticks are evenly coated in seasoning.
- Place the lid on the Crockpot and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours. The chicken is done when an instant read meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165F at the thickest point without touching the bone.
- Optional: Preheat the oven to broil for 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove the drumsticks from the Crockpot and transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven and broil until the skin crisps, about 5 minutes. Don’t walk away - it’s important to keep a close eye on them while they’re broiling to make sure they don’t burn.
Notes
If you want a sticky sweet glaze, you can toss the drumsticks in BBQ sauce after they cook in the slow cooker, but before you broil them.
You can store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/5Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 9.8gCarbohydrates: 0.9gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.1gProtein: 33.4g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
The next time you’re looking for a quick and easy slow cooker recipe that requires minimal prep time, try making this super tasty and easy Crock Pot drumsticks recipe!
