Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks are budget friendly and made with simple ingredients like chicken legs tossed with olive oil and pantry spices, then slow cooked until falling off the bone!
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks are the perfect budget-friendly weeknight dinner, while being incredibly juicy and tender. Made with simple ingredients like chicken legs, pantry spices, and olive oil, this recipe takes less than 10 minutes to throw together. It’s the perfect way to feed a crowd without spending hours in the kitchen, because the slow cooker will do all of the work for you!
If you loved this recipe, you’ll also love my Oven Baked Chicken Legs, and my Marinated Chicken Drumsticks! For more slow cooker recipes, check out my Slow Cooker Chicken Soup, or my Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Insanely Easy – This is a set-it-and-forget-it recipe with almost no prep time or crazy steps. It’s perfect for busy days or when you just don’t feel like cooking!
Tons of Flavor – The slow cooker lets everything really come together, and the seasoning mixture we’re using is so simple but adds a great flavor.
Meal Prep – This is the perfect recipe to use for meal prep because you can make a few pounds of chicken all at once.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken Drumsticks. This cut is perfect for the slow cooker because they break down really nicely and become incredibly tender.
You can make this recipe with other cuts of chicken, like bone-in chicken thighs.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This helps coat the chicken with the spice rub. You can also use avocado oil or vegetable oil.
If you don’t want to use oil, you can just mix together the spices and rub them onto the chicken legs as a dry rub.
Dijon Mustard. This helps add more depth of flavor to the seasoning. You can also use honey mustard for some sweetness.
Herbs & Spices. I’m keeping it pretty easy here and just using dried herbs and spices that you probably already have in your pantry.
A mix of dried parsley, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. For a flavor upgrade, try using fresh thyme instead.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a 6-7 quart slow cooker.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Place the drumsticks into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, dijon, and spices.
Pour the mixture over the drumsticks, and toss until they are completely coated in the spices.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours, until the drumsticks are cooked through.
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Recipe Variations
- Make these drumsticks spicy by adding red pepper flakes, hot sauce, cajun seasoning, chili powder, or cayenne pepper.
- You can use whatever spice mixture you’d like for these drumsticks. Try adding Ranch Seasoning, Italian Seasoning, or my Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning.
- Add some of my Homemade Buffalo Sauce for buffalo drumsticks!
- Try adding some gluten free Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and BBQ sauce at the end for a smokey-sweet version (try my Peach Barbecue Sauce). Serve with extra barbecue sauce on the side.
- Whisk a tablespoon of honey or brown sugar, gluten free soy sauce, and ground ginger into the seasoning mixture for a honey-garlic version, and top with sesame seeds.
- Try adding pieces of fresh pineapple and a few splashes of pineapple juice for a sweeter version.
- If you want even more flavor, add the drumsticks to a baking dish or baking sheet and broil them for a few minutes in the oven as a last step. Watch closely so they don’t burn!
- Add some lemon juice or balsamic vinegar over top at the end for a bright flavor, along with some fresh parsley.
Recipe Tip! I season the chicken right in the crockpot, to avoid having to use (and wash) other dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make this a complete meal, try adding some baby potatoes and Brussels sprouts on the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the chicken. They’ll have an amazing flavor from sitting in the chicken broth while cooking. It’s important to make sure the chicken doesn’t get packed too tightly or push the lid open if you add other ingredients. Adjust as-needed depending on how big your chicken pieces are.
Recipe Tip! Chicken is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on a meat thermometer. But dark meat can go for longer, and will become more tender in the 175°F-185°F range.
More Chicken Drumsticks Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
- Sweet & Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
Storage
Refrigerate leftover chicken drumsticks for 2-3 days in an air-tight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Cooking Tips
- Try to arrange the drumsticks in layers in the crock pot once they’re seasoned so they cook evenly.
- Pat the raw drumsticks dry with a paper towel to help the seasoning stick better.
- I don’t recommend using frozen chicken drumsticks (or frozen chicken in general) for this recipe. The oil and seasoning won’t stick to frozen chicken, and it’ll release more water when cooking.
- Try to pick drumsticks that are all around the same size, so they finish cooking at the same time.
- If the chicken legs are on the smaller side, I would check the slow cooker an hour early to see if they’re finished cooking. The cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot and the size of the chicken.
- I don’t add liquid to the recipe because the drumsticks will release it on their own. You can save this liquid for chicken stock if you’re motivated.
- Try serving these chicken legs with side dishes like my Instant Pot Green Beans, or my Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes!
Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- 1 6-7 quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the drumsticks into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, dijon mustard, and spices.
- Pour the spice mixture over the drumsticks, and toss until they are evenly coated. Arrange the drumsticks in layers in the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 7-8 hours, until the drumsticks are cooked through.
Notes
- Chicken is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on a meat thermometer. But dark meat can go for longer, and will become more tender in the 175°F-185°F range.
- Try to arrange the drumsticks in layers in the crock pot once they’re seasoned so they cook evenly.
- Pat the raw drumsticks dry with a paper towel beforehand to help the seasoning stick better.
- Try to pick drumsticks that are all around the same size, so they finish cooking at the same time.
Nutrition
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