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Home » Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks (5 Ingredients!)

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks (5 Ingredients!)

August 5, 2022 Kristy Richardson Leave a Comment

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Two images of cooked chicken drumsticks in sauce, one close up and one in the slow cooker with title text overlay in between.

Savory, juicy slow cooker drumsticks only have five ingredients. It’s a delicious tender chicken dinner that is so kid-friendly and is super easy to make.

Chicken drumsticks cooked in a brown sauce in a slowcooker from the side.

This is the best way (and my favorite way!) to cook chicken drumsticks, and the entire family will love this recipe.

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Why We Love Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • Quick And Easy Dinner– Low prep, and dinner is ready for you when you want it. This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes for its quick prep time.
  • Juicy Chicken– Cooking dark meat like these chicken drumsticks in the crockpot always makes a super juicy chicken dinner!
  • Five Ingredients– Only a few simple ingredients in this recipe, that you likely already have! This recipe has a sauce similar to a savory bbq sauce and is an easy chicken dinner recipe for all home chefs or (kid chefs!)

Sweet and savory honey garlic chicken thighs in the oven is another delicious recipe that’s equally delicious!

Ingredients For Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients for chicken drumsticks on a cutting board from overhead with labels.
  • 3 pounds chicken drumsticks about 12 drumsticks
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon minced

I like to add just a few red pepper flakes at the table, but you could also add them to the sauce if the whole family likes it spicy. I’d start with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon if adding to the sauce.

How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

  • In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic.
Mixing together sauce ingredients in a bowl from above with a whisk in the bowl.
  • Spray the slow cooker with a spray cooking oil I like to use spray olive oil or avacado oil) . Place the chicken drumsticks inside the bottom of the slow cooker, stacking the chicken if necessary.
Drumsticks lined up in a slowcooker from overhead.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken drumsticks.
A slowcoooker full of raw chicken legs from the side with a hand pouring a sauce over the chicken from a bowl above.
  • Cook the chicken drumsticks slow cooking on high heat for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours). Serve and enjoy!
Two chicken drumsticks on a plate with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable from the side. A slowcooker sits behind the plate.

Can You Make This Chicken A Freezer Meal?

You can prepare these chicken drumsticks and freeze them into sauce to prepare your dinner ahead of time. To use this recipe as meal prep, you must defrost the chicken and sauce before adding it to the slow cooker.

What’s The Difference Between Chicken Drumsticks and Chicken Legs?

Chicken legs include the chicken thigh attached to the chicken drumstick. Chicken drumsticks are just the bottom calf part of the chicken leg.

How Can I Thicken The Sauce?

Here’s how to thicken the sauce over the chicken drumsticks. I don’t always thicken the sauce though because sometimes I want it to be a super simple recipe and it’s delicious as written in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  1. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker.
  2. Add two teaspoons of cornstarch to four teaspoons of water and mix well with a fork or a whisk to make a cornstarch slurry.
  3. Place the sauce in a small saucepan on the stove on medium-high heat.
  4. Add the cornstarch and stir the sauce, cooking for 2-3 minutes or just begins to simmer. Then toss the juicy chicken drumsticks again in the sauce. Serve and enjoy!

How Long Do These Chicken Drumsticks Last?

These slow cooker chicken drumsticks will last for about three days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.

Leftover chicken from this recipe doesn’t freeze well unfortunately, but you could cook a few less drumsticks and the recipe will still work.

Other Easy Recipes You Will Love

Slowcooker Cheesy Potato Soup – This soup is SO yummy! Tender potatoes, bacon and ham in a cheesy soup that is delicious!

Pork Loin In The Slow Cooker– This recipe makes delicious, tender pork loin every time and is one of the top favorite recipes on this site! It’s a super easy crockpot recipe.

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks With Potatoes And Carrots– Savory chicken drumsticks roasted to perfection with the vegetables on the same pan. Easy and delicious!

Crispy Golden Brown Chicken Thighs– Juicy chicken thighs that are crispy golden brown on the outside, and juicy inside for a delicious dinner.

Cooked chicken drumsticks in the slow cooker from the side in a brown sauce.

Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks

Kristy Richardson
Saucy slow cooker chicken drumsticks are such a juicy chicken dinner and only needs five ingredients. This family meal is easy and delicious.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Save to Pinterest
PREP TIME 5 mins
COOK TIME 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins
Course Dinners
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Legs
Calories 225 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark while you cook

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds chicken drumsticks about 12 drumsticks
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 1 clove garlic minced finely or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
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Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic.
  • Spray the slow cooker with a spray cooking oil. Place the chicken drumsticks inside the bottom of the slow cooker, stacking the chicken if necessary.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken drumsticks.
  • Cook the chicken drumsticks on high for 4 hours (or low for 6 hours). Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. 
To make sure the chicken has cooked all the way through, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer. The meat will be fully cooked at 160 degrees, but will taste the most tender when it registers at least at 170-175 degrees.
It’s better to place the chicken in a single layer as it’s the easiest way to ensure the chicken is equally saucy, but they could be stacked as well. If stacking the chicken drumsticks make sure to toss the chicken in the sauce again well before serving.
Chicken thighs or chicken legs can also be substituted easily into this recipe. Chicken wings can be used in this recipe, but may cook quicker.
The chicken can be frozen in the sauce to make a freezer meal, but the chicken and sauce must be defrosted before cooking in the slow cooker.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 685mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 159IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword chicken, chicken recipe, crock pot, slow cooker
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    Welcome to On My Kids Plate, I'm Kristy! Here you will find ideas for helping kids have fun with food, recipes both kids and parents love, fresh parenting ideas, great tips and a little bit of humor. I hope you find an idea your family loves. Follow along below to see all the ideas on social media below, or email me hello@onmykidsplate.com

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