To make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks you’ll need 3 simple ingredients; chicken legs, barbecue sauce, and BBQ spice/seasoning rub! They are falling off the bone tender when they come out of the crock-pot. Slather them with extra sauce and stick them under the broiler for a minute until they get that gorgeous sticky sauce! Your pocketbook will love this frugal dinner as much as your family does!
Your life is about to change for the better! This recipe is as easy as putting BBQ chicken legs in a crockpot and waiting until dinner! Plus, it’s easy to add a few additional ingredients like honey, cayenne powder, or extra garlic to make them either sweeter, stickier, or spicier!
Give these babies about 4 hours on high and I’m not even kidding you when I tell you that you might have a hard time getting them out of the slow cooker without them completely falling apart!
Came out delish!!! Adding it to my “Make again” recipe list! – Lora
Why I love this recipe and why you’ll love it too!
I’m sitting here driving my tractor like a boss thinking about how much better it is to be helping in the fields than being stuck in the office. Apparently Justin thinks I’m Wonder Woman because he calls me and lets me know that he just invited a couple of people over for dinner…TONIGHT! Like I can make dinner while I’m driving the tractor!
My mind starts racing through my quick and easy Instant Pot options, or low and slow crock-pot options. I had two things going for me.
- I was just far enough ahead of the next piece of equipment that I could run back to the house for a couple of minutes to throw something in the slow cooker.
- Two big packages of drummies were in the fridge just begging to be eaten!
This kind of story happens to me ALL. THE. TIME. Remember, I live in the middle of nowhere, and slipping in to grab a pizza is out. You see why recipes that only take a couple of minutes are my life!
If you’re in to short and sweet, this is your kind of recipe! I seriously did through these together while my tractor was still running in the field! So, this can happen between diaper changes, soccer practice, and switching a batch of laundry!
Here’s what I’m talking about today!
- about the recipe
- ingredients for the recipe
- how to make the recipe
- what to serve with the chicken legs
- printable recipe
Ingredients need to make BBQ chicken legs
I’m going to give you two options because sometimes we don’t have EVERYTHING it takes to make homemade BBQ rub in the pantry! Not to worry I have lots of ideas for substitions!
- CHICKEN – bone on chicken drumsticks or legs are my favorite. You can also use chicken thighs. Or even boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders will work, but they will most likely be falling completely apart and you might want to shred them instead of keeping them in one piece.
- BBQ RUB – I love my homemade BBQ rub. It’s easy to make using pretty standard spices. I make a huge batch because it keeps in the pantry for quite a while. You can also buy any barbecue rub and use that! It’s a quick and easy option!
- BBQ SAUCE – Grab your favorite bottle from the store. Sweet, spicy, garlic, whatever you love will work! Or, if you’re a tiny bit ambitious make my Homemade BBQ Sauce!
- COOKING LIQUID – I like apple juice. Water, orange juice, or chicken broth are all great!
To customize the flavors you can add any of the following options.
- Add more cayenne pepper to make them spicy
- Add a little honey to BBQ sauce before basting to make them sweet and sticky
- Add garlic to make them garlicky!
- Add liquid smoke to make them smoky.
Step by step instructions for how to make chicken drumsticks in the crockpot.
STEP 1: Pat drumsticks dry. No need to rinse the chicken off. Just pat it dry so the rub will stick.
STEP 2: Add chicken to a slow cooker liner and sprinkle with BBQ rub. Twist the bag closed and toss to coat chicken.
STEP 3: Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Don’t worry about stirring it. The sauce will work it’s way down.
STEP 4: Add cooking liquid (apple juice, water, chicken broth, orange juice, etc).
STEP 5: Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. They’ll be falling apart and might be hard to get out in one piece! Tongs work the best for lifting them out!
STEP 6: Remove from slow cooker and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
STEP 7: Generously baste with BBQ sauce.
STEP 8: Broil on high for about 2-3 minutes with the oven rack about 12inches away from the top of the oven. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
STEP 9: Flip the legs over and baste the other side, then broil for 2-3 minutes.
What to serve with BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Anything goes! I really love them with any other of the typical barbecue side dish recipes! Here are a few easy ones I know you’ll love
- Cornbread Muffins – The BEST cornbread muffins ever! Especially with cinnamon butter!
- Smoked Baked Beans – Can be baked in the oven too!
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans – Couldn’t be easier!
- Greek Yogurt Potato Salad – The classic, just lighter!
- Grilled Zucchini in Foil Packets – Buttery and they have the best spices!
- Marinated Cucumbers – Kind of like refrigerator pickles, but easier!
- KFC Coleslaw – Even better than the original!
- Chocolate Banana Cream Pie – Chocolate makes everything better!
- Picnic Cake – The best spice cake in the world!
Grab my Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are seriously one of my boy’s favorite meals! There’s just something boys love about being able to pick their food up and eating it straight off the bone! You love this slow cooker chicken recipe too!
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp smokey paprika
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp dry mustard
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp apple juice
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 2 cups barbecue sauce divided
Instructions
- Pat drumsticks dry. No need to rinse the chicken off. Just pat it dry so the rub will stick.
- Add chicken to a slow cooker liner and sprinkle with BBQ rub, or all the seasonings listed in the reicpe to make your own rub. Twist the bag closed and toss to coat chicken.
- Drizzle with BBQ sauce. Don’t worry about stirring it. The sauce will work it’s way down.
- Add cooking liquid (apple juice, water, chicken broth, orange juice, etc).
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- When chicken has finished cooking in slow cooker, lower your oven rack about 12 inches from the broiler element. Preheat oven to to broil.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. It's going to be falling apart, so just do the best you can to keep them in one piece. I like using tongs for this.
- Generously baste with BBQ sauce.
- Broil on high for about 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
- Flip the legs over and baste the other side, then broil for 2-3 minutes.
Notes
- Add more cayenne pepper to make them spicy
- Add honey to BBQ sauce before basting to make them sweet
- Add garlic to make them garlicky!
- Add liquid smoke to make them smoky.
hi i recently came across your website i love finding recipes that are quick and easy
i am a tupperware consultant and between work and running my kids around i find that
we are always eating late in the evening it drives my husband crazy.
thanks,denise
Late night and early mornings are my life! I think that’s why all my recipes are quick or make ahead meals. Who has time to be in the kitchen when the kids are around?
Your rub looks very interesting. I am going to have to give it try after all I can eat chicken every day and this looks like agreat recipe.
I noticed you have a group Pinterest Board called Serving Breakfast Lunch Dinner and Drinks. Would it possible to join the Board?
Thanks,
Tom
Is there a link to your rub?
The ingredient list and instructions on how to make the rub are listed in the recipe at the end of the post! Let me know if you can’t find it!
Yes, I found it sorry for the silly question!
Came out delish!!! Adding it to my “Make again” recipe list! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Hello! If the chicken is falling off the bone when you take them out of the slow cooker, is it difficult to transfer them to the baking sheet before broiling? I am just imagining that if the chicken becomes so tender from the crock pot that they would just fall apart when I attempt to tranfer them to the baking sheet. Does this ever happen to you?
You are so right! The chicken is so tender it does fall off the bone if you don’t handle with care! I use tongs to move the chicken from the slow cooker to the baking sheet. Sometimes a little piece of meat will fall right off, but usually the skin on the drummies helps hold it together. It’s worth it though because they are so tender!
Do I need to transfer to the broiler or can I just use my slow cooker?
You could leave them in the slow cooker and skip the basting step, they would still taste fantastic. Broiling them adds a nice thick, sticky, layer of sauce to the top. I think I would miss it if it was gone. But then again, if I didn’t have time I would skip it and it would be fine!
I skipped the broiler and they were delicious
Hi Christel! Yes these drummies would be tasty without putting them under the broiler. It just helps create a glaze that sticks to the drummies but they would be just fine without it!
Nice meals