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    Home » Recipes » Slow Cooking Recipes » Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

    Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

    Published: Mar 19, 2022 · Modified: Dec 28, 2022 by Jenna Passaro · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Slow Cooker Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks recipe image with text overlay

    Easy crock pot BBQ chicken drumsticks come together in the slow cooker in about 4 hours. You just need 4 ingredients, which is why this is a quick and pretty healthy family meal. Let’s slow cook drumsticks with massive flavor!

    Slow Cooked Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
    Slather your favorite barbecue sauce on these easy crock pot chicken drumsticks and have dinner on the table with minimal effort!

    HEY THERE — Don’t forget I post quick, easy recipes on Instagram. Join me at @sipbitego.

    Table of Contents

    • Why my slow cooker BBQ chicken drumsticks are so great…
    • Ingredients
    • How to make bbq chicken drumsticks in crock pot
    • FAQs
    • Are you a foodie, too?
    • Slow Cooked Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    Why my slow cooker BBQ chicken drumsticks are so great…

    • It’s easy to throw this recipe together at the last minute!
    • Great for meal planning.
    • They’re so tender!
    • Cheap dinner idea!! Chicken drumsticks are an inexpensive meat option.
    • This crockpot BBQ recipe is made with just 4 ingredients.
    • You’ll learn my quick-sear technique (before slow cooking) to amp up the flavor. 
    • Fast – chicken drumsticks are ready in the slow cooker in about 4 hours!
    • Newer home chefs: see my step by step video for beginners (scroll to bottom of page).

    Ingredients

    Here’s what you need for my bbq chicken drumsticks crock pot recipe.

    Infographic with ingredients for crock pot chicken drumsticks bbq sauce olive oil and seasonings
    • Chicken drumsticks
    • Poultry seasoning (or any bbq rub – I used gifted Even Embers Rub & Grub Poultry Seasoning) 
    • Olive oil
    • Barbecue sauce
    • Water

    Other ingredients 

    Want to get creative? You can slow cook the chicken drumsticks with a little brown sugar, garlic or onion powder, a little honey, and/or a little spice like sriracha sauce.

    You can also make your own honey cranberry BBQ sauce…

    If you’re going to use a handful of flavors, I suggest using a small bowl to combine them before adding them in.

    Also see how to spatchcock chicken and how to make butterfly chicken drumsticks…

    Slow Cooker Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks served over rice

    How to make bbq chicken drumsticks in crock pot

    Now I’ll walk you through it…

    Infographic demonstrating how to slow cook bbq chicken drumsticks

    Quick look at recipe steps

    1. Season chicken drumsticks and sear them on the stove.
    2. Add drumsticks to crockpot. 
    3. Add bbq sauce and water.
    4. Slow cook drumsticks on high.

    See how to make smoked butterflied chicken legs…

    Making Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks in a slow cooker

    Detailed crock pot bbq chicken drumsticks recipe

    1. Pat chicken drumsticks dry with a paper towel. Season chicken all over with poultry seasoning. I used (gifted) Evan Embers Rub & Grub (all purpose chicken seasoning rub). 
    2. Prep to sear chicken before slow cooking. (thank me later! This helps them stay together, infuses them with flavor, and makes them look beautiful!) Heat a large pan on the stove to medium or medium high. Add olive oil. When oil is hot (begins to shine) add chicken drumsticks carefully, with tongs, as the oil may splatter. 
    3. Sear chicken drumsticks in olive oil for a few minutes, turning regularly into lightly browned all over. Use tongs to help. They won’t completely cook through in this step. That’s what the crock pot is for. 
    4. Set up a large crock pot on high. (Why? Well, when you cook them in a flat layer in a large crock pot, they may cook faster than in a smaller crock pot layered on top of each other. But you can use a small crock pot if that’s all you have.) Add seared / browned drumsticks to the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce on top of chicken (I used Sweet Baby Rays). Add water. Now it’s time to cover and cook ‘em…
    5. Slow cook chicken drumsticks in the crock pot for about 4 hours on high, or until done. Check hourly if possible to make sure there is still liquid in the crock pot so the sauce doesn’t burn. If you smell burning bbq sauce, or there is no liquid left in the crock pot, add a little more water or chicken stock. Chicken drumsticks are done slow cooking when they reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F (measured in the thickest part, not touching the bone). They should be falling off the bone. 
    6. Serve slow cooker bbq chicken drumsticks with extra bbq sauce if desired. We love these over rice, served with a side salad or roasted potatoes. 
    BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Slow Cooked in the Crock Pot On High

    If you love this crock pot chicken drumstick recipe, you’ll love these recipes for boneless chicken thighs in oven, sous vide chicken thighs, and boneless smoked chicken thighs on Sip Bite Go.

    Also try these sheet pan drumsticks.

    Oh and don’t forget these easy sheet pan bbq chicken tacos for game day!

    FAQs

    What’s the difference between chicken legs vs. drumsticks?

    Chicken “legs” refer to the entire leg of the chicken. This includes the drumstick and the thigh. Chicken drumsticks are just the half of the chicken leg. If you want to make bbq chicken legs out of this recipe, you definitely can. Just make sure the chicken is done cooking to 170 degrees F (measured in the thickest part, not touching the bone). Learn more in this safe chicken temperature guide.

    How do you make chicken leg skin crispy after slow cooking it?

    Here’s a simple hack… Preheat your broiler to high. Pat cooked chicken drumsticks dry from the moisture they got in the crock pot. Slather on a little bbq sauce and broil them until the skin firms up. They won’t be as crispy as air fryer chicken legs or fried chicken drumsticks, but they won’t be as soft as they are straight out of the crock pot. Use about 1-2 tbsp bbq sauce for 5 chicken drumsticks. Or ¼ cup bbq sauce for 10 chicken drumsticks.

    What goes with slow cooked bbq chicken drumsticks?

    I like whipping up a bed of rice on the stove or Instant Pot and serving it under crock pot chicken drumsticks. On the side I’ll add a seasonal salad recipe, a heaping pile of caramelized red onions to take with each bite, or smoked corn on the cob.

    Dinner with Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with rice on a plate

    Are you a foodie, too?

    Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about making these easy crock pot bbq chicken drumsticks. 

    If you don’t follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection. 

    Slow Cooked Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

    Slow Cooked Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe | Sip Bite Go

    These easy crock pot BBQ chicken drumsticks come together in the slow cooker in about 4 hours. You just need 4 ingredients, which is why this is a quick and pretty healthy family meal. Let’s slow cook drumsticks with massive flavor!
    **NOTE – This recipe makes a crockpot meal for 1. You can double, triple or quadruple the recipe depending on the size of your crockpot and the amount of servings you want.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: BBQ
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 1 people
    Calories: 798kcal
    Author: Jenna Passaro

    Equipment

    • Even Embers Rub & Grub Poultry Seasoning (gifted)

    Ingredients

    • 5 chicken drumsticks bone in, skin on (this is 1 serving – scale entire recipe as needed)
    • 1 tbsp poultry seasoning or any bbq rub
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
    • ¼ cup water

    Instructions

    • Pat chicken drumsticks dry with a paper towel. Season chicken all over with poultry seasoning. I used (gifted) Evan Embers Rub & Grub (all purpose chicken seasoning rub).
    • Prep to sear drumsticks before slow cooking. (thank me later! This helps them stay together, infuses them with flavor, and makes them look beautiful!) Heat a large pan on the stove to medium or medium high. Add olive oil. When oil is hot (begins to shine) add chicken drumsticks carefully, with tongs, as the oil may splatter.
    • Sear chicken drumsticks in olive oil for a few minutes, turning regularly into lightly browned all over. Use tongs to help. They won’t completely cook through in this step. That’s what the crock pot is for.
    • Set up a large crock pot on high. (FIRST: Why a big slow cooker? Well, when you cook them in a flat layer in a large crock pot, they may cook faster than in a smaller crock pot or when layered on top of each other. But you can use a small crock pot if that’s all you have.)
      Add seared / browned drumsticks to the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce on top of chicken (I used Sweet Baby Rays). Add water. Now it’s time to cover and cook ‘em…
    • Slow cook chicken drumsticks in the crock pot for about 4 hours on high, or until done. Check hourly if possible to make sure there is still liquid in the crock pot so the sauce doesn’t burn.
      If you smell burning bbq sauce, or there is no liquid left in the crock pot, add a little more water or chicken stock.
      Chicken drumsticks are done slow cooking when they reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F (measured in the thickest part, not touching the bone). They should be falling off the bone.
    • Serve slow cooker bbq chicken drumsticks with extra bbq sauce if desired. We love these over rice, served with a side salad or roasted potatoes.

    Video

    Notes

    See the recipe: https://sipbitego.com/crock-pot-bbq-chicken-drumsticks
    Watch the full-length YouTube recipe video for bbq chicken drumsticks in a crock pot on Sip Bite Go’s YouTube channel.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 798kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 67g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 348mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 358IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SipBiteGo or tag #sipbitego!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fredrick Parker says

      July 31, 2022 at 7:12 am

      Do you sear before or after adding the poultry seasoning?

      Reply
      • Jenna Passaro says

        August 11, 2022 at 8:44 am

        Sear BEFORE adding the chicken drumsticks to the slow cooker.

        Reply
    2. Patti says

      July 12, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      I want to make a big batch for a family gathering. Could I use my electric roaster for this? How would I adjust the cooking time and temperature?

      Reply
      • Jenna Passaro says

        August 11, 2022 at 8:48 am

        I’m not particularly sure about an electric smoker, but I have this recipe for smoked Traeger chicken thighs you can check out – https://sipbitego.com/smoked-chicken-thighs/

        Reply

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    jenna passaro food blogger from Portland Oregon

    Hey, I’m Jenna Passaro.

    I develop easy recipes that can transform your kitchen into a restaurant – and you into a true home chef.

      

    Where to start?

    Learn the secrets to smoking tasty Traeger recipes and making pizza at home. And cook amazing tri tip steak dinners.

    Or, fall in love with something new to cook with your air fryer, pellet smoker, BBQ grill, sous vide cooker, and more…

    You’ll notice, I kind of geek out over new cooking trends and tools!

    Instagram me @sipbitego & chef hubs @handmodelpatrick

    My story. Growing up, I didn’t learn to cook.

    (I was actually banned from cooking for years)

    And then in my 20’s I didn’t have to cook because my job as an event planner involved a lot of travel and it was easier to eat out. At the time, I was 100% positive that restaurant food would always taste better than cooking at home, and there was nothing I could do about it.

    Until I fell in love with a chef. He would come over and cook me delicious meals right in my own kitchen. My mind was blown.

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