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.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time4 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs10 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: BBQ
Keyword: crock pot bbq chicken drumsticks, Crock pot chicken drumsticks, crock pot chicken drumsticks bbq, Slow cooker bbq chicken drumsticks
5chicken drumsticksbone in, skin on (this is 1 serving - scale entire recipe as needed)
1tbsppoultry seasoningor any bbq rub
1tbspolive oil
2tbspbarbecue sauce
¼cupwater
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.