You don't need a ton of fussy ingredients to make a great, kid-friendly dinner. In fact, it's the fussy ingredients that typically send the kids into a full-on meltdown. Leave all the hassle behind and welcome in the easiest of slow cooker recipes -- Crock Pot Chicken Legs!
This chicken dinner comes together with an effortless rub of oil and a sprinkle of savory spices. After just a few hours of slow cooking, you'll have perfectly cooked, full-flavored, juicy drumsticks ready for the taking. It's a dinner both the children and the adults are guaranteed to find simply delicious!
Love easy Chicken Recipes? We've got more where that came from! Bookmark our Baked Chicken Legs, Smothered Chicken, and these hunky Baked Chicken Leg Quarters for next time!
HOW TO COOK CHICKEN LEGS IN THE CROCK POT?
- Pat the drumsticks dry with paper towels and add to the crock pot.
- Mix seasoning.
- Drizzle the chicken with oil, sprinkle with seasoning, and rub all over to adhere.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high on 3-4 hours.
USE DRY HEAT FOR THE BEST SLOW COOKER DRUMSTICKS
Contrary to what some might believe, you do not need liquid to operate a slow cooker. In fact, Slow Cooker Drumsticks are better without any liquid at all.
You might have noticed there's no liquid going into the crock pot at any point in the recipe. That is because we are technically "dry slow cooking," and it's this cooking method that will prevent your chicken leg skin from becoming overly soggy and rubbery.
Rest assured, dry heat in the slow cooker does not result in dry chicken...quite the opposite, actually. You are guaranteed perfectly cooked, juicy, and tender Crock Pot Chicken Legs with this recipe.
HOW LONG DO CHICKEN LEGS TAKE TO COOK IN THE CROCK POT?
We tested these Slow Cooker Drumsticks using a probe thermometer inserted into a chicken leg during the entire duration of the cooking process. The alarm was set to go off once the chicken legs had reached 165°F, which is the internal temperature at which dark meat is ready to safely consume.
Bone-in, dark meat will take longer to cook than white meat Slow Cooker Recipes. It took our slow cooker about 4 hours for the drum sticks to reach this temperature on the low setting. However, as you probably know, dark meat is very forgiving and if you need to leave them in an hour or longer, you can certainly get away with that.
CAN YOU COOK FROZEN CHICKEN IN THE CROCK POT?
Can you? According to the Crock-Pot company-- yes. Should you? According to the USDA -- No. It's always best to thaw chicken before adding it to any cooking vessel, as stated in their "Slow Cookers and Food Safety" write-up.
Point of the story? Safely thaw your chicken legs before adding them to the slow cooker.
INGREDIENTS
The great thing about these Crock Pot Chicken Legs is you don't need a ton of ingredients, and you probably already have everything you need to make them in your pantry!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
- Chicken Legs
- Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
The spice mix that covers the chicken legs is über savory and very flavorful, and you'll find it's as pleasing to the kids as it is the grown-ups at the table!
HOW TO TURN CROCK POT CHICKEN LEGS INTO BBQ CHICKEN
We love dark meat BBQ chicken around these parts, as evidenced by our BBQ Baked Leg Quarters and this delicious Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken! If you want to turn your Slow Cooker Drumsticks into a BBQ chicken masterpiece, you're in luck -- it's crazy easy!
- Have your oven preheated to 375°F by the time the chicken legs finish cooking in the slow cooker.
- Then, transfer the drumsticks to a baking dish or sheet and brush or spoon over a generous layer of your favorite sticky-sweet BBQ sauce.
- Transfer the chicken to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, uncovered.
If you love BBQ sauce, you'll adore our easy Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken! Chicken breasts slow cooked in BBQ sauce and amped up with big flavor!
HOW LONG WILL THE CHICKEN KEEP?
You can store these Crock Pot Chicken Legs for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you'd like for them to keep any longer than that, freeze them!
To freeze cooked drumsticks, allow them to cool to room temperature, then, wrap each chicken leg in wax paper and transfer it to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible, seal, and freeze.
To dethaw, place in the refrigerator overnight. Consume within 3 months for best results.
5 MORE CROCK POT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- BBQ Pulled Pork In the Slow Cooker
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas
- Crock Pot Chicken and Rice
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Crock Pot Chicken Legs
Ingredients
- 2 - 2 ½ pounds chicken legs
- 2 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons oil (avocado, canola, or olive oil)
Instructions
- Pat each drumstick dry with a paper towel and transfer to a 4-6 quart crock pot.
- Combine all of the dry seasoning in a small bowl and stir to combine. Drizzle the chicken with oil and rub to adhere to each leg. Then, sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the chicken and rub all over to adhere.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Jennifer says
Came out perfectly! Thank you for the recipe!
Jenn says
Loving this seasoning blend for these easy peasy chicken legs! Thanks for the recipe!
Susan says
Hi Kelly,
In the blog you mention a probe thermometer, which is new to me. Looking them up, I see some with long cords to "drape" outside a conventional oven door to read the temp. Others look like the whole thermometer stays in the oven. Would you mind sharing what type you used?
I can't wait to try these drumsticks!
Jennifer Howland says
Hey Susan - I thought I would share with you the probe thermometer I have been using the past few months that we really love!! I purchased it on Amazon, but I am not seeing it there now...you could Google for price comparisons, but here it is on the manufacturer's website: https://buythermopro.com/product/thermopro-tp-03-digital-instant-read-thermometer/
I have used the type of thermometer with the draping long cords and I was so sick of the cord getting tangled and the largeness of the thermometer box. This quick probe is awesome...I just open up my crock pot lid and poke it right into the meat 🙂
Hayden says
Excited to try these- is the skin typically on or off? Thanks!
Kelly Anthony says
The skin should be on 🙂
Susan says
My son doesn't like the skin. So, I take the skin off and slather on the oil and spices. The chicken turns out great. Plus, dark meat chicken has plenty of fat to keep from drying out. Or you could make some with the skin on and some with skin off.
Alicia says
Hey, was wondering if I had to double to amount of meat and ingredients, will I still cook on low for 3 1/2 - 4 hours?
Kelly Anthony says
Because it will likely take longer for the crock-pot to come to temperature (due to all the cold meat), I might extend the cooking time by an hour or so. I haven't tried this myself, so just be sure you check for doneness before eating!
Christina says
Made these such a delicious yet easy dinner meal 🙂 I added fresh sprigs of thyme while I cook them for four hours. These turned out so yummy ☺️ Thanks for sharing with us !
Ruby says
What’s a good side dish you recommend for this chicken?
Kelly Anthony says
Mashed or roasted potatoes, fresh green beans, broccoli, shells and cheese...so many options! Here are some goodies to browse through: https://www.theanthonykitchen.com/category/comfort-food-recipes/southern-side-dishes/
Laura says
Hi Kelly! This looks perfect and easy for me to make while working from home... but would this work if I used other pieces of bone-in chicken pieces or party wings as long as the chicken is checked for doneness?
Kelly Anthony says
Absolutely! I haven't tested the cook time on other cuts yet, but the seasoning and method would be great for other cuts. Just make sure they're cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F before eating 🙂
Kate says
Just made these—the crock pot ended up having a lot of liquid in the bottom (delicious flavored with seasoning and chicken juice). But the skin never got that golden look and I am afraid the seasoning dissolved into the liquid (although I know that liquid will flavor the meat, it’s not like a dry rub). I did pay them dry. Has this ever happened to you? I might put them in the oven to dry them out.
Kelly Anthony says
I wouldnt worry too much about the liquid at the bottom of the crockpot, but if you wanted them to crisp up more you could definitely pop them under the broiler. Just be sure to keep an eye on them in there so they don't burn 😉
Harriet says
Can you make this with frozen drumsticks?
Kelly Anthony says
I would not recommend putting frozen food in the crockpot.
Karen R says
Hubby just told me, "zero leftovers". Can this recipe be done over cut up veggies for a one-pot meal? Thanks much!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you for sharing that, Karen! Love it!
Karen R says
Have you done this recipe with some cut-up veggies as well (or is the time too short for the veggies to cook properly)? Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
If you want to add veggies, I would par-cook them in the microwave first. I've got a demo for doing that in a crockpot chicken noodle soup recipe! Here's a link if you want to see how it's done 😉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7j2Y37FE2E
Anonymous says
AMAZING! This deserves 10 stars.
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you!
DC says
This Spice Mix was phenomenal... thank you! I had good luck elevating the legs on a few foil balls in the bottom of the slow cooker, and putting them all in vertically, fat side down. Incredible flavor!
Bryan says
I have a small crockpot and can maybe fit 4-5 flat on the bottom. Can we stack the legs on top of each other to cook more?
Kelly Anthony says
Yes you can stack them!
debra says
can you do this recipe with chicken breasts too?
Kelly Anthony says
Yes! But, I would begin checking the breasts after 2 hours for doneness on the high setting or 3 hours on the low setting! 🙂
Vivian says
Kelly, this was so good!! Changes I made: took the skin off the legs; mixed the spices and oil together and rubbed on the legs; added fresh mushrooms and 1/3 cup white wine. After the chicken finished cooking, I made a slurry of 2 TBSP each of cornstarch and water to thicken the juices...and have gravy for mashed potatoes! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Kelly Anthony says
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Heather B says
Great recipe! It has officially been added to our monthly rotation of meal plans. Thank you for sharing!
Kelly Anthony says
That's awesome 🙂 Thank you, Heather!
Marisol Buitrago Tay says
What a great straightforward recipe! I love your energy and sweetness in the video! ♥
Kelly says
Will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing!
Phil says
We loved this recipe!!
Kevin says
I made this and it was delicious! A couple of notes:
* I doubled the seasoning on everything adding some Adobo and Saison. (Save some seasoning for later)
* Drain the water that cooks out of the chicken after about 90 minutes and then toss them around and add the rest of the seasoning.
* After 4 hours, drain the remaining liquid and let them cool slowly in the still warm crock pot. After about 20 minutes they are perfect to eat!
Norma says
So easy, so good!
Tracy Sue Green says
Awesome. No leftovers.