These slow cooker chicken drumsticks are coated in a spice rub and barbecue sauce, then cooked to tender perfection in the crock pot. A super easy 3 ingredient dinner option that takes just minutes to assemble.
I’m all about my slow cooker these days. I’m constantly making slow cooker chicken thighs, crockpot BBQ chicken, slow cooker teriyaki chicken and slow cooker beef stroganoff. This chicken drumstick recipe is so simple, yet so very satisfying and it’s kid friendly too!
In my opinion, chicken drumsticks are an underutilized cut of meat. They’re inexpensive, widely available, flavorful and super kid friendly. It doesn’t get any easier than these slow cooker chicken drumsticks – 3 ingredients in a crock pot and you’re ready to go!
Table of Contents
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need chicken drumsticks, BBQ rub and your favorite BBQ sauce.
How Do You Make Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks?
Start by coating your chicken in BBQ rub. Place the drumsticks in a slow cooker and add BBQ sauce. Gently toss everything together, then cover the slow cooker and let the chicken cook. When the chicken is tender, remove it from the pot and transfer to a baking sheet. Broil the chicken in the oven for a few minutes until it’s starting to get crispy and brown, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- I like to use my homemade BBQ rub in this recipe, but your favorite store bought spice rub will also work fine.
- I also have an amazing recipe for homemade BBQ sauce! Don’t have time to make your own? Use your favorite store bought sauce instead.
- Watch your chicken carefully under the oven broiler! You want to crisp up the edges a bit, but you don’t want your drumsticks to burn.
- You can also make this recipe with whole chicken legs, boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts for a shredded BBQ chicken alternative.
- Serve your finished dish with a variety of sides. I like to offer a potato dish such as baked french fries, cauliflower mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes or Instant Pot mashed potatoes. Homemade Rice-A-Roni is also a great choice. I also do a colorful veggie like broccoli casserole, roasted cherry tomatoes, collard greens, parmesan roasted broccoli, garlic mushrooms or candied carrots.
Quick Tip
Leave the skin on your drumsticks, the skin helps to keep the meat from drying out.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen chicken drumsticks in this recipe. Just be aware that the spice rub won’t stick as well to frozen meat! If you’re using frozen chicken, you’ll want to cook it on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
You’ll want to cook your chicken drumsticks on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. You’ll know when the chicken is done because it will be so tender that it will practically fall off the bone!
FOLLOW ME
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumstick Variations
This is a simple recipe with a simple ingredient list. However, you can add other flavorings into the mix to make this recipe your own!
- Spicy: Stir 1 chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce into the barbecue sauce before you pour it into the slow cooker.
- Garlic Lovers: Add 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic to the crock pot.
- Sweet and Tangy: Add 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey to the barbecue sauce before you pour it into the slow cooker.
- Add-Ins: Feel free to stir in some other flavorings such as soy sauce, onion powder or even ketchup.
Once you try these drumsticks, you’ll find yourself making them all the time! It’s so easy to keep the ingredients on hand for when you need to assemble dinner in a hurry. There’s only 5 minutes of prep time and the crock pot does the rest of the work!
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
8 hrs 40 mins
Crock Pot Baked Potatoes
4 hrs 5 mins
Crock Pot Baked Beans
2 hrs 30 mins
Crock Pot Spaghetti
4 hrs 35 mins
Slow Cooker Ribs
4 hrs 10 mins
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons BBQ spice rub
- 2 1/2 cups BBQ sauce divided use
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Rub the BBQ spice all over the drumsticks, then place the drumsticks in the slow cooker in layers.
- Pour 2 cups of BBQ sauce into the slow cooker. Gently toss to coat.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Remove the chicken drumsticks from the slow cooker and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan coated with cooking spray.
- Brush the remaining 1/2 cup sauce over the drumsticks. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until edges are starting to brown and crisp, then serve.
Notes
- Leave the skin on your drumsticks, the skin helps to keep the meat from drying out.
- Watch your chicken carefully under the broiler! You want to crisp up the edges a bit, but you don’t want your drumsticks to burn.
Great recipe. Flavors came out amazing. Used a mesquite BBQ sauce and made up my own BBQ rub.
Fabulous meal with inexpensive drumsticks, made some wild rice to go with.
Top remarks from me !
AJ
This was an easy and tasty recipe! I love it and it is now in my top 10 recipe!
I am making these today but don’t have enough time to use the slow cooker. Can these be made in the oven? How long on what temp if they can?
You could try baking them at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes, then brush the sauce on during the last 5 minutes.
I made these and it is not quite dinner time, but they are done and I am about to out them in the broiler. They smell so good, I couldn’t help but sample one!!
These are the BEST chicken drumsticks I have ever made!!
Awesome!! This is the only way that I will make BBQ chicken. I used wings, drumsticks and thighs and it was fabulous! Definitely a hit in my house with my 13 yr old daughter. Thank you so much for sharing!!
These are amazing! I’m not usually even a fan of drumsticks- but YUM!
Was delish! I added honey and brown sugar to bbq sauce then topped that over chicken!
I’ve been eating Paleo for four years now I thought I had tried every drumstick recipe available. By chance, I stumbled on your site today and I made these for dinner tonight. I cannot praise this recipe enough, this is maybe the best chicken drumstick recipe I have ever had. I’ll be making it again and again. Thank you so much!
My sister made these last night for the family! Gobbled up so fast! Amazing recipe.
I make this all the time! always delicious! i use STUBB’s original BBQ sause.
Stubbs original is also my favorite sauce
Do you take the skin off
I do not but you can if you prefer!
The recipe says to keep it on so that it stays moist
These came out incredible! The chicken was so tender and flavorful. My husband is a Texan and said it was BBQ restaurant quality. I’ve made a lot of your recipes and they’ve all turned out great. This would be perfect for hosting because it is so low maintenance and comes out amazing.
What temp did you set to broil?
I broil on high!
My broiler doesn’t work so what temp for the oven?
I’d do 450 degrees F!
Can I double the recipe and put it in one big crock pot?
Yes that’s fine!
I used chicken drumettes and served them as an appetizer and they were gobbled up so fast! Next time I’ll double the recipe
Hi, can you do ribs????
Here is my ribs version! https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/slow-cooker-ribs/
Worked great. I had about 2 lbs. of frozen drumsticks that were placed in my Crockpot for about 5 hours on low (that’s when I first checked in on them and a meat thermometer showed their temperature up in the 180s-190s F – just about to start falling off the bone). Sprinkled it with dry rub seasoning, followed by Sassy2Carb barbecue sauce by Ken Davis since it’s low-carb and tastes pretty good compared to other brands. Finished off under the broiler as directed. Thanks for the easy dinner idea!
do you have to put the drumsticks under broiler or oven or can you just eat them when done in cooker
You can skip the broiling!
Can I put the chicken in frozen and cook for 8 hours?
I would cook it on high to make sure the chicken comes to a food safe temperature in the appropriate amount of time.
How long should I cook5 lbs chicken drumsticks?
Do all the drumsticks have to be entirely covered by BBQ sauce in the slow cooker? Planning on cooking 6 pounds of chicken (3 layers in crockpot). Thanks!
They don’t need to be totally submerged!
This recipe looks great! has anyone tried adding some potatoes or sweet potatoes to the crock-pot? i dont feel like making a side dish separately.
Yes!! I’ve tried sweet potato, carrots and onion in the slow cooker with the chicken. My family devoured it.
I cook for 6 men… After I broil them can I put back into a clean crock pot to keep warm?
What is a good side? I was thinking Mushroom rice?
Yes you can put them back in the crock pot. Mushroom rice would be a good choice!