Enjoy our Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks for an easy busy weeknight dinner recipe. It has simple ingredients and can be made in about 4-5 hours depending on how you choose to cook the juicy chicken drumsticks.
I love serving this chicken drumstick recipe as an option on family game day since our entire family loves and is a great option for a simple recipe to serve.
You can even swap the chicken drumsticks with chicken wings, chicken breasts, or even chicken thighs and have dinner ready in a few simple steps and serve with easy side dishes.
Ingredients used to make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:
- Chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- Brown sugar
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Favorite BBQ sauce, (or homemade bbq sauce) divided
How to make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks:
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place drumsticks in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle on top of the chicken creating a nice spice rub.
- Pour 1 cup of barbeque sauce on top of the chicken.
- Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours or HIGH heat for 2-3 hours making sure they reach the internal temperature of 165 degrees F which you can check with a meat thermometer.
- Remove the drumsticks and place them on a large rimmed baking sheet (line it with aluminum foil for easy clean up) in a single layer. Preheat the broiler on your oven.
- Brush the drumsticks with the remaining BBQ sauce and broil the chicken until lightly browned (about 2-3 minutes – watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn while broiling!).
If you don’t have time for slow cooking, try using the pressure cooker with our Instant Pot Smoky BBQ
The best way to store our slow cooker chicken drumsticks recipe:
A great way to store the leftover chicken drumsticks is in an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days for the next time when you are ready to enjoy another delicious meal made of leftovers.
What easy recipes to serve with crock pot chicken drumsticks:
- Slow Cooker Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Slow Cooker Creamed Corn Recipe
- Slow Cooker Cheese Potatoes Recipe
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans with Bacon Recipe
- Mom’s Easy Potato Salad Recipe
More slow cooker recipes:
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Chicken Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas Recipe
- Slow Cooker Ritz Chicken Recipe
- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Recipe
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Slow Cooker Cheesy BBQ Chicken Bacon Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon Pulled Pork Recipe
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Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ cups BBQ Sauce, divided
Equipment
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place drumsticks in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle on top of chicken. Pour 1 cup of BBQ sauce on top of the chicken.
- Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 5-6 hours or HIGH heat for 2-3 hours.
- Remove the drumsticks and place on a large rimmed baking sheet (line it with aluminum foil for easy clean up) in a single layer.
- Preheat the broiler on your oven.
- Brush the drumsticks with the remaining BBQ sauce and broil the chicken until lightly browned (about 2-3 minutes – watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn while broiling!).
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the chicken when broiling, they crisp up quickly!
Nutrition
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If you made these with breasts would the cooking time be the same (crockpot) ?
You could probably cook them a little less if you’re losing breasts. Dark meat (found it drumsticks) tends to take a little longer to cook.
Do you think this could be a freezer meal? Would you cook for longer if you did?
If you wanted to freeze this one, I would defrost overnight in the fridge and cook as directed