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If you’re looking for a no-fuss, family-approved dinner that practically cooks itself, these Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks are your new go-to. Juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender, and loaded with smoky-sweet BBQ flavor, this recipe is everything you love about comfort food, without standing over the stove.
With just 10 minutes of prep time, a handful of pantry spices, and your favorite BBQ sauce, you can set it and forget it. Whether you’re feeding hungry kids, prepping for a potluck, or just want a crowd-pleasing meal with minimal effort, this one hits the mark.
For more easy slow cooker recipes, try my Slow Cooker Lasagna and Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pork next.
Why I Love This Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
- Ridiculously easy – Just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it do the work.
- Kid-friendly – BBQ chicken drumsticks are always a hit with picky eaters.
- Perfectly tender – Slow cooking makes the chicken fall-off-the-bone soft.
- Simple ingredients – This recipe uses pantry staples like common spices and store-bought BBQ sauce.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredient Notes
- Seasoning: I like to use my simple Chicken Seasoning to add flavor to the chicken drumsticks, but you can use any seasoning you like. Whatever you use, make sure it complements your sauce choice.
- BBQ Sauce: You can choose any flavor you like or even use a homemade version. I like something that’s both sweet and spicy or sweet and smoky, like Sweet Baby Rays.
How To Make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Pat chicken dry. One of the most important things to remember when cooking chicken, whether in a slow cooker, oven, or grill, is to ensure it is dry. You don’t want any added moisture, or the skin will just be soggy.
Season. Arrange the chicken legs in your crockpot, then rub the spice blend all over the drumsticks.
Sauce ’em up. Brush your favorite sauce on the chicken drumsticks.
Slow-cook the drumsticks. Cover the crockpot and cook until the internal temperature reaches at least 160-165 degrees. If you are planning to broil, you can transfer them when they reach 155 degrees.
Broil the chicken. This step is optional, but highly recommended for skin-on chicken. Line a sheet pan with foil and arrange the chicken on it. Place the pan under the broiler until the skin is nice and crispy, but watch closely so it doesn’t burn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use frozen chicken in the slow cooker?
For safety purposes, I don’t recommend cooking frozen drumsticks in a slow cooker; however, you can thaw them fully before adding to the slow cooker.
Serving Suggestions
These BBQ chicken drumsticks are super versatile. Pair them with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread. For a lighter meal, serve with a simple green salad or roasted veggies. They’re also great with mac and cheese if you’re going full comfort-food mode.
Storage Tips
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Place leftovers in a container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or the oven. For oven reheating, preheat to 400°F and place the drumsticks on a foil-lined sheet pan. Brush on just a little bit of BBQ sauce to keep them from drying out, and bake for 10 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Pat the chicken dry – This helps the seasoning stick and keeps the texture from getting soggy.
- Don’t skip the seasoning mix – Layering flavor under the BBQ sauce gives the chicken extra depth.
- Use a liner or spray the slow cooker – Easier cleanup is always a win.
- Broil for texture – A few minutes under the broiler gives the skin a crispy finish and helps the BBQ sauce to caramelize.
- Double the batch for a crowd – This recipe scales easily for potlucks and parties, just make sure your crockpot is large enough.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders
- Skillet Chicken Pomodoro
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
- Poached Chicken
- Slow Cooker Blackberry Orange Barbecue Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks skinless or skin-on
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cups BBQ sauce divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pat chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels. Trim excess skin (remove the skin if you like).
- In a small bowl, combine seasoning mix.
- Arrange chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle seasoning over the drumsticks, tossing to coat. Brush 1 cup BBQ sauce onto the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Chicken is cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees F.
- Optional step: Turn the broiler on in your oven and place the oven rack in the top third of your oven. Line a large baking sheet with nonstick foil and arrange chicken skin side up on the baking sheet. Brush with more BBQ sauce and broil until the skin begins to brown and crisp up; about 3-5 (5-8) minutes.
- Garnish with green onion if desired just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
I made it the first time with drumsticks! Was delicious. Today I only had chicken thighs. I hope this turns out good. Because I doubled the recipe!
Awesome feedback Shelley! Thanks for stopping by.
I use Ray’s no sugar added bbq sauce. It is a great alternative to their regular sauce for folks who want less carbs and sugar.
4 grams carbs per serving and 1 gram sugar.
I’m making these tonight!! I hope they turn out!
Hello Diedra, thanks for stopping by. I would love to here about your experience.
The recipe was very easy. I made the prep easier myself. I went according to your recipe’s ingredients, except that I only used 1 cup of BBQ sauce because I only had 6 legs. I did the preparation “very” differently. I mixed the Bull’s Eye BBQ sauce and the seasonings together in a big bowl. Then I rolled each leg in the mixture, making sure each was fully and heavily covered with the sauce, and placing them into the slow cooker. I cooked on high for exactly 3 hours. A thermometer was still going up after 165, so I pulled it out and turned off the slow cooker. The meat was falling off the bones as I lifted each leg onto a plate. These were excellent!
***NOTE: It doesn’t matter if you take the skin off the legs or not. The skin/fat will pretty much disintegrate, and it adds extra flavor. I didn’t think the broiling was necessary for taste but was only for mouth feel, so I skipped that part. Also, I think I should have checked these at 2 1/2 hours. They might have been done then.
The drumsticks were starting to fall off the bone on Low for 3 1/2 hours. Delicious
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Mary.
In the crockpot now.
I made this tonite & family loved it! Used Butt Rub & bbq sauce & cooked for 5-1/2 hours on low & served! Very quick , delicious & easy!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Marian.
Making these tonight for dinner. I’m going to 1/2 the seasoning since its just my husband and myself. I’ll come back and give a star rating and new comments. Thanks for sharing this recipe. 😁
Hi Mary, I hope you enjoyed them!
Making these tonight! Sounds very good
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Julie.
Made these the other night. They were great. Loved the bbq sauce, so easy too. Will definitely make again! Thanks, Kristin.
You are so welcome Deborah! Thanks for stopping by.
I always thought that in order to cook in the crockpot, we needed a liquid. Im reading that is not the case here? I’m excited to try this recipe!
Thanks for stopping by Mauna!
Hi Mauna! I’m not the chef for the BBQ chicken legs you made in your slow cooker. However, I read that you didn’t know a slow cooker didn’t require liquid. So, I wanted to tell you something else that might help you. Always make sure the lid is sitting right, to where no steam can escape. I do that and then I even cover the lid with a dishtowel to be sure the heat stays in the slow cooker. I’m not positive, but I’m convinced I get better results this way. I hope this information will benefit you.