Ohhh yes 😌🍗 Slow cooker chicken drumsticks — fall-off-the-bone tender with barely any work. Here’s a simple, flavorful base recipe, plus a few easy flavor swaps.
🍗 Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8–10 chicken drumsticks
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for searing)
Instructions
1️⃣ Season the chicken
- Pat drumsticks dry.
- Season all over with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs.
2️⃣ Optional sear (recommended)
- Heat olive oil in a skillet.
- Sear drumsticks 2–3 minutes per side until lightly browned.
3️⃣ Slow cook
- Place drumsticks in slow cooker.
- Pour broth around (not over) the chicken.
- Cover and cook:
- LOW: 5–6 hours
- HIGH: 3–4 hours
4️⃣ Optional crisping step
- Transfer drumsticks to a baking sheet.
- Broil 3–5 minutes until skin is crispy.
5️⃣ Serve
- Spoon juices over chicken or thicken into a gravy if desired.
🔥 Flavor Variations
- BBQ: Brush with BBQ sauce in last 30 minutes
- Honey garlic: Add ¼ cup honey + 3 tbsp soy sauce
- Lemon herb: Add lemon slices + rosemary
- Buffalo: Toss with buffalo sauce after cooking
- Asian-style: Soy sauce + ginger + garlic + brown sugar
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcrowd — stack loosely
- Drumsticks release liquid; no extra water needed beyond broth
- Crisp after slow cooking for best texture
If you want, I can give a dump-and-go 5-ingredient version or a kid-friendly BBQ drumstick recipe next 😊
