Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks are an easy three-ingredient dinner made with chicken legs, a flavorful chicken rub, and BBQ sauce. The slow cooker makes the chicken incredibly tender and juicy, and an optional few minutes under the broiler gives you deliciously crisp, caramelized skin.
This recipe for chicken drumsticks is an absolute winner. We are working with just three ingredients, and two of those ingredients can be homemade or store-bought. You know how much I love encouraging you to do what works best for you in your own kitchen. Additionally, these crockpot chicken legs can be an easy dump and go meal, or you can take an extra step of crisping the chicken at the end. Finally, you will find everything in this recipe that you need to make sure it is a success every time.
Please note that this recipe was updated in September of 2026 to simplify the method and ingredients.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Chicken drumsticks: Use bone-in, skin-on drumsticks. If you have frozen drumsticks, make sure they are thawed for this recipe.
- Chicken rub: My homemade rub comes together with simple ingredients and is sweet, slightly spicy, and smoky.
- BBQ sauce: Use your favorite store-bought sauce or make my homemade BBQ sauce recipe.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Toss the drumsticks with the chicken rub and put them in the base of your slow cooker.
- Coat the drumsticks in the BBQ sauce and cook on low for three to four hours.
- To make the skin crisp, broil the chicken drumsticks for a few minutes, watching them closely until the skin is crisp, not burnt.
How Long to Cook Chicken Drumsticks in the Crock Pot
Your drumsticks should cook on low for 3-4 hours, checking them with an instant-read thermometer. Chicken is safe to eat when the thickest part of the drumstick reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit without touching the bone.
How to Get Crispy Skin on Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
The slow cooker fully cooks the chicken and keeps the meat tender, but doesn’t make the skin crispy, which is why I love to broil them at the end. While this step is optional since the chicken is already fully cooked, just a few minutes in the oven gives the skin the crispiness that you know and love in chicken drumsticks.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
Leftovers should be stored in the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. As with all leftovers, use your best discretion.
To reheat these chicken legs, add them and their sauce to an oven-safe baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes. Leftovers should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
FAQ
No, the BBQ sauce provides plenty of moisture, and the chicken will release moisture as it cooks.
I firmly believe that if you are cooking meat in a slow cooker and given a choice between cooking times, you should always pick the low setting. It just cooks the meat better. That being said, you can cook them on high for 1 to 2 hours if you want to speed up the cooking time.
Yes. With four pounds, you will likely need to layer them so they all fit in a six-quart crockpot.
What to Serve with BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
If you are looking to make this into a full meal, there are a couple of things that would pair perfectly with this recipe.
- Homemade Mac and Cheese is a 25 minute recipe and would go so well with these.
- My Coleslaw recipe rests in the refrigerator overnight, so it is perfect to pair with these.
- Finally, these Baked Potato Wedges are only three ingredients (a six-ingredient meal!) and come together fast in the oven.
- This Potato Salad is always a crowd-favorite.
- Smashed Potatoes are easy to make and perfect with chicken.
If you make these amazing slow cooker drumsticks or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.
Recipe Video
Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks see note
- 1/4 cup chicken rub see note
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Pat the chicken very dry. Toss the drumsticks in the chicken rub and transfer them to a 6 quart slow cooker.4 pounds chicken drumsticks, 1/4 cup chicken rub
- Coat the drumsticks in BBQ sauce and cook on low for three to four hours or until the chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the drumstick without touching the bone.2 cups BBQ sauce
- If desired (to make the skin crisp) line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack in the baking sheet. Then transfer the drumsticks to the rack. Broil for a few minutes watching the chicken closely until the chicken skin is crisp.
Notes
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says
YUM! These look delicious—and perfect for our Super Bowl party we’re having! I love appetizers made in the slow cooker. And Sweet Baby Ray’s is DAH BEST! Pinning to try this!
It IS the best! Thanks Erin!
Julia says
These drumsticks look so good! I only wish my husband didn’t hate BBQ sauce. Maybe I’ll sub sweet chili sauce, which we all like!
Thanks Julia!
Ana says
Use ketchup instead :)
Heather DeJesus says
Can I use your BBQ sauce recipe instead of the bottle sauce? My family absolutely loves the homemade sauce.
Absolutely! And I’m so happy to hear that you like that recipe!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Every season I say I’m going to watch it for that reason but I never do!! I heard this one was a doozy so far. :)
You should catch up on Hulu! #totallyworthit
Rachel says
You jerk Lisa, you know you like it!
And you know I LOVE a good slow cooker recipe! This looks delicious!
Lauren @ Rustic Honey says
MOUTH. IS. WATERING! YUM! Not only do I love your recipe idea above but also the technique! Feel like you could also do hot wings, Asian wings, etc. with this process! Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait for GAMEDAY! :)
I totally agree Lauren! I actually have another one in mind too!
Karen says
Have just found your blog. Love that your recipes are so easy to make and made with things easily found. Will definitely be making this. Only think is, will use some chicken breasts since this looks like it would make them moist and tender. Question – what do you sprinkled on top? Looks like a seed of some kind.
Thank you Karen for your kind words! They are just sesame seeds. Honestly, they were more to make the photo pop. Perfectly delicious without them, though great with them too. :)
Jordie says
hi! My crockpot is set for high 4 or 6 hours or low for 8 or 10 hours. I usually do recipes like this for dinner cause my hubby and I work all day. What setting do you recommend?! Thanks!
Hi Jordie! As mentioned in the recipe, this cooks best at low for 4 hours. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
Julie says
Made this today. So good, flavor was great and chicken fell off the bones. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for coming back to tell me!
Carol says
Can you make these without the skin. If so should you brown them first.
I haven’t tried these without the skin, but I’m sure tit will work fine. Definitely skip browning.
Wanda Smithley says
My family prefers crispy drumsticks. If I don’t cook these so long and then broil them and then pour the sauce over them, would that work? And if so, do I still need to brown them before going in the crock pot? Or do you have another way to make them crispy?
Sticking them in the oven after is a great idea! You don’t need to brown them first then.
Shirley Frank says
Do you have a cookbook available? I would love to have all your recipes without having to write them all out by hand or look on my phone every time I make them.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Shirley! I do not have a cookbook at this time.