Make tender and juicy chicken drumsticks in the crockpot! Simply toss all of the ingredients into your slow cooker for an easy weeknight dinner recipe. Just before serving, throw them under the broiler for crispy delicious skin.
There are quite a few ingredients that can really shine in a slow cooker, and I think chicken is one of them. Chicken is an ingredient that can be really easy to overcook, but cooking chicken legs or chicken breasts low and slow means you’ll end up with tender and juicy chicken every single time.
Why this recipe works
The drumsticks cook in a delicious mixture of chicken broth, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and dried thyme. This not only adds savory and spicy notes, but it also creates a delicious jus to serve over top!
Don’t skip the crispy skin! Simply throw them under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.
Ingredients you’ll need
- This recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks. You could also try it with chicken thighs. This is an inexpensive, budget-friendly cut that is easy to find in most grocery stores.
- The liquid that cooks the chicken is a combination of chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, jalapeno and salt. If you don’t have chicken broth, you could also use water, you just may need to add more salt.
- The jalapeno doesn’t add much heat, but does add a ton of flavor! If you want something spicier, add a serano chili in addition to the jalapeno.
Expert tips
- Make sure to have enough liquid in the slow cooker to avoid the chicken sticking to the bottom and burning, plus the extra juices can be served overtop as a delicious jus! They are great over rice and veggies, too.
- While many recipes will tell you to brown the chicken before adding it to the crockpot, I’ve found it’s equally as successful to brown the chicken legs afterwards. Simply remove them from the liquid, add them to a baking sheet and brown for 2-4 minutes.
- If you want to make this more of a meal, you can add some sliced carrots or potatoes along with the chicken.
Step by step instructions
- This recipe couldn’t be easier! Simply arrange the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a measuring cup and pour evenly over top. If the jalapeno end up in a bunch, just rearrange and scatter the slices evenly overtop.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for six hours.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, it will be very tender but not browned at all. Remove from the slow cooker, being sure to leave any slices of jalapeno behind in the sauce, and arrange on a baking sheet. Broil for 2-4 minutes until skin is browned and bubbling. Serve with extra sauce overtop.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Raw chicken is totally fine. It will cook with the heat of the slow cooker. I have never tried cooking frozen chicken, I would be careful as it could reach a not food-safe temperature while it cooks.
I always add a bit of a sauce or liquid so that you don’t end up with burnt garlic or any other scorched ingredients.
Drumsticks are higher in fat than leaner chicken breast, so they are very successfully cooked on both high and low heat settings.
More recipe ideas
- Use your instant pot for juicy drumsticks, this recipe is a little bit more hands on than those made in the slow cooker, but they are equally delicious!
- If you love crispy chicken skin, you can’t go wrong with oven-roasted crispy chicken legs.
Serve these with
- An easy salad like burrata Caprese, which comes together in minutes and just uses a few simple ingredients.
- A Greek orzo salad is also an easy, make-ahead side to serve.
This recipe was originally published on January 15, 2015 and updated on January 13, 2023.
Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 12 chicken drumsticks, about 3lbs
- ¼ cup water or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Arrange chicken legs in 1 layer in a slow cooker.
- Whisk together chicken broth, olive oil, Balsasmic vinegar, jalapeno, garlic, dried thyme and salt. Pour overtop of the chicken.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Preheat broiler. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and arrange it on a baking sheet, be sure to remove any chunks of garlic or jalapeno so they don't burn under the heat.
- Broil for 2-4 minutes until skin is bubbling and browned. Serve with the juices from the slow cooker overtop.
Notes
- The liquid that the chicken cooks in should be reserved as juices to serve overtop of the chicken–it’s so delicious!
- Keep an eye on the chicken under the broiler, it can burn quickly. You’ll want to make sure to scrape off any pieces of garlic or jalapeno before cooking under the broiler.
Kathy
Sorry I really wanted to like this. There was no taste.
Louisa Clements
Sorry you didn’t enjoy, Kathy. I always serve the chicken legs with the juices from the slow cooker drizzled overtop, did you try that?
Rita mae
Dang, I made this and it was so good…. now, I dont like thyme so much so I used Italian spice herb, which contains thyme, and was very happy with it. I fixed a green bean/ham/potato combo with this in a separate crock, made gravy with chicken liquid for potatoes, and we were ravenous, lol! This is a keeper recipe for me!
Danielle
Since our household is only my husband and me, I try to scale back recipes. Will this recipe work the same if I only use one package (about four drumsticks) instead of 8-12?
Louisa Clements
Hi Danielle, yes this recipe will work for less drumsticks! You will just want to adjust the amount of salt and jalapenos (if you’d like it more mild), everything else will be fine! I hope you enjoy!
Dee
I want to try this recipe, but how can you lay 12 drumsticks in a single layer?
Louisa Clements
Hi Dee, they fit in my slow cooker which is a 7 quart!
Shirley Clements
I will be making these drumsticks & your dill carrot recipes for my dinner tonight, after seeing them posted on Facebook, today! Can’t wait for my dinner, tonight!
Denise
I absolutely love this recipe. I make it with rice and a veggie on the side. It is delicious!
Louisa Clements
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe, Denise! It’s one of my favourites as well.
Alisha Ross
Seriously – the Crock Pot is the best invention ever! This is an awesome collection of recipes, and such a great time to share it as life swings back into full gear.
Christina Bedford
Do you have to brown all chicken before using them in recipes?
Thanks
Lou
Hi Christina, for this recipe you do not need to brown the chicken legs. You definitely can if you would like to, but not necessary! Let me know how it goes.
Chrissie
Great recipe!
Lou
Thanks Chrissie!
Patricia
Tried this over the weekend, it was good. However, the flavor was very mild, not much juice, but the meat was falling off the bones. I followed the recipe exactly. Next time, I think I will take the extra steps to brown the legs in a pan and use more jalapenos and more balsamic. I will keep this one in the book, but adjust ingredients. Thank you!
Lou
Hi Patricia, I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! Great idea to brown the legs – that always adds more flavour and you can’t go wrong with more jalapenos and balsamic. Thanks for the tip :)
michael
Really, sorry man, this really is not that good, first off the flavor is almost non existant, maybe a half cup of balsamic might of made a difference, but on a scale of 1-10 I give this a 2 for flavor, as for the 4 hours on high, maybe we have different slow cookers (Cuisinart for me) it made the texture of the chicken (of which I used a good quality) very dry. If you haven’t tried it on low I would suggest it because I feel like it was not worth it. Sorry about that but you talked it up so much I had high expectations. very disappointed.
Lou
Hi Michael, thanks for your comment and feedback. I’m sorry to hear you found this recipe lacking in flavour. I have tried this recipe on low for 6 hours but found that the chicken is best after 4 hours on high.
Ron
Wow, this looks good. I’m with you Lou, love my slow cooker. Accidentally stumbled on your site and this one recipe made me save you to my favorites bar for easy access. How do you think this recipe would work if some chicken thighs (my favorite part) were mixed in? I’m going to be looking at a lot of your recipes. Thanks!!
Lou
Thanks, Ron! I’m so glad you like my site. I think chicken thighs would definitely work, my only tip would be to trim off any of the excess fat that’s on them (I find they tend to have more fat than chicken legs). Let me know how it goes :)
Ron
Ohhhhhh man.Made this last night and it was fantastic. I love how chicken from the slow cooker just falls off the bone and the flavors form that Balsamic/Jalapeno mix was unbelievable. Definitely a keeper recipe and don’t see the need to change a thing. And the leftovers were great as a chicken sandwich. Thanks Lou!
Lou
So glad to hear it went well and that you enjoyed it, Ron! Thanks for letting me know.
Brandon
What kind of side dishes could you put with this?
Lou
Hi Brandon, there are so many great sides you can serve this with. It goes really well with any kind of rice if you’re looking for something simple. Otherwise, I would pair this with my Balsamic Roasted Broccoli, Summer Quinoa Salad, or my Tomato Garlic Swiss Chard.
Ron
Really, this screams for garlic mashed potatoes. Mix a slurry of flour into the juices left in the slow cooker and make gravy. I’m going to make this over the weekend and mashed taters are definitely making an appearance. I’m going to mix the legs up with thighs and just can’t wait to cook this.
Lou
Ooh, I love garlic mashed potatoes! Turning the juices into a gravy is a great idea – let me know how it goes :)
Shea
Do you think this would work on low for 7-8 hours? It is hard to swing the 4 hour cook times when you’re at work all day! Looks delish!!
Lou
Hi Shea, I totally get that! I have never tried it on low, but my guess would be to cook them for 6 hours on low, and leaving them on the “warm” setting for another hour or so would be fine. Let me know how it goes!
Mimi
Hi! My husband replaced my old crockpot with a new one that is wifi enabled. You can adjust all of the settings on your phone and have it switch to warm automatically
Fondos
It must be great
Lou
Thank you, let me know if you give them a try!
Kristin
do you leave the seeds in the jalapeño?
Lou
Hi Kristin, yes I left the seeds in the jalapeño, but if you’re worried about the level of heat, you can definitely remove them!
Jenny @ The Brunette Baker
LOU! These look heavenly. I love all these flavour combinations. It’s now on my must-make list. Thanks for sharing! Xo
Lou
Thanks, Jenny! I could use this flavour combination on everything! xo!
Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean
This looks awesome! And I have a whole bunch of jalapenos in my fridge…so your timing is perfect! Slow cooker recipes are just what I need on these cold and crazy weeknights.
Lou
Thanks, Sarah! Slow cookers save my life on crazy weeknights. Let me know if you give it a try!
jess meddows
Such a great, simple recipe Lou. Love that you can set and forget until your day is done and come home to a fully cooked meal. :)
Lou
Thanks, Jess!
The Piquey Eater (@PiqueyEater)
My slow-cooker is seriously underused. Going to have to dig in the basement to see if it still works. Great dinner recipe idea
Lou
Yes, dig it out of the basement! You won’t regret it. Let me know if you give it a try :)
suki
That looks so perfect! i have never tried slow cooker recipes! but shoudl get one and start making these
Lou
Thanks, Suki! You definitely need to give it a try.
Amber
Hi Lou,
Are the chicken legs skinless?
Thanks a bunch
Amber
Lou
Hi Amber, no the chicken legs have the skin on – I’ll clarify that in the recipe! However, I’m sure the chicken would still be delicious with the skin removed. Let me know how it goes!