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Home » chicken » Slow Cooker Balsamic Jalapeno Chicken Legs

Slow Cooker Balsamic Jalapeno Chicken Legs

Published: Jan 15, 2015 · Modified: Mar 25, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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4 hours 10 minutes 42 Comments

Let your slow cooker do all the work with this flavourful recipe for balsamic jalapeno chicken legs. Loaded with the perfect balance of spicy and sweet this recipe will be a family favourite.

Just throw everything in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious dinner of slow cooker balsamic jalapeno chicken legs. | livinglou.com

I’m really not kidding when I say that I love my slow cooker. I’ve been developing slow cooker recipes on here for years and they are some of my favourites and clearly, some of yours also. Without fail, my slow cooker recipes out-preform practically all of my other recipes on here, which is fine by me because they are so easy and packed with flavour. What I love about slow cookers is that when it comes to following a recipe, it’s usually safe to assume that if it’s a good one, things will go according to plan. And if you can rely on one thing in this unpredictable life thing we’re all doing, it’s knowing that with 10 minutes of prep in the morning you can come home to dinner that’s ready to go, I’m in. And when I say ready to go, I mean that once these chicken legs are finished cooking, you can literally stand over your kitchen counter and eat them right out of the slow cooker. Which I may or may have not done on a few occasions.

I’ve typically used chicken breasts in my slow cooker recipes before, they lend themselves well to any sort of shredded chicken, but for this jalapeno-infused recipe, I wanted to change things up and opted for drumsticks instead. They are juicy, fun to eat and often, much more budget friendly than other cuts of chicken. That said, I may be a bit biased since I am already quite a fan of drumsticks, I have a slow cooker recipe for chicken legs with sun-dried tomatoes.

slow cooker balsamic jalapeno chicken legs

Something I find frustrating about some slow cooker recipes is that they require quite a bit of prep before you can actually turn on your slow cooker and walk away. Which is fine, I’m definitely guilty of developing some more complicated recipes for this appliance (yes, as annoying as it can be to brown meat before adding it, I guarantee it adds more flavour). For this recipe though, I just wanted a few simple ingredients you could throw in, walk away and come home to dinner that is ready to go. Basically, easy recipes like this one is the reason I went out and bought a slow cooker in the first place.

The flavour combination found in this recipe was inspired by a roast chicken my Dad has perfected over the years. I have to give him credit for this genius balsamic and jalapeño combination we have going on here. Jalapeños are a more mild chile, which works perfectly to give these drumsticks just enough of a kick and the sweetness from the balsamic really balances the kick from the jalapeños. I opted to leave the seeds and membrane in the jalapeños, but if you like your spices on more of a milder side, you can definitely remove the seeds and membrane before adding to the dish. Since the chicken cooks in its own juices and a little chicken broth or water, this cooking liquid creates the most delicious saucy, gravy imaginable.

I like to  serve these balsamic jalapeño chicken legs with some rice or quinoa and a vegetable, like broccoli. The final step is drizzling the sauce over everything and you’ve got yourself the easiest weeknight supper you can dream of.

Slow cooker jalapeño chicken legs recipe breakdown

Just toss all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious meal that is ready to go. Flavoured with jalapeños and balsamic, these slightly spicy and sweet slow cooker jalapeño chicken legs will become a family favourite. Leave out the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño for a milder dish.

Quick Video Tip

Watch the video below for a quick tip for reducing excess liquid in the slow cooker:


Just throw everything in the slow cooker and come home to a delicious dinner of slow cooker balsamic jalapeno chicken legs. | livinglou.com

Slow Cooker Balsamic Jalapeno Chicken Legs

Author: Louisa Clements
4.34 from 6 votes
Pin Print
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 4 -5

Ingredients

  • 10 skin-on chicken legs
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup water or chicken broth

Instructions

  • Arrange chicken legs in 1 layer in a slow cooker.
  • Whisk together jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, thyme, mustard, honey and salt.
  • Pour balsamic mixture overtop of chicken legs.
  • Add ¼ cup of water or chicken broth.
  • Cook on high for 4 hours.

Notes

Reserve liquid from slow cooker to use as a gravy
Recipe by Louisa Clements
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: chicken, Dinner Recipes, easy, gluten free, meat, slow cooker

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Comments

  1. Amber

    January 15, 2015 at 8:03 am

    Hi Lou, Are the chicken legs skinless? Thanks a bunch Amber
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 15, 2015 at 4:13 pm

      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!
      Reply
  2. suki

    January 16, 2015 at 10:07 am

    That looks so perfect! i have never tried slow cooker recipes! but shoudl get one and start making these
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 19, 2015 at 10:13 am

      Thanks, Suki! You definitely need to give it a try.
      Reply
  3. The Piquey Eater (@PiqueyEater)

    January 16, 2015 at 10:41 am

    My slow-cooker is seriously underused. Going to have to dig in the basement to see if it still works. Great dinner recipe idea
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 19, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Yes, dig it out of the basement! You won't regret it. Let me know if you give it a try :)
      Reply
  4. jess meddows

    January 16, 2015 at 11:03 am

    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. :)
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 19, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Thanks, Jess!
      Reply
  5. Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean

    January 16, 2015 at 9:25 pm

    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.
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 19, 2015 at 10:15 am

      Thanks, Sarah! Slow cookers save my life on crazy weeknights. Let me know if you give it a try!
      Reply
  6. Jenny @ The Brunette Baker

    January 18, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    LOU! These look heavenly. I love all these flavour combinations. It's now on my must-make list. Thanks for sharing! Xo
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 19, 2015 at 10:16 am

      Thanks, Jenny! I could use this flavour combination on everything! xo!
      Reply
  7. Kristin

    January 26, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    do you leave the seeds in the jalapeño?
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 26, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      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!
      Reply
  8. Fondos

    January 29, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    It must be great
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 29, 2015 at 6:10 pm

      Thank you, let me know if you give them a try!
      Reply
  9. Shea

    January 29, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    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!!
    Reply
    • Lou

      January 29, 2015 at 6:09 pm

      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!
      Reply
    • Mimi

      June 04, 2018 at 3:37 am

      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
      Reply
  10. Brandon

    March 04, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    What kind of side dishes could you put with this?
    Reply
    • Lou

      March 06, 2015 at 6:38 pm

      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.
      Reply
    • Ron

      December 03, 2015 at 8:28 pm

      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.
      Reply
      • Lou

        December 04, 2015 at 12:33 pm

        Ooh, I love garlic mashed potatoes! Turning the juices into a gravy is a great idea – let me know how it goes :)
        Reply
  11. Ron

    December 02, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    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!!
    Reply
    • Lou

      December 04, 2015 at 12:32 pm

      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 :)
      Reply
      • Ron

        December 05, 2015 at 1:57 pm

        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!
        Reply
        • Lou

          December 08, 2015 at 7:33 pm

          So glad to hear it went well and that you enjoyed it, Ron! Thanks for letting me know.
          Reply
  12. michael

    December 11, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    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.
    Reply
    • Lou

      December 16, 2015 at 12:59 am

      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.
      Reply
  13. Patricia

    February 29, 2016 at 12:54 pm

    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!
    Reply
    • Lou

      February 29, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      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 :)
      Reply
  14. Chrissie

    September 17, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Great recipe!
    Reply
    • Lou

      September 18, 2016 at 12:05 pm

      Thanks Chrissie!
      Reply
  15. Christina Bedford

    December 27, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    Do you have to brown all chicken before using them in recipes? Thanks
    Reply
    • Lou

      December 31, 2016 at 12:25 pm

      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.
      Reply
  16. Alisha Ross

    January 28, 2020 at 12:13 am

    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.
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
  17. Denise

    July 12, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    I absolutely love this recipe. I make it with rice and a veggie on the side. It is delicious!

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      July 15, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      I'm so glad you enjoy this recipe, Denise! It's one of my favourites as well.
      Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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