Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks – 🍗🍯🧄 These honey garlic chicken drumsticks marinate in a mixture of soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and more which gives them a balance of sweet, savory, and lightly smoky FLAVOR! After slow cooking for hours, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy! The EASIEST way to make chicken drumsticks because your slow cooker does all the work and everyone adores the result!
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Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
This slow cooker honey garlic chicken drumsticks recipe delivers sweet and savory flavors with a hint of garlic and a touch of smokiness.
Slow cooking the drumsticks creates tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken that practically melts in your mouth.
These drumsticks are a fan favorite for game day parties and if you’re serving them for a holiday party or event, people can’t keep their hands off them. Or they’re perfect for busy weeknight dinners because your slow cooker does all the work for you.
Optionally, for crispy skin, after slow cooking the drumsticks in your Crockpot, you can choose to broil the drumsticks. It only takes a couple of minutes but the crispy skin takes the texture to the next level.
Ingredients in Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- honey
- low-sodium soy sauce
- ketchup
- olive oil
- fresh garlic – garlic powder may be substituted to taste
- ginger – I use freshly grated ginger but you can use dried ground ginger if that’s what you have
- onion powder
- smoked paprika
- salt
- pepper
- Sesame seeds and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Chicken Drumsticks in a Slow Cooker
- Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, add the drumsticks, and toss to coat them evenly.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is recommended.
- Pour in the drumsticks and marinade to your slow cooker, and slow cook for 4-5 hours on low.
- Optionally, transfer them to a baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes, or as needed.
- Garnish if desired and serve! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
what to serve with slow cooker drumsticks
If you’re serving these for a party or event, like a game day party or tailgating, or for holiday entertaining, chances are there will be lots of other snacky, munchy appetizers and side dishes. I listed some easy favorites above.
However, if you’re using these as a dinner protein option, then I’d add a house salad and some sheet pan fried rice would be an easy side.
Recipe FAQs
I use a two pound bag of frozen chicken drumsticks that I thaw completely before marinating. However, you can use fresh (never frozen) too.
Overall, this method of marinating and then slow cooking will work nicely for chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken wings, chicken legs, and so forth. However, based on the type and size of chicken, slow cooking times will vary. Make sure the internal temperature is at the safe zone for chicken (165F) and use a meat thermometer to check. But also, make sure not to overcook a small chicken wing or delicate breast meat because dry chicken is nobody’s favorite.
The longer you can give the drumsticks to marinate, the better and deeper the flavor. I recommend prepping these the night before and then just slow cook during the next day and dinner will be waiting for you when you get home. Minimum marinating time is 2-ish hours. The longer the better though!
As written, there’s no heat to these drumsticks. However, for flavor variations, if you want to add some heat, you can add a tablespoon of chili powder or sriracha, or generous pinch of cayenne pepper to the marinade. It will balance the sweet side nicely without being too fiery hot!
I recommend going low and slow for the most tender meat that just melts in your mouth. You’ll need about 4-5 hours. You could perhaps try to cook on high heat (2-ish hours is my guess) although I have never tried.
The broiling step is listed as optional, but… I would not skip it if want crispy skin. It only takes a couple of minutes, but allows the skin to crisp and caramelize, and it really adds to the overall texture of the drumstick.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
Equipment
- 1 6-quart slow cooker (use a 6 to 7-quart sized slow cooker)
Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce, lite or reduced sodium is what I use
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated (1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger may be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, regular paprika may be substituted but you’ll lose the smoky aspect
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks, thaw completely if using frozen drumsticks
- Sesame seeds, optional for garnishing
- Green onions, thinly sliced; optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients (up to the drumsticks) and whisk to combine. Option – You can also add all the marinade ingredients to the ceramic liner of your slow cooker IF you have room in your fridge to store it. They tend to be bulky but it's an option.
- Add the drumsticks and toss very well to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours, but I recommend overnight for the best flavor.
- Add the drumsticks and all the marinade mixture to the liner of your slow cooker (if you were using a bowl to marinate and not marinating in the ceramic liner), cover, and slow cook on LOW heat for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is done. Slow Cooking Tips – I have never cooked on high heat and recommend low and slow for best results. Resist the urge to lift the slow cooker lid and 'check' on the drumsticks too frequently. Midway through cooking, you can give them a good toss and stir, or if needed additionally, but every time you lift the lid, heat/steam escapes, which slows down the overall cooking process unnecessarily. All slow cookers vary in their heat output and all drumsticks vary in size; so cook until yours are done, it may be less than 4 hours, it may be more than 5 hours.
- Optional, broiler – If you'd like to crisp up the skin of the drumsticks, preheat your oven's broiler to high, transfer the drumsticks to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and broil for about 2 minutes, or as desired. Broiling Tips – It's VERY important not to become distracted and turn your back on the broiler since it's 500F+ degrees and your drumsticks can burn in the matter of 30 seconds (especially because of the honey) so make sure to keep a VERY watchful eye on them!
- Optionally, garnish with sesame seeds and/or green onions, to taste, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Very easy and delicious.
Thank you, Linda, glad it was very easy and delish!
Made the marinade as instructed instead of slow cooking we cooked the drumsticks on the grill. They were wonderful, tender and juicy. Will make them again.
Thanks, Teresa, for the 5 star review and I’m glad that these worked out great for you on the grill with the marinade in the recipe. Great to know!