Slow Cooker BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Slow Cooker BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks or Legs is an easy, healthy, crock pot recipe, served plain or coated, oven broiled to crispy skin perfection!

Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

There are so many pleasures in life; pets, music, art, birds singing, a good book, children laughing and, oh yes, chicken! 

If chicken was a language, then I’d speak it fluently! There are so many awesome ways of making it and one of them is these Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks.

Chicken Legs, Drumsticks or Wings?

Chicken Legs and drumsticks are quite often used interchangeably. Just to clarify; a chicken leg is a drumstick and a thigh. 

And there’s no doubt that wings are tasty. The Buffalo wing was born in 1964 in Buffalo, New York. 

Generally deep-fried and coated with dipping sauce consisting of hot sauce and butter, they are great, but I recommend the drumstick as a great alternative given it’s meatier content.

More flavorful and juicier than chicken breasts, drumsticks and thighs are also easier on the wallet. Whether you choose the chicken leg or just the drumstick, slow cooking either one turn will out beautifully.

Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks or legs are easy to make and are fantastic with or without sauce! Place them in the slow cooker, finish them under the broiler and you’ve got crispy chicken that’s sublime!

Start with a simple spice rub. All it takes is 3 ingredients that you likely have in your pantry: salt, pepper and paprika.

Rub the spice mix all over the chicken legs and place inside the Crockpot. Once cooked, slide your chicken under the broiler to crisp the outside.

Included in these recipes are homemade sauces that you add after slow-cooking them. Super simple to make, these sauces are basted and baked right into the drumsticks, thighs or legs.

This dish is so delightful and delicious, it will become a family favorite they won’t be able to get enough of.

Baked-in Sauces

Here are three fabulous recipes baked into your chicken drumsticks or legs.

1. Honey Barbecue Sauce – Sticky and sweet, I never had to twist my son’s arm to eat Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks or legs with this BBQ sauce. He simply adores it! 
2. Buffalo or Buffalo Wing Sauce – Crank up the heat as this calls for hot sauce and gives the chicken legs or drumsticks flare.  
3. Honey Glaze – The perfect amount of sweet that is pleasing to the palette.

All 3 sauces taste wonderful, so no matter which you one choose, you can’t go wrong. 

Pick your favorite sauce and go to town.

Coated in sauce, you end up with sticky, gorgeous, tender Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks that taste out of this world!

Healthy Chicken Drumstick Slow Cooker Recipe

Using a slow cooker simplifies my life. It does most of the work, and I can choose meals that are healthy and easy to make, like this Healthy Chicken Drumstick Slow Cooker recipe.

Just add salt, pepper and paprika to plain chicken and you’ve got an easy and healthier version that is less messy to eat. Be prepared to be amazed at how flavorful this chicken will turn out!

Wholesome without sacrificing taste. No one will know how healthy it is, and that’s a good thing!   

Crockpot Chicken Legs 

Slow-cooked in sauce until bubbly and warm, these Crockpot Chicken Legs are loaded with flavor.  

Recently, I’ve discovered a new way of cooking BBQ chicken legs that is nothing short of spectacular! Slow cook the chicken plain or with spices, then broil it in the oven.

This method does an amazing job of sealing in flavor and crisping up the chicken. 

Or remove chicken from the slow cooker and broil. Then coat these Crockpot Chicken Legs in your favorite sauce.

Broil again.

Baste and serve.

If you’re content with slow-cooking these Crockpot Chicken Legs in the sauce without the use of the broiler, by all means, carry on. As they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

So, I’ve listed the first published recipe below entitled, “Original Slow Cooker Barbecue Drumsticks”.

I still must urge you to give this new method a try.

Homey and comforting, it’s a definite keeper!

I appreciate what you have to say, so let me know what you think in the comments section below. 

Here is our new, updated version of this recipe.

Ingredients in Slow Cooker BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

• 2-3 pounds chicken drumsticks, trimmed or 4 chicken leg quarters, trimmed
• paprika
• salt
• pepper
• cooking spray

How to make Slow Cooker BBQ or Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

1. Coat your slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a large resealable bag, add paprika, salt and pepper and adjust until blended.
3. Add chicken legs or drumsticks and toss until well-coated.
4. Place inside slow cooker as evenly spaced as possible.
5. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked and tender; 4 to 5 hours.
6. Decide which sauce to use, if any. 
7. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from the broiler.
8. Turn oven on to broil and allow it to preheat.
9. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and a rack lightly coated in cooking spray.
10. Place chicken pieces on top of the rack as evenly spaced as possible.
11. Broil chicken until lightly browned and charred; about 10 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling.
12. Brush chicken with sauce (if using), and continue to broil until lightly charred; about 5 minutes, flipping and brushing chicken with more sauce halfway through broiling.
13. With remaining sauce, finish brushing the chicken.

Serve and enjoy every bite.

Doesn’t that sound terrific? 

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Drumsticks  

Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Drumsticks is a long-standing favorite in my home.

I remember seeing my son’s face smothered in sauce as he devoured these Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Drumsticks. Thinking about it, makes me smile and I sometimes wish he was still small.

I also wish I took more pictures. Regardless, back to the recipe!

Place barbecue sauce in a measuring cup and add some honey; a little at a time, until it tastes just the way you like it! That way, you control the sweetness of these Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Chicken Drumsticks. 

Perfection guaranteed every time! 

Homemade Easy Barbecue Sauce

Most store-bought barbecue sauces are so sweet, there’s no need to add much honey. By making Homemade Easy Barbecue Sauce, you are the master of the ingredients.

When making this recipe for the first time, start with the basics. 

Quick Barbecue Sauce

• ¾ – 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• salt to taste
• pepper or cayenne to taste

In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients, then decide if you want to add any of the options listed below. 

Start with ¾ cup of ketchup and add the rest of the ingredients. If you add too much of anything, dilute the flavor by adding an additional ¼ cup of ketchup.

Play around with the ingredients and see what you end up with. Don’t be afraid to try something new. 

Taste as you go along so the results will be a personalized barbecue sauce that’s perfect for you.

Options

Check out these great options.

• 1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2-4 tablespoons honey
• ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke 
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1-2 tablespoons mustard, yellow or Dijon
• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1-2 teaspoons minced chipotle chile in adobo
• 1 jalapeño chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Keeping track of what you add will ensure a barbecue sauce tailored just to your liking. Isn’t that the way it should be?

Super easy, this Crockpot Buffalo or BBQ Chicken Drumstick recipe is lovely to make and the sauces couldn’t be tastier.

Try these once and it will become such a family staple, they won’t stop asking for it.

I can’t wait to hear what combinations you used to make the perfect barbecue sauce and how well your baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks turned out!

Sharing your thoughts is very much appreciated as we’re all in this together.

Original Slow Cooker Barbecue Drumsticks Recipe

I’ve always been pleased with the Original Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken Drumsticks recipe.

The outcome is never disappointing. So go ahead and enjoy these drumsticks or legs the original way if you would like!

• chicken drumsticks
• barbecue sauce
• liquid honey
• garlic

1. Coat your slow cooker with cooking spray and place your drumsticks inside.
2. Evenly distribute them as best as possible. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine BBQ sauce and honey.
4. Taste to ensure it has the right amount of sweetness. Adjust as necessary and pour evenly over drumsticks. 
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours until done.
6. Set oven to broil. 
7. Oven rack should be at least 5 or 6 inches below the broiler to ensure chicken doesn’t burn.
8. Place tin foil in a rimmed baking sheet with a rack lightly coated in cooking spray. 
9. Remove drumsticks from the slow cooker with a large spoon or spatula. (Do not use tongs as the meat is so tender , it may fall off the bone). 
10. Put drumsticks on the rack.  
11. You will likely end up with a few dark, charred spots though,  I always do and I love it. 
12. This extreme high heat crisps the outside of each chicken drumstick. Taste so much better. 
13. Leave the chicken in until you get some dark, charred spots; usually takes just a few minutes. 

Do not leave them unattended as they will start to burn fast. 

Serve and enjoy!

Recipes for Chicken Drumsticks

Below are my favorite drumstick recipes that taste just like chicken wings, only they have a lot more meat on them. So exquisite, they’re almost too good to be true.   

Chinese Honey Chicken Drumsticks

Easy Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks

Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks

If you have a moment, please check out our video below! It will show you exactly how these drumsticks are made.  In the video we broil the drumsticks to crisp up the skin but you definitely don’t have to!

Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Drumsticks Video