These easy crockpot chicken legs are sprinkled with a homemade spice blend, then bathed in an umami rich honey-garlic soy marinade while slow cooking to succulent, tender yet crispy perfection.
Slow cooker recipes are a mainstay of our fall and winter meal rotations, but when it starts getting hot out? That saucy, stewy, soupy meal bubbling away in a modern day countertop cauldron really just doesn’t sound all that great now does it?
Slow cooker chicken drumsticks though? Now that, sounds like summer! 😎
Where other crockpot recipes for chicken legs suggest using just a dry rub or smothering the chicken with thick and sticky bbq sauce, I decided to give mine a savory little braising liquid made from soy sauce, honey, and lime which keeps the chicken legs nice and moist as they cook.
By subemerging them only part of the way in the liquid, the tops of the legs have ample opportunity to crisp up, creating lots of succulent edges and golden brown bits.
ingredients for crockpot chicken legs
ingredient notes & swaps
- Make sure to use fresh or fully thawed chicken legs for this recipe, as the cooking time will not be enough to thoroughly cook frozen meat. If you would like to use frozen chicken legs, just defrost them in the refrigerator overnight or until they are fully thawed.
- Using tamari instead of regular soy sauce is an excellent alternative that also happens to be gluten free. If you need a soy free option, coconut aminos works nicely!
crockpot chicken legs recipe
These easy crockpot chicken legs are sprinkled with a homemade spice blend, then bathed in an umami rich honey-garlic soy marinade while slow cooking to succulent, tender yet crispy perfection.
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
- Scallions, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, honey and minced garlic. Give it a quick whisk just to dissolve the honey a bit and then set the mixture aside.
- In another small bowl, stir the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper together until well-mixed. Sprinkle the spice mixture–yes, all of it!–on the chicken drumsticks, turning them around as needed so that all sides get evenly seasoned.
- Use tongs to transfer and arrange the seasoned chicken legs in the bowl of your crockpot. If possible, try to cook your chicken legs in a crockpot that is large enough them to fit in a single layer instead of stacked. For reference my slow cooker is an 8-quart model.
- Add your soy sauce marinade to the crockpot, pouring it around the chicken legs. Try to avoid pouring it directly on top of them as doing so will wash off some of the seasoning mixture.
- Turn the slow cooker on to low and cook your chicken legs for 4 hours.
- I like to garnish these chicken legs with some thinly sliced scallions for a punchy crunch! I also pour the cooking liquid from the crockpot into a small bowl and serve it alongside. It’s great for drizzling, especially if you serve your crockpot chicken legs with rice.
Notes
- When loading your chicken legs into the crockpot, try your best to corral them towards the center of the basin. Since we are cooking them with minimal liquid, the sides of the crockpot will get hotter than usual and can take your legs into extra-extra crispy territory. You can see above this happened to one of my drumsticks and it got just a leeeeetle crisp! It may look burnt but it tasted delicious 😉
- The cooking time will vary depending on how large your chicken legs are, how cold they are to start with, and how full your crock pot is. 4 hours on low worked perfectly for me, but as always, use an instant read thermometer to make sure the internal temp of your chicken reaches 165℉.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
FAQs
Will other cuts of chicken work?
Yep! Chicken thighs or breasts will work too, but the difference in size will definitely affect the cooking time, so be sure to add or remove time as needed. Whichever cut of chicken you choose, make sure to use bone-in, skin-on pieces as they will stay more moist on the inside and crisp up nicely on the outside.
Can I use an instant pot instead of a slow cooker?
Though most instant pots have a slow cook setting, in my experience, they just don’t perform as well when slow cooking as they do when cooking things quickly. I suppose the name “instant pot” is a big clue there! I haven’t tried these slow cooker chicken legs in the instant pot yet, so if you give it a whirl, let me know!
If you love chicken, make sure to try my Pickle Brine Chicken Thighs! Or, if you’re a lime lover, try my No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake for Dessert.
dig in!
Enjoy & let me know what you think 🌙 💛
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