These sweet and sticky crock pot chicken drumsticks are slathered and slow-cooked in the most mouthwatering citrus soy marinade. Nestled over a bed of sliced oranges, they soak up all the flavor while they cook!
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to cook fall-off-the-bone chicken, also check out my baked chicken Marbella and this Instant Pot sticky chicken. You might also like this sweet-savory honey soy chicken recipe that uses drumsticks, too.
Who’s craving something saucy and delicious for dinner? Is that even a question? Allow me to introduce the BEST chicken drumsticks recipe you’ll ever meet. These crock pot chicken drumsticks are so delicious, slathered with a zingy citrus, chili, and soy sauce marinade that soaks in while they slow cook for hours. I coat the chicken lightly with flour first to thicken the sauce, so that when it’s time to serve, every inch of the chicken is smothered with flavor. It’s the weeknight dinner of dreams!
Why Cook Chicken Drumsticks In the Slow Cooker?
- It packs the chicken full of flavor. The crock pot lets the citrus soy marinade infuse into the chicken over long hours over low heat. Nothing does flavor better than the crock pot if you ask me.
- Zero fuss. Cooking chicken legs in the crock pot is as simple as loading everything into the slow cooker and hitting “go”. There’s very minimal prep involved. Leave the crock pot to do its thing, while you do you. Easy!
- Perfect for weeknight dinners. I especially love crock pot chicken recipes during the busy holiday season, when we’re back to school, or any week of the year when things are all hands on deck. These chicken drumsticks are a practically hands-free meal that cooks itself.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Keeping it simple is my weeknight mantra, so that’s exactly what this crock pot chicken recipe does. You need just a handful of easy ingredients to make the juiciest, most flavorful chicken drumsticks in your slow cooker, and I’ve included some notes here. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe amounts.
- Oranges – Sliced up thinly.
- Chicken Drumsticks – You’ll need 8 to 10 drumsticks, enough to cover the bottom of your crock pot.
- Flour – All-purpose flour works perfectly here.
- Lemon – You’ll need fresh lemon zest and juice. Zest the lemon before you juice it!
- Sweet Chili Sauce – Choose your favorite brand of sweet chili sauce from the store. If you have a homemade recipe, that works, too.
- Soy Sauce – I like to cook with low-sodium soy sauce. Regular soy sauce is also fine. You can also use tamari or coconut aminos if needed.
- Garlic – Freshly minced cloves.
- Garnishes – Sliced green onions and sesame seeds are optional, but they make a nice garnish.
Can You Put Raw Chicken in a Crock Pot?
Yes! Slow cookers and crock pots are designed to cook raw meats over steady, direct heat for long periods. Combined with the hot steam that’s trapped in the pot, this is enough to kill any bacteria.
Important note: While it’s safe to cook RAW chicken in the slow cooker, you should NOT put frozen chicken in your crock pot. Frozen chicken stays at an unsafe temperature for too long as it thaws in the low heat. If you’re using frozen chicken, be sure to thaw it fully in the fridge first.
How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Drumsticks
I make this chicken drumsticks recipe in a 6-quart crock pot. You may need to scale up the recipe slightly for a larger slow cooker. The trick is to distribute the ingredients evenly in the bottom of the crock. Follow the steps here:
- Start with the orange slices. First, slice up an orange and arrange the slices in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Coat the chicken. Meanwhile, combine the flour with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken legs and toss to coat. Afterward, nestle the chicken in a single layer over the orange slices.
- Make the sauce. Next, whisk the sweet chili sauce with soy sauce, lemon juice, and minced garlic. Pour that into the crock pot and brush it generously over the chicken.
- Cook. Finally, cover the crock pot and set it to cook for 4-5 hours on Low, until the chicken drumsticks are fully cooked. Give the chicken a gentle stir before letting it rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve! Sprinkle over the green onions and sesame seeds, and serve your juicy drumsticks with some tasty sides. See below for some easy serving suggestions.
Tips and Variations
- Cook on low heat. I find it’s better to cook chicken in the crock pot on Low rather than High heat. It comes out much more tender and flavorful this way.
- Check the chicken for doneness. It’s worth investing in an instant-read thermometer to make it easy to tell when meat is done. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reads 165ºF at the thickest part of the drumstick.
- Different marinade. This slow-cooking method works with just about any chicken marinade you’d like. Try the teriyaki sauce from this teriyaki chicken recipe, or the marinade from my crockpot honey garlic chicken.
- Use another kind of chicken. To make this recipe with boneless chicken breasts, prepare the chicken as directed and follow the cooking times for my slow cooker chicken breast recipe instead.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Chicken
- Refrigerate. Store leftover crock pot chicken legs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken in the oven at 350ºF, or in the microwave, until it’s hot throughout.
- Freeze. You can freeze these crock pot chicken drumsticks for up to 2 months. Thaw the drumsticks in the fridge before you reheat it.
More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
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Layer in the orange slices. Arrange the orange slices on the bottom of the crock pot in one layer.
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Coat the chicken. In a large plate or a mixing bowl, combine flour, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture to coat. Add chicken to the crock pot in one single layer.
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Add the marinade. In a small mixing bowl combine sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, and garlic; mix well until thoroughly incorporated. Pour the prepared sauce over the chicken and brush it all around the pieces.
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Cook. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for about 4 to 5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked.
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Rest and serve. Uncover and gently stir, and then let the chicken stand for 10 minutes. Garnish the chicken drumsticks with slices of green onions and sesame seeds, and serve.
Serving: 2drumsticks | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 26.4g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 3.1g | Cholesterol: 115.5mg | Sodium: 499.2mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 9.3g
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
