Sticky slow cooker chicken drumsticks are so tasty, and it’s a wonderful recipe for kids and adults alike. The sauce is highly flavored, but with simple ingredients. There are many crockpot chicken drumsticks recipes, but this one makes the drumsticks so incredibly tender, thanks to the cooking method. The slow cooker also for a set-it-and-forget-it approach, too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plain or smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks, skinned
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
Methods
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a small bowl, thoroughly combine salt and all spices.
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Rub spice mixture into chicken, skin side and bone side, making sure it is evenly distributed and pressed down deep into chicken.
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Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag, seal, place in a baking pan to catch any drips, and refrigerate overnight.
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In the morning, spray a 4-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place onions in bottom of prepared crock pot and top with chicken.
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In a small bowl, combine honey, brown sugar, and ketchup.
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Drizzle over chicken.
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Cover and cook on low for 8 to 12 hours until very tender. If you have a newer crock pot, the chicken will most likely be done in 7 to 8 hours. Check with a food thermometer (an instant read thermometer is great)—the temperature should be 165 F. Serve immediately with lots of napkins.
Tips
- If you decide to use drumsticks in this recipe, you can sometimes buy them skinned in the supermarket. If you can’t find them already skinned, you’ll have to do that preparation step yourself. Use a paper towel to grab the skin, which can be slippery, and pull it off.
- You can cook this using frozen drumsticks, if you don’t have time to defrost them.