5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs

Flavor-packed slow cooker chicken legs take 10 minutes to put together, are easy to make, and only have 5 ingredients you already have in your pantry!

Looking for a super simple and crowd-pleasing meal for your slow cooker?! I present to you a recipe that I have made a million and one times – slow cooker chicken legs! This is pretty much the slow cooker version of our favorite baked chicken legs recipe but it uses jam instead of honey. I love using jams and jellies in this recipe because I always have a lot on hand from the summer months when I was canning and preserving so much. Using jam or jelly is less expensive than honey but still gives the chicken a nice sweet note (without being too sweet) and isn’t overly fruity.

I love cooking chicken drumsticks in the slow cooker because you don’t hardly have to do anything! I put the chicken legs in the bottom of the slow cooker, mix together the 4 other ingredients, pour it over the top, add a lid, set a temperature, and I’m done! Ten minutes of hands on time for a great main dish is always a win in my house. Plus I love using chicken legs because my kids eat them well and they are an inexpensive cut of meat.

The sauce created from the juices is delicious. Feel free to serve it over rice with your meal.

Tips and Tricks for Making Slow Cooker Chicken Legs:

• You can use all kinds of jams and jellies for this recipe. My favorites are grape, apple, apricot, or peach. They have a nice flavor and sweetness without being too fruity. I normally avoid jams with seeds such as blackberry.
• You can add so many things to these chicken legs! Add a tablespoon or three of Siracha or other favorite hot sauce for some spice, add a teaspoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning for a little bit of smokiness, or throw in some favorite spices like onion powder, cumin, or ginger. It’s very flexible and very versatile.
• The sauce that the cooking chicken creates is delicious. Feel free to serve it over rice. Add a side of steamed veggies and you have yourself a complete meal.
• I normally plan on two chicken legs per person as a serving size. This is a great recipe for a crowd and scales up and down really nicely.
• If you like your chicken legs a little crispy on the outside, you can remove them from the slow cooker after they’re finished cooking and put them on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush them with additional sauce left in the slow cooker. Broil them in the oven for around 5 minutes until you reach your desired crispiness.

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5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs

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• Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6-8

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Description

Flavor-packed slow cooker chicken legs take 10 minutes to put together, are easy to make, and only have 5 ingredients you already have in your pantry!

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Ingredients

• 3 to 3.5 pound chicken legs or drumsticks
• 1 cup jam or jelly, see notes
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

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Instructions

1. Place the chicken legs in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl add the jam or jelly, ketchup, soy sauce, and garlic. Mix to combine well.
3. Pour the sauce over the chicken legs.
4. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 5-6 or until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Enjoy the chicken hot.

Notes

• You can use all kinds of jams and jellies for this recipe. My favorites are grape, apple, apricot, or peach. They have a nice flavor and sweetness without being too fruity. I normally avoid jams with seeds such as blackberry.
• You can add so many things to these chicken legs! Add a tablespoon or three of Siracha or other favorite hot sauce for some spice, add a teaspoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning for a little bit of smokiness, or throw in some favorite spices like onion powder, cumin, or ginger. It’s very flexible and very versatile.
• The sauce that the cooking chicken creates is delicious. Feel free to serve it over rice. Add a side of steamed veggies and you have yourself a complete meal.

Love chicken legs in the slow cooker? You’ll love these recipes, too:

• 8 Must-Make Recipes for Chicken Legs
• Crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks with a Pretzel Coating
• How to Cook a Whole Baked Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
• Slow Cooker Chicken Curry from Tara at TaraTeaspoon

So many great chicken and slow cooker recipes! I hope you have time to make this one because it’s a keeper.

Long live the easy slow cooker recipe that gets dinner done! I hope you love it.