Juicy bites of chicken coated in a savory, seasoned sauce, these crockpot BBQ chicken legs are perfect for busy weeknights or potluck dinners. Made with just 3 ingredients these slow cooker drumsticks are a budget-friendly way to feed a crowd.
Thaw those chicken legs in the freezer and get this dairy-free crockpot recipe whipped up asap! This 3-ingredient recipe comes together in minimal time and is completely hands off meaning you can easily set it and forget it.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, this is one of my favorite budget-friendly protein recipes. It’s simple to come together, you only need 3 ingredients, and more often than not, chicken legs are on BOGO sale.
Which means that if you’re trying to eat more protein, this is a meal prep recipe you want to get on top of. Learn more benefits of a high protein diet.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Minimal ingredients: You only need 3 ingredients plus water for the crockpot chicken legs to come together.
Healthy: though the recipe is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, with the right ingredients it can easily be paleo and whole30-approved as well.
Versatile: BBQ chicken legs work to feed a crowd at a potluck or tailgate or as a quick and easy dinner recipe on busy nights.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You can peek the ingredients below, they’re pretty straightforward. The only things to mention are which brands you need.
To make this recipe paleo, you’ll want to use Primal Kitchen BBQ Sauce and Paleo all-purpose seasoning. Otherwise, just make sure that your sauce and seasoning are certified gluten-free if needed (sauces tend to be a hidden source of gluten).
If you need the recipe to be whole30-approved, you’ll want to use the Primal Kitchen BBQ sauce and probably make your own dry rub chicken seasoning like in this slow cooker dry rub drumsticks.
Expert Tips To Make It
Make sure to leave space between some of the chicken legs and the slow cooker as you place them in so that you can put water in without removing all of the sauce.
If you want a more even seasoning for each bite, season the chicken legs with the all-purpose seasoning before adding the legs to the slow cooker and coating them.
Ideally, you have the space to layer the chicken legs flat, so they’re not stacked. If this isn’t the case, you may need to rotate them halfway through cooking so that they all cook evenly.
How To Make Crockpot Chicken Legs
Step 1: Layer the chicken legs in your crockpot.
Step 2: Sprinkle on the dry rub seasoning.
Step 3: Pour on the BBQ sauce and use tongs to ensure they’re fully coated.
Step 4: Add water to the slow cooker, trying to get it on the bottom (not poured over each leg). Cook on low for 6 hours.
What To Serve Them With
Crockpot BBQ chicken legs work with just about everything from other easy appetizers like kimchi devilled eggs and honey garlic chicken wings to any of the side dishes below.
They also work beautifully when brought to a potluck as they can pair well with other classic side dishes. Or, just use them as gluten-free meal prep recipes for lunch to amp up your protein.
How To Store Them
Once cooked and cooled, store the BBQ chicken legs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in the oven with a splash of water, broth, or sauce, on low until warmed through. This can be done in the slow cooker too!
Of course, you can also gut the legs and use the chicken for easy meals like a tangy lemon noodle bowl, chicken fajita bowl, or beet Buddha bowl.
You can also freeze these chicken legs once cooled in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you need them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating them in the oven or slow cooker.
Flavor Variations
The easiest way to change the flavor of these BBQ chicken legs is to switch up the sauce and seasoning that you use or make your own like in this slow cooker BBQ chicken thighs recipe.
Outside of that, you could mix in any of the following ideas too.
Spicy: Add some cayenne pepper to the dry rub seasoning or slice a jalapeno and pop it into the crockpot to cook.
Sweet: Mix your BBQ sauce with some extra honey or maple syrup for a sweet, candied flavor.
Thai: Add some Thai chili sauce to the BBQ sauce for a punch of flavor.
FAQ’s
Leave the skin on to slow cook your chicken legs. The skin helps to trap moisture and keep the meat nice and juicy.
Though you technically can, know that the spice rub and sauce won’t stick to them well as they thaw and cook. You’d also need to cook them longer (for about 9 hours) to ensure they’re last 165F. lastly, know that much more liquid will come off the chicken and they’d taste almost boiled.
Other Easy Dairy and Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes
Crockpot BBQ Chicken Legs (Gluten-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lbs chicken legs
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce of choice
- 2-3 Tablespoons Rotisserie seasoning or BBQ seasoning of choice
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Place chicken legs in even layers in your crockpot.
- Sprinkle the rotisserie seasoning over the chicken, using tongs or your hands to rotate the chicken to coat completely.
- Pour the BBQ sauce evenly over the chicken legs and use the tongs or your hands to completely coat the chicken legs.
- Add the ½ cup of water to the bottom of the crockpot.
- Set the crockpot to low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Shelby S says
These are such a money saver! I often get deals on chicken legs and my kids devour them from the slow cooker because they're so juicy.