These Dry Rub Chicken Drumsticks are prepped in under 10 minutes. Made in the slow cooker with a simple homemade spice blend, they turn out juicy, tender, and full of flavor every time. Naturally gluten-free, these chicken legs are an easy weeknight win.
"This recipe was perfect! Honestly one of the best chicken leg recipes I've made. Well definitely be saving this one!" -Allie
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 6 hrs 5 mins
- 👪Serves: 4
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 256 kcals and 27 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Chicken drumsticks, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and lemon juice.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb, andpaleo.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: The chicken turns incredibly tender with minimal effort, making it a hands-off dinner that delivers big flavor and weeknight convenience.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Save time after work with these slow cooker chicken legs. They’re a true weeknight lifesaver when everyone’s bouncing between school and activities (just like these dairy-free chicken pot pie). The hands-off cooking keeps the chicken drumsticks juicy and flavorful, making this an easy go-to when you need a reliable gluten-free chicken drumsticks dinner that basically cooks itself.
My kids prefer dry rub chicken drumsticks over saucy ones (no sticky fingers over here like from gluten-free chicken wings). I love that I can toss everything in the slow cooker and walk away, then pair them with something easy like roasted root vegetable medley for a complete, no-stress meal that even works for leftovers the next day.
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💭Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy: With minimal prep and hands-off cooking, the chicken legs in a crockpot are an easy weeknight dinner.
Budget-friendly: Chicken legs are often found on BOGO (buy one get one), and the spice rub is made with easy pantry seasonings, so this means is a great way to eat protein on a budget.
Customizable: The chicken drumstick rub requires only 5 ingredients and can be varied to include new flavors.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken legs: One of the best parts about this gluten-free weeknight dinner is that you can almost always find chicken drumsticks on sale! So, when you see some, stock up so you can always whip this one up in a pinch (chicken leg quarters are great for this, too!).
- Lemon juice: This is the secret ingredient to helping the flavor stay on the chicken drumsticks. So, don't overlook adding it in. Plus, the acidity helps keep the meat ultra-tender.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Thai heat: In place of lemon juice, toss the chicken legs in a bit of Thai chili sauce before coating them in seasonings.
Extra spice: This is my husband's favorite; he adds a splash of tabasco and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the mix.
How To Make Dry Rub Chicken Drumsticks
Step 1: Sear the chicken legs in a cast-iron pan.
Step 2: In a large bowl, add the lemon juice and the chicken legs. Toss a bit.
Step 3: Combine the seasoning ingredients. Pour the seasoning over the drumsticks and toss until mostly coated.
Step 4: Spray your slow cooker lightly and place the drumsticks in. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Expert Tips To Make It
Grease your slow cooker, or the drumsticks will stick to the sides and rip when you try to remove them.
II prefer to sear the chicken legs prior to slow cooking them as it produces a dried end result. If you don't need them fully dry, though, you can skip this step.
Know that you can also cook these dry rub chicken legs in the oven at 400F for 35 minutes or in the air fryer for 20 minutes if you don't want to slow cook.
Once cooled, store leftover drumsticks in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the air fryer briefly or the oven on low heat until warmed through.
What To Serve Them With
These slow cooker chicken drumsticks work well as an easy chicken dinner recipe for busy nights on the side of something like cilantro lime brown rice or any of the following:
However, they also work well as a meal prep recipe. You can use the leftover chicken to make things like chicken pesto pasta or a dairy-free chicken alfredo casserole.
Dry Rub Chicken Drumsticks FAQs
Yes, you can bake dry rub chicken legs. To do this, preheat your oven to 400F and place your drumsticks on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake the drumsticks for 35-40 minutes until cooked through, turning them about halfway through cooking.
Always cook your chicken on low in the slow cooker. This keeps the chicken from drying out too quickly and results in a juicier flavor.
Cooking chicken from frozen in the slow cooker isn't recommended because it cooks so slowly. If you decide to do it, know that the drumsticks will require a longer cooking time, and it may affect how well a dry rub sticks to them as they thaw before cooking.
To keep chicken drumsticks from drying out, cook them low and slow (or just until they reach 165°F) and avoid overcooking.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes You'll Love
If you tried this Slow Cooker Dry Rub Chicken Legs Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
Slow Cooker Dry Rub Chicken Drumsticks
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-9 chicken drumsticks
- 1.5 tbs salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
- 2 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs lemon juice
Instructions
- In a cast iron pan, quickly sear the chicken legs over medium to high heat (about one minute per side).
- In a steel bowl, add the lemon juice and the chicken legs. Toss a bit.
- In a small bowl, combine the seasoning ingredients. Pour the seasoning over the drumsticks and toss until mostly coated.
- Spray your slow cooker lightly and place the drumsticks in evenly (not all on top of each other).
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Jane says
This recipe is not only delicious, but also easy to make. It's the perfect dessert for the holidays or anytime you're craving something sweet and tasty.
Allie says
This recipe was perfect! Honestly one of the best chicken leg recipes I've made. Well definitely be saving this one!
Sarah says
We've been getting home.late from baseball and have needed easy meals. This was perfect with a side salad and rice. So good!
fitasamamabear says
Omg we're a baseball family too so I totally feel you.
fitasamamabear says
This makes my heart happy!
Michelle says
Tried out this recipe since I had chicken legs on hand - turned out super moist and flavorful! The lemon juice added a nice brightness to the overall dish which we enjoyed.
fitasamamabear says
It's a wicked one for when you get them on sale!!
Lisa says
This is so effortless to prepare! I put it together before heading out to the beach with the family so dinner was ready when we got back. The meat came out juicy and fall off the bone tender.
fitasamamabear says
Effortless is a house staple haha
Janice says
I recently made these slow cooker chicken legs for our dinner, and they were a total hit! I love how juicy and tender it turned out! Such a great recipe to try!
fitasamamabear says
Best comment ever!