This is perhaps the easiest, most delicious BBQ chicken you’ll ever make. Bold claim, I know. But it’s true. 
This started as a way to make our own BBQ chicken wings at home. We tried it once with wings and quickly upgraded to drumsticks. Wings are fun, but we’ve found drumsticks to be meaty enough that we easily can use it as the main course.
The first time we tried this, we used chicken broth to cook the chicken in all day. We later found this to be a completely unnecessary expense, in a couple ways. Broth is much more expensive and added a ton of sodium we didn’t need. And since the broth went right down the drain after cooking, we decided to try it with water and a few spices added in. We haven’t looked back since.
Consistently one of our favorite recipes, it couldn’t be easier to make (literally) and it always results in a fall-off-the-bone tenderness that we just love. I’m also a firm believer in using the slow cooker year-round. It makes me much more likely to stay on track with meal plans, even in the summer with blazing heat and humidity, when the last thing I want to do is start the oven.
Slow-cooked BBQ chicken
Recipe and photos by Fun Finds for Families
- Chicken drumsticks, as many as will fit in the slow cooker (make extra – it’s great for leftovers)
- Water, enough to cover chicken
- Assorted spices (we’ve used rosemary, sage, etc.)
- 1 large bottle (or 2 small bottles) of your favorite BBQ sauce
1. Start with chicken drumsticks (fresh or frozen). Throw as many as desired into the slow cooker.
2. Fill slow cooker with water.
3. Add various spices (seriously, it’s difficult to go wrong here. We throw in a combination of whatever is closest, usually sage and rosemary.)
4. Cook on high setting for 7 – 8 hours.
5. About 30 minutes before eating, make sure the drumsticks are done (just take a fork and pull a piece off to check its color and consistency). If done, drain water and place chicken back in slow cooker.
6. Fill with enough BBQ sauce to cover chicken and heat for 30 minutes.
7. Serve with your favorite veggies.
8. Pack up the leftovers! We’ve shredded it for BBQ chicken quesadillas, made it into BBQ chicken wraps or added it to a large salad (perfect for summer) with mozzarella cheese and other toppings.
What’s your favorite way to use leftover BBQ chicken?
Tagged as: Money-saving tips, Recipes
