Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

If you love BBQ chicken but don’t want to stand outside over a hot grill, these Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs are the perfect answer. Chicken legs are rubbed with a simple blend of seasonings, coated in your favorite BBQ sauce, and slow-cooked until tender and full of delicious barbecue flavor.

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Close-up of tender Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs coated in BBQ sauce.

This is one of those easy slow cooker dinners I love having in my back pocket. There isn’t much prep work; the slow cooker does most of the work, and you end up with tender, saucy chicken the whole family will enjoy.

If you love easy, family-friendly recipes that don’t require much hands-on time, you might also want to try a few of my other favorites, including chicken and rice casserole with yellow rice, easy baked beans for a BBQ, homemade BBQ ribs recipe, and easy backyard grilled burgers. These recipes are especially good for busy weeknights, family gatherings, and summer cookouts.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recipe at a Glance
Ingredients Needed
Recipe Variations
How to Make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs
Recipe Tips
How to Store Leftovers
Recipe FAQS
What To Serve with BBQ Chicken Legs
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to Prepare: A few simple seasonings and your favorite BBQ sauce are all you need to get started.
The Slow Cooker Does the Work: Once everything is in the Crock Pot, you can go about your day while dinner cooks. For more slow cooker recipes, be sure to try a few of my favorites: Crock Pot Beans and Sausage, Chicken Enchilada Soup, and Easy Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Meatballs.
Tender and Flavorful: The chicken legs slowly cook in BBQ sauce, giving them plenty of time to become tender and flavorful.
Perfect Year-Round: You don’t have to wait for grilling season to enjoy BBQ chicken. Your slow cooker makes this an easy meal any time of the year.

Recipe at a Glance

⭐ Prep Time: 10 minutes
⭐ Cook Time: 6 hours
⭐ Servings: 6–8
⭐ Method: Slow Cooker
⭐ Main Ingredient: Chicken Legs

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients for Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs including chicken legs, BBQ sauce, and seasonings with text overlay.

Chicken Legs: You’ll need 4-5 pounds of chicken legs. You can also use chicken drumsticks since the terms are often used interchangeably for this cut.
Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Chili Powder.
Brown Sugar: Just a little brown sugar adds sweetness and pairs especially well with the BBQ sauce.
BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite bottled BBQ sauce. Since it is a major part of the flavor, choose one your family loves.

Recipe Variations

Make them Spicy: Use a spicy BBQ sauce or add a little cayenne pepper to the seasoning mixture.
Make them Sweeter: Choose a sweet BBQ sauce or add a little extra brown sugar to the seasoning.
Finish under the Broiler: If you like a sticky, caramelized BBQ coating, place the cooked chicken legs on a baking sheet, brush with additional BBQ sauce, and broil for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbly and slightly caramelized. Keep a close eye on them so the sauce doesn’t burn.

If you love to grill, be sure to try my easy grilled chicken drumsticks with barbecue sauce. A simple recipe you’ll enjoy.

How to Make Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs

Please refer to the printable recipe card below for more detailed and complete instructions.

Step 1. Mix the Seasonings. Mix the dry seasonings, rub them over the chicken drumsticks, and place them in the slow cooker.

Chicken legs in a crock pot with bbq sauce.

Step 2. Use your favorite barbecue sauce. Use a brush to make sure all chicken is coated with the sauce. Place the lid on the slow cooker.

Step 3. Cook. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Cooked chicken legs sitting on top of mashed potatoes in a white serving bowl.

Step 4. Serve. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite vegetable.

Recipe Tips

Don’t skip the seasonings. The BBQ sauce provides plenty of flavor, but the combination of seasonings adds an extra layer of flavor to the chicken.
Use your favorite BBQ Sauce. This is an easy recipe to customize simply by changing the sauce. Use a sweet, smoky, tangy, or spicy BBQ sauce depending on what your family likes.
Keep the lid on. Try not to remove the lid while the chicken is cooking. Every time you open the slow cooker, heat escapes and the cooking time can increase.
Check the temperature. Chicken legs can vary in size, so the best way to know they are done is to check the internal temperature rather than relying only on the cooking time.

How to Store Leftovers

Fridge: Store leftover BBQ chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Reheat: Reheat the chicken until heated through. A little extra BBQ sauce brushed over the chicken before reheating will help keep it flavorful and saucy.

Leftover Ideas: You can also remove the chicken from the bones and use the leftover meat for sandwiches, wraps, or salads.

Recipe FAQS

Are chicken legs and chicken drumsticks the same thing?

Chicken drumsticks are the lower portion of the chicken leg, and the terms are sometimes used interchangeably in recipes and everyday cooking. For this recipe, you can use chicken legs or drumsticks as long as you have about 4-5 pounds.

How long do chicken legs take in the slow cooker?

For this recipe, cook the chicken legs on LOW for about 6 hours or HIGH for about 4 hours, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

Do I need to add water to the slow cooker?

No. You don’t need to add water or chicken broth. The BBQ sauce provides the moisture for this recipe.

Can I use boneless chicken?

You can, but the cooking time will be different. I recommend sticking with bone-in chicken legs or drumsticks for this particular recipe.

What To Serve with BBQ Chicken Legs

If you tried this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Legs recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating and sharing how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!