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You need just 5 minutes of prep and 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper to make these easy Crock Pot Chicken Legs! These chicken leg quarters in the crock pot are simple to make, juicy, and packed with flavor from a blend of fresh seasonings and stock. Set it up halfway through your day and come back to an amazing dinner with no effort!
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Chicken Legs in the Crock Pot
When I'm in need of a comfort food meal I know everyone at the table will love, you can bet I'm getting out the slow cooker and making these slow-cooked chicken legs.
Crockpot chicken legs have been a part of my dinner rotation for as long as I've had a family of my own. I would always make them on my kids' football game nights so they would have a comforting hot dinner to come home to after a long day! This easy recipe has saved me on the busiest of work days when I wasn't sure I would be getting anything on the table in time.
Not to mention, If you've ever accidentally overcooked your chicken (haven't we all?), I can promise you won't have that issue with this recipe. Chicken legs in the slow cooker always come out tender and juicy whether you cook them on High or Low.
Crockpot Chicken Legs Ingredients
- Chicken Broth: I like to use my homemade bone broth when I have it on hand.
- Chicken Leg Quarters: The main star! Chicken leg quarters in the crock pot are truly delicious and juicy.
- Seasoning: For seasoning, I'm using a mix of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and fresh sage. I recommend sea salt flakes, too. If you prefer, you can use dried herbs - just be sure to use less because the flavor is stronger!
Note: This recipe works for more than just chicken leg quarters. You can make all slow cooker chicken thighs, chicken breasts, or legs if you prefer individual pieces over the whole quarters.
Chicken Legs Crock Pot Recipe Steps
- Pour broth into the slow cooker.
- Add chicken leg quarters. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slice fresh sage and place it, along with the rosemary and thyme sprigs, on top of the chicken legs.
- Add the lid to the crockpot. Cook for 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
- Remove the chicken carefully from the slow cooker using tongs. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired, and serve!
Expert Tips
- Arrange your chicken leg quarters so they fit evenly on the bottom of the crockpot.
- You can season the chicken leg quarters however you like. I prefer fresh herbs and simple salt and pepper but try mixing things up based on your preference.
- Homemade stock or bone broth goes a long way with recipes like these slow cooker chicken legs. You can use store-bought, but if you have any homemade on hand, give it a try!
- If you want to pour a sauce on top of the chicken, you can use less broth at the bottom of the slow cooker, or replace it with sauce. But, I recommend always using some liquid at the bottom so the chicken doesn't burn.
Variations
Although this slow cooker chicken legs recipe uses fresh herbs for seasoning, you can really mix it up, however, you'd like.
You can use dry herbs, or try a different seasoning entirely. Sometimes I like to add BBQ sauce to chicken legs using the same spice rub as my smoked chicken thighs recipe and break the quarters into individual sections. Then it's perfect for game day, too!
- Want to add a sweet flavor to it, add a tad of brown sugar or honey to it.
- If you like a more flavorful chicken, add some garlic cloves or garlic powder.
- You can substitute other cuts of chicken in this recipe, it makes juicy chicken drumsticks.
- Another great way to add flavor to this recipe is to add a touch of onion powder or sprinkle with green onions when ready to serve.
- Adding some chili powder will kick up the spice!
FAQ
Due to the time, it takes to heat the chicken from frozen, the USDA recommends never cooking chicken from frozen in your slow cooker. Instead, thaw the chicken legs in the refrigerator overnight, then cook them. If you need to thaw them more quickly, place them in bags and then put them in a cold water bath in the sink. Replace the water every 30 minutes until they are thawed through.
If your chicken isn't cooking correctly in the crockpot, it could be your slow cooker is too large. A large, 8-quart crockpot is perfect for cooking the chicken leg quarters called for in this recipe, but if you're cooking a smaller amount of chicken and using a large crockpot, you may need to adjust the cooking time to account for the difference. For smaller crockpots, you may need to cook the chicken for longer.
Chicken leg quarters consist of the drumstick, thigh, and a piece of the back of the chicken. They are all dark meat, and each quarter makes a substantial meal when paired with a side dish such as rice or potatoes.
You can cook the whole chicken leg quarters, or you can cook them broken into slow cooker chicken thighs, drumsticks, and back pieces individually.
Chicken Temperature
Chicken should always read between 165°F and 175°F on a meat thermometer. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done cooking.
See our Chicken Temperature Chart for info on chicken doneness, and try my Pan-fried Chicken Breast next!
Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Honey and Sesame Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Let's talk about the taste of these amazing crock pot chicken legs! Fresh herbs and stock give the chicken so much flavor. Serve them over a plate of perfect white rice, and you have a divine but totally effortless dinner I guarantee your family will devour.
Crock Pot Chicken Legs
Equipment
- 8 qt. slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth/stock/bone broth
- 3 chicken leg quarters
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme - or 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary - or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 3-4 fresh sage leaves - or 1 teaspoon dried sage
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup chicken broth/stock/bone broth into the slow cooker.1 cup chicken broth/stock/bone broth
- Add 3 chicken leg quarters. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.3 chicken leg quarters,½ teaspoon kosher salt,½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Slice 3-4 fresh sage leaves and place, along with 2 sprigs fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs fresh thyme, on top of the chicken legs.3 sprigs fresh thyme,3-4 fresh sage leaves,2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Add the lid to the crockpot. Cook for 4 hours on high, or 6-8 hours on low.
- Remove the chicken carefully from the slow cooker using tongs. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired, and serve!
Notes
- Arrange your chicken leg quarters so they fit evenly on the bottom of the crockpot.
- You can season the chicken leg quarters however you like. I prefer fresh herbs and simple salt and pepper, but try mixing things up based on your personal preference.
- Homemade stock or bone broth goes a long way with recipes like these slow cooker chicken legs. You can use store-bought, but if you have any homemade on hand, give it a try!
- If you want to pour a sauce on top of the chicken, you can use less broth at the bottom of the slow cooker, or replace it with sauce. But, I recommend always using some liquid at the bottom so the chicken doesn't burn.
- You can cook the whole chicken leg quarters, or you can cook them broken into slow cooker chicken thighs, drumsticks, and back pieces individually.
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