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You need just 5 minutes of prep and 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper to make these easy Slow Cooker Chicken Legs! Crockpot chicken legs 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!
Jump to:
- Chicken Legs in the Crock Pot
- Crockpot Chicken Legs Ingredients
- What are chicken leg quarters?
- Do I have to cook the quarters whole?
- Chicken Legs in the Slow Cooker
- Crock Pot Chicken Legs Tips
- Slow Cooker Chicken Legs FAQs
- Chicken Temperature
- Slow Cooker Recipes
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
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.
But let’s talk about the taste! 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.
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; stock, or bone broth
- Chicken leg quarters
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh sage
Although this slow cooker chicken legs recipe uses fresh herbs for seasoning, you can really mix it up, however, you’d like.Â
You can use dry herbs, or try a different seasoning entirely. Sometimes I like to make BBQ chicken legs using the same seasonings as my smoked chicken thighs recipe and break the quarters into individual sections. Then it’s perfect for game day, too!
Keep in mind if you use dry herbs, you will want to adjust the amounts. See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for more detailed instructions and measurements.
Note: This recipe works for more than just chicken leg quarters. You can make all slow cooker chicken thighs or legs if you prefer individual pieces over the whole quarters.
What are chicken leg quarters?
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.
Do I have to cook the quarters whole?
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 Legs in the Slow Cooker
- 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!
Crock Pot Chicken Legs 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 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.
Slow Cooker Chicken Legs FAQs
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 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.
Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Chuck Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
- Pulled Pork Recipe
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📋 Recipe
Slow Cooker 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
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
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.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!