From the roundup: 22 High Protein Slow Cooker Meals That Actually Fill You Up
Drumsticks were the accidental answer to my picky eater problem, because even the child who refuses chicken breast will pull meat off a bone without complaint. I whisk the honey garlic sauce together while the coffee is still brewing, get the slow cooker honey garlic chicken drumsticks set up before drop-off, and the hardest part of the day is done before 8 a.m. The broiler step at the end is not optional in my kitchen: four to five minutes on high is what takes the glaze from pale and sticky to deeply lacquered with a little char around the edges. Three pounds of drumsticks feeds all seven of us over rice, and any leftovers reheat in the oven the next day without losing that glaze.
How this one became a regular
I started making these on weeks when I knew the afternoon was going to be a mess, the kind where someone has a practice and someone else has a meltdown and dinner needs to already be done. I threw the drumsticks in the slow cooker before school drop-off one Tuesday and honestly could not remember whether I had added the garlic until I smelled it from the garage. I had. It was fine. That is when I knew this recipe had a permanent spot in the rotation.
My youngest will not touch a piece of chicken unless it has some kind of sauce on it, and the honey garlic glaze does the job. I brush the reduced sauce on thick before broiling, and whatever is left in the saucepan goes straight to the table for extra dipping over rice.
Why you will love this
- Drumsticks stay moist through a long slow cook where chicken breasts would dry out.
- The sauce is five pantry ingredients whisked together in one bowl, no cooking required before it goes in the pot.
- The broiler step takes four to five minutes and is what turns this from pale slow-cooker chicken into something with actual caramelized edges.
- Three pounds of drumsticks costs less than most other protein options and feeds four with enough left for lunch.
- You can have it fully in the slow cooker before 9 a.m. and not think about it again until dinnertime.
Tips for success
- Pat the drumsticks dry before adding the sauce. It sounds fussy but it takes thirty seconds and actually helps the sauce cling instead of pooling at the bottom.
- Do not skip reducing the cooking liquid. Pour it into a small saucepan after the chicken comes out and let it simmer for five to eight minutes. It goes from thin and pale to a glossy glaze that actually sticks to the meat.
- Watch the broiler closely after the three-minute mark. Every broiler runs differently, and the honey in the glaze will go from caramelized to burnt faster than you expect. I have lost a batch by walking away to help with homework.
- If you stack the drumsticks in the slow cooker because they do not all fit flat, rotate them halfway through cooking so the ones on top get equal time in the sauce.
If the sauce turns out too thin
- A thin sauce usually means there was extra moisture from the chicken. Pour all the cooking liquid into a saucepan and give it a full eight minutes at a steady simmer before you decide it needs help.
- If it is still not thick enough after simmering, whisk one teaspoon of cornstarch with one teaspoon of cold water and stir it in. One more minute on the heat and it will coat a spoon.
- Do not add the cornstarch slurry directly to the slow cooker insert. The heat is not consistent enough to activate it properly. Always do this step on the stovetop.
- Thin sauce still tastes good drizzled over rice, so even if the glaze is not perfectly sticky, the dish is not ruined.
Substitutions
Bone-in chicken thighs work in place of drumsticks with the same cook time and similar results. For a gluten-free version, swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos in equal measure. Maple syrup replaces honey one-for-one if that is what you have. If you are cooking for kids who do not like any heat at all, just leave out the red pepper flakes entirely. The sauce is still plenty flavorful without them.
Sesame oil adds a distinct nutty note, but if you are out of it, a neutral oil like avocado oil keeps the recipe moving. The garnishes, sesame seeds and green onions, are optional. My kids skip them and the dish is the same underneath.
Make-ahead and storage
You can whisk the honey garlic sauce up to three days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. When you are ready to cook, just pour it straight over the drumsticks. Leftover cooked drumsticks keep in an airtight container with a spoonful of the reduced sauce for up to four days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for ten to twelve minutes, or in an air fryer at 375 degrees F for five to six minutes. The air fryer does a better job of bringing back some crispness on the skin.
These do freeze, but the skin softens a lot after thawing. If you plan to freeze them, skip worrying about the texture of the skin and just plan to reheat in the oven and eat them saucy over rice. Freeze for up to two months and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, minced garlic, rice vinegar, tomato paste, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper until the honey is fully blended into the sauce and everything is smooth.
- Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels. Drying the surface helps the sauce cling rather than slide right off. Arrange the drumsticks in the slow cooker insert, stacking them slightly if needed.
- Pour the honey garlic sauce evenly over the drumsticks, turning each one so it gets coated on all sides. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours. The chicken is done when the meat pulls away from the bone easily and an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F.
- When the chicken is cooked through, preheat your oven broiler to high and line a sheet pan with foil. Use tongs to transfer the drumsticks to the prepared sheet pan in a single layer. Reserve the cooking liquid in the slow cooker.
- Pour the reserved cooking liquid into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces by about a third and is thick enough to coat a spoon. If you want it even thicker, whisk the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water, stir it in, and cook for 1 more minute.
- Brush the reduced sauce generously over the drumsticks on the sheet pan. Slide the pan under the broiler and broil for 4 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the glaze is caramelized and the skin is lightly charred at the edges. Every broiler runs different, so start checking at 3 minutes.
- Transfer the drumsticks to a serving platter, drizzle with any remaining reduced sauce, and top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve over white rice with steamed broccoli on the side.
Notes
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