Crock Pot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks
Crock Pot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks is an EASY slow cooker chicken dish made with only 6 ingredients, including the salt and pepper! Kid-friendly and delicious – the chicken literally falls off the bone!
Crock Pot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks
It’s great having friends who love to cook. I get the best ideas from them, and this recipe is the perfect example. My girlfriend Nalini is an excellent cook, and she was telling me about this chicken recipe she made in the oven for her family. Me of course changed the recipe (I just can’t help myself) I removed the skin from the drumsticks, modified the ingredients and adapted the recipe for my slow cooker. Results – AMAZING! Kids, husband, everyone loved it!! I served this with Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Proscuitto from The Skinnytaste Cookbook (which my 4 year old loves) and everyone was happy.
And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
More Easy Crock Pot Chicken Recipes:
- Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
- Slow Cooker Harrisa Chicken
- Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken
- Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
- Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad
Crock Pot Maple Dijon Chicken Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 8 skinless drumsticks
- 1/4 cup pure Maple syrup
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 3/4 tsp garlic salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken with garlic salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Combine maple, balsamic, and Dijon in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the legs, making sure the chicken is covered. Set a 6-quart slow cooker to HIGH and cook 4 hours, or until cooked through and tender.
Nutrition
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Vegetarian Meals
Under 30 Minutes
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Made this last night as stated in the recipe. Absolutely delish. Will be making this pretty often !
Thank you Gina
Made this again and it is so delicious
Quick and easy to throw together and a hit with the family!
My kids all eat this recipe and love it. It’s a winner!
My family and I absolutely ADORE this recipe. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and add more than it calls for. There is always plenty of ‘gravy’ and everyone wants some leftovers for their lunch the next day! It’s so easy to throw together before work and sooooooo delicious. Thank you for a great recipe!!
Do you change the cook time? I also want to use boneless
I have made this Several Times and it is an absolute favorite. Unfortunately I am out of Dijon Mustard & am not doing a shop. I have regular yellow mustard and deli mustard. Can I use either of these?
You could use either one!
Did 6 hours on low and broiled for 4 minutes and they came out perfect.
This is one of my favourite recipes in the cook books! However, my slow cooker broke recently. So, I had to use my instant pot and it didn’t turn out as flavourful. Any tips on how to convert this recipe for an instant pot?
I’m wondering the same thing 🙂
We LOVE this recipe. Trying it tonight in the Insta Pot. Thanks so much for sharing it!
These were delicious. I made mine with bone in chicken thighs. Thanks, Gina!
This looks delicious, do you think it would be OK to add potatoes or carrots to the crockpot while cooking? Does that mean I need to double the sauce? Will that affect the chicken cook time?
Hello.. thank you for the incredible recipe – it meets all of my “fav” ingredients without the way-too-much sugar. This recipe made some fine delicious chicken legs. I added a little something …after the crockpot time was done – low for 6 hours; , I placed the legs in an oven casserole dish; poured the liquid over the legs and baked on 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, this enabled the skin to get a little crispier and the sauce thicker – sooooo good! This recipe is recommended for the Keto life-style as well as it uses maple syrup – two tablespoons for the entire recipe! Thank you! Kitty
This was super easy and quick to put together in the slow cooker. The meat totally fell off the bone! I love drumsticks Itasty and cheap!) so I am always trying to find an easy way to preprare them. This recipe is absolutely delicious and I will definitly be repeating!
Love this recipe but how can this be 8 blue points? Isn’t maple syrup the only thing that is counted? It’s 1 point per teaspoon. Thanks!
Chicken breast is 0 points on blue, but drumsticks are not. Balsamic vinegar also has points.
Do you think I could make this in the instapot? If so, how much cook time would you imagine?
Haha. Never mind Saw someone else did it in the instapot below.
How would I go about freezing this? Should I cook it first and then freeze? Or should I put the chicken and the sauce in a freezer bag and cook it when ready?
Are the calories off? Is it really 355 calories for 2 drumsticks?
Anyone try this with a different meat like pork?
I made these for company the first time. Everyone – kids and adults – loved it. I make it with chicken thighs most of the time and I make it often. So easy! So YUM!
How long would you cook this on low?
Can this be made in an Insta Pot?!
Sure
I made it tonight in the Instant Pot. Used poultry setting for 20 minutes, and everything else was the same. The chicken turned out AMAZING. Very easy and delicious.
Would u recommend maybe using chicken breast not a fan of dark meat??
Your slow cooker sure browned them. Neat, if somewhat impossible trick.
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. My husband and I both loved it. I followed everything exactly as stated and my chicken turned out browned too. In fact, the ends were very dark, so yes, it is very possible that the chicken gets browned. BTW I cooked the chicken on high for 4 hours like she said.
Definitely going to try this one but the SALAD in the pic looks delicious too! Where can I find the recipe for it??? Thanks so much!
Looks like her Brussels sprouts with pancetta.
This recipe is on your recent weekly meal plan but I think the carb count is way off. I calculated about 17 grams per serving. A 1/4 cup of maple syrup has 54 carbs so I don’t see how each serving has 96.
Yes that was a typo!! It is 17.5g and is updated. Thanks for noticing!
Are the carb grams correct on this? 96g for two drumsticks?
No! 17.5, updated now! 🙂
How would I cook this in an instant pot/pressure cooker?
Made with 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, Changed recipe to 3 Smart Points per serving. Yes!
Thanks for posting this. We only eat white meat so I’m excited to try this recipe now that I know I won’t be wasting time and money.
I wanted to add to the community that I froze the leftovers from this recipe and it turned out okay. Not as yummy as fresh, but the flavors were still there!
Very good! I removed the chicken drumsticks from the crockpot after they were done and put them in the oven at 400F for 10 minutes or so, just to get them a little crispy. I also added 2 tbsp of flour to the left over sauce to thicken it. After the chicken was done in the oven, I drizzled some sauce over it.
Can I use chicken breasts? Also can I make in instant pot?
Yes
What are those instructions for the instapot?
can I use drummettes instead? this may change the cooking time?
WOW!!!! This is so delicious!!!! I had 14 drumsticks so I tripled the sauce and I cooked it on low for 5 1/2 hours. Served over couscous…….absolutely fabulous!!! And SO simple to make!!!!
I think you already addressed this, but it says 96 Carbs per serving. That cannot be correct, right? Is that for the entire 8 drumsticks?
The nutritions facts are per serving where 1 serving is listed as 2 drum sticks.
96 carbs for 2 servings seems like a heck of a lot for 2 drumsticks (1 serving).
It’s off if the calories are 239 for 2 drumsticks. 96carbs would equal 384 calories alone!
Try using sugar free log cabin maple syrup to reduce the carbs.
Wow is this really 96 carbs for 2 drumsticks??
Can this be made in the instant pot?
Anyone try boneless chicken breast? We are not a drumstick I family lol
We did boneless chicken thighs!
This dish is delicious, so easy and definitely my go to, kids love it. I do not care for drumsticks generally, but the fall off the bone chicken is so wonderfully tender, I enjoy the dish immensely! Thanks for a tasty easy dish for weeknights!
Hi Gina,
My wife and I made the baking tray version of this dish from your cookbook. It was OUTSTANDING! The flavors were perfect and the dish is so appealing to the eye. Thank you for helping us to have a perfect Sunday meal.
We served it with a lovely Riesling that had just a slight amount of residual sweetness. It couldn’t have been better.
You made two happily retired folks even happier!
Thank you!
Ron and Jeanne
I’m cooking this right now with boneless thighs. I’ve made something similar in the oven with similar ingredients and grainy mustard. I prefer the crockpot because you know it’s thoroughly cooked. For those who haven’t used a crockpot before I would suggest looking up crockpot basics. There are some do’s and don’ts with crockpot cooking that are recommended. Not everyone abides by them but I think it is helpful. I couldn’t tell you how my oven will cook different dishes but I know my crockpot inside out. I can’t wait to try this tonight!
Watching sugar intake – any suggestions instead of maple syrup? Or maybe just get a reduced sugar one? Looking obviously for a more natural substitution
Easy, delicious, and guilt-free. What could be better?
I have a 6 quart instant pot which is my new favorite thing in the kitchen. I made this chicken two times in two different ways. The first I followed the recipe and used the slow cooker function. The only thing that was different was I used chicken legs instead (the store I like to buy my meats from didn’t have drum sticks). It was amazing when it was slow cooked! Fell off the bone and so tender and juicy. The second time I used a pressure cooker. I was a little nervous to do it by pressure cooking because I never done it before and I am attached to the slow cook method. I didn’t brown it before hand like many people do when they pressure cook. What I did is that i added some water, put in the legs with the mixture, and cooked it for 16 mins. After, I broiled it for 5 minutes so the skin could be very crispy. To my surprise, it was also very amazing. It was different in the slow cooker where as the slow cooker had the maple dijon flavor throughout the chicken while the pressure cooker it was the outside that had most of the flavor. Both ways the meat was moist which was nice. I think for next time if I pressure cook this recipe I would marinate it first in the maple dijon sauce. I did like the sow cooker a little more however I was impressed that both methods felt like I was eating chicken at a nice restaurant.
can you make it with the skin on the drumsticks?
sure
I made this recipe last night- I ended up making 12 drumsticks in my crockpot. While we were very happy with how tender the chicken was… we thought that it was overly sweet. I will be cutting back on the maple syrup next time!
I have this on our menu rotation. It’s absolutely delicious. I end up making it in the oven but love the flavor!!!
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I have a smaller crockpot but would like to cook 10 or 12 drumsticks. Is it ok to have 2 layers of drumsticks ( I would double the sauce)?
Just made it – really good. This sauce is excellent on salmon (in the oven) also.
made this tonight, used regular french’s mustard in place of dijon, was absolutely delicious with a side of home fries and feta salad!
HOLY SMOKES these were delicious!!!! We will be putting this recipe into rotation in this household!!! I can’t wait to make these for friends as well!!!!
THANK YOU so much for sharing all your amazing recipes with us!!!
Anne
Very good recipe… a keeper. I had chicken thighs and it was excellent. A bit sweet so next time I might add a few drops of hot sauce. Thanks for sharing!!
I knew my boys wouldn’t like the working parts of the drumsticks so I followed the recipe exactly, except I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. My slow cooker seems to run high so I cooked them all day on “keep warm” which is the equivalent of low on my old crock pot. So good I added the recipe to my very selective keep binder..
Awesome!
This was really good. Everyone enjoyed it and I will definitely be making it again. It has such good flavor. I made it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and shredded them in the crock pot after they were done which was real easy. We put it over rice with all the juice.
Amazing! I baked because I didn’t hAve time to prepare before. Soo delish
Why is this so high in Carbs?
maple syrup
Made this with boneless skinless chicken thighs. Cooked on high for 3 1/2 hrs. Was really good, served over brown rice. May add mushrooms next time.
Made this today and enjoyed a delicious dinner that was so quick and easy! Since I used 10 skinless drums I doubled the sauce recipe, I wanted more sauce in my 6qt crockpot. I also made roasted asparagus and drizzled the sauce on the top. The chicken was so flavorful, this will be a repeat!!
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Can you make these in the instant pot by using another drumstick recipe as a guide? Would additional liquid be needed? Thank you!
My family loved this! Has become a new family favorite!
I just bought a 1.5-quart crock pot since I only cook for myself. Would it work to use smaller portions for recipes like this one? Is there an easy way to convert recipes into one to two servings? Thanks much!
Also, I work 12 hours/day–is that too long to leave a small crock pot on low? Thanks again.
My sister loves your SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow book, and I’m thinking of buying it myself.
How can you adapt this recipe and put it in the oven instead?
I baked it! It was great!
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Can I mix some boneless skinless chicken breast with the drumsticks? Would the time stay the same? LOVE this recipe and make it all the time.
Sure
This has been a staple in our house ince I tried it a year or so ago. I always use 10 drumsticks, because thay’s how they’re sold here, and don’t change anything else about the recipe. It’s always delicious!
Can I make this in my Instapot instead of slow cooking?
I was wondering – has anyone tried this with chicken breast?
I know it’s kind of a strange request but I can be a picky eater and I would prefer to do it that way and make it into a kind of shredded chicken recipe. If no one responds, I’ll let you guys know how it turned out. 😛
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any suggestions on what to use if you don’t have dijon mustard?
You can sub regular yellow or spicy mustard if you have it…
Do you think it would be possible to replicate the recipe using chicken breasts? I’m not particularly fond of drumsticks so that would be a better choice for me. I’m gonna try doing it that way either way, but it would be nice to know if anyone else has done it successfully!
this is probably a silly question – but if i wanted to serve this to a group and basically triple the recipe so have around 24 drumsticks in total – can i layer them in my crockpot? will it work out ok? or should i be doing it on a pan instead?
I don’t think they would fit, I might do this in the oven instead.
I’m also making 24 drumsticks for a group. How did you end up doing it? Thanks!
I don’t have a slow cooker, so I did these in my pressure cooker. I seasoned the drumsticks and cooked them in the PC for 5 minutes, then combined them with the sauce and a half cup of water in a saucepan. I let them simmer for a bit in the sauce, and kept spooning the sauce over them. I then pulled the drumsticks out and reduced the sauce briefly, until it was a bit thicker, and spooned it over the chicken when I served it. My husband and I loved it!
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Hello Gina–Have you prepared this in the oven and if so , at what temperature and for how long ??? any other tips for making this in the oven appreciated ..thanks !!
I would probably bake it at 425F for about an hour?
I put 6 drumsticks (the number in the package) in my crockpot on high. After 3 hours, they appear to be done inside. I think my crockpot gets hotter than some others, because I’ve managed to overcook chicken before.
Haven’t tried it yet (it’s on warm until dinner time), but it was SO easy!
Can you double this recipe? Thanks!
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Gina, you’ve done it again… my boys in my family raved
About this recipe. The meat was so tender it falls off the
Bone. It’s soooo easy to make in the crockpot too. Thank
You for all your hard work!
Thanks Heather!
I made it once. Very good. However, I tweaked the recipe a bit for the next time. It definitely needed some spice. I added quite a bit of crushed red pepper flakes to give the flavor some lift. Added some turmeric and curry to give an earthier flavor (just for the adventure). Very good recipe overall.
Would 6 chicken thighs with skin work as well? If so, would it be the same cooking time on high?
Thanks!
Yes
I tried it with the thighs, and it was delicious.. Don’t use breastmeat, though. It was too dry.
Good morning,
I have 12 drumsticks, too many for my small crock pot. I have a very large ceramic-coated cast iron Cuisinart pot. What adjustments should I make to the recipe in order to do the drumsticks in the Cuisinart pot? Thank you.
Could this be done in the Instant Pot?
Sure, use chicken button.
I have made this several times, it is awesome! What temperature, and how long if you do it in the oven?
These were great! Cooking in a slow cooker never gives you a thick sauce/glaze so after they were done I put remaining juice/sauce in a stovetop pan and added a bit of cornstarch. I reduced it almost by 1/2 and it turned into a thick sauce/glaze. It was great over the drumsticks!
Yes! I drizzled the sauce over quinoa and veggies on the side. So tasty and pleased the whole family.
This is one of my favorites, I’ve always made it just as the recipe calls, but I almost feel like my chicken is TOO tender. The drumsticks are literally falling apart themselves. Am I cooking it for too long? I have always done 4 hours on high as directed.
They do fall apart, you can cook it less time if you prefer they didn’t.
I made this tonight and it was delicious ! I used boneless skinless thighs and it worked really well. I did double the sauce recipe and I’m so glad because it was so yummy! Thank you Gina for all your healthy and so tasty recipies. It’s always my first go to.
Hi Gina,
Do you have a recipe for the side dish in this recipe? it look delicious! thanks!
The side dish is Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Proscuitto from The Skinnytaste Cookbook. 🙂
Thank you Gina!!!
I just want to say your recipe are fantastic and making it a lot easier to eat healthy will actually enjoying the foods you eat!!! Thanks for what you do!!!! Happy new year!
Thanks! You too!
Hi Gina
I made your shredded Brussels sprout side dish it was amazing! I am trying to find it on your site to make it again and I can’t…can you direct me where to get the recipe please?
Thanks
Since I have a few different recipes (and I am not sure which one you are referring to) I would to go the search bar and put in Brussels Sprouts. It will bring up all the recipes and you can find the one you’re searching for. 🙂 The one referenced in this recipe though is Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Proscuitto from the Skinnytaste Cookbook.
I made this last night with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was so yummy. I also added in a sliced onion for extra flavor. Without sauteing the chicken first, there was some browning on the side of the crock pot and chicken, but the brown color from the meat was due from coloring of the balsamic and maple. Highly recommend this recipe!
Did you change the cooking time when using boneless skinless chicken breasts? That’s what I will be using and am not sure if 4 hours on high might be too long and dry the chicken out.
I am making this for a larger group. Will this still cook correctly in the crock pot with 12 drumsticks + more marinade/sauce to account for extra meat?
Thank you!
My guess is yes, but I personally would do it in the oven.
It looks delicious. I want to try now but i only have chicken breasts…can chicken breast be fine with this recipe?
What a
delicious dinner though I’ll admit I deviated a tiny bit by using a mustard I came across at Walmart called Inglhoff a world award winning mustard out of Oregon.. It’s a course ground mustard a touch of sweetness. Next time < try the Dijon, thanks so much, very good.
Hi, I had this dish at a friend’s house and it was amazing!! My question is this, my husband has a sensitivity to garlic salt and powder so I tried with fresh garlic but the flavor was lacking. Any recommendations to still get that “full” flavortex without the garlic salt?
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What other sides would you recommend to go with this chicken? I will most likely use chicken breasts since that is all I have at the moment but my husband and I are not fans of brussel sprouts so just wondering what other sides would be good with this.
Would be great with roasted butternut!
Can I cook this on low? And if so for how long you think? And I was thinking about adding small red potatos…thoughts?
Sure, 6-8 hours.
Hi
can this be made in the crock pot casserole slow cooker?
Would I need to make any modifications?
I have made this many times. Gina, Can I make it with pork loin?
I haven’t tried it, let me know if you do!
I used 8 drumsticks and the sauce didn’t come close to covering the chicken. What now?
I agree- I think she meant to make sure you pour the sauce over the chicken so that it does not get dry… not that the chicken has to be completely submerged.
Do you have to use balsamic vinegar
You can sub a different vinegar is you don’t have balsamic on hand.
tried this tonight. not a favorite but not bad! went well with a baked potato, carrots and French bread. leftovers should last me half of this week, helpful since school begins Monday. a sidenote – half of the Dijon I used was coarse-ground which added a bit of texture that might not normally be there. still tasty.
p.s. I appreciate how you have BOTH Weight Watchers point systems on all your recipes. I’m one of those PointsPlus rebels who has no intention of going to SP because PP works well for me.
I lightly browned the drumsticks with skins on. Used applecider vinegar as it was all i had. Sliced some carrots very thin and a medium onion very thin. Put the legs on top the veggies and druzzled the sauce. Cooked for 3 hrs on high. Put over rice and oh my sooo delicious! Whole family raved over it. Thanks for sharing!
Is it necessary to take skin off chicken? Will it still “work” with skin on? Can you use frozen chicken or do you definitely recommend thawed? Thanks! Looking forward to trying it!
I have made this with chicken thighs in the oven before. I add fresh Rosemary when it’s done and it’s so good! I’m trying it with legs in my crock pot for lunch today. Can’t wait!
Can. I use chicken breasts? Have made it with thighs, drumsticks, all delicious. Want to use breasts just not sure about cooking time, shorter?
I haven’t made it with chicken breasts, but yes I would shorten cooking time.
Can I put the chicken in frozen??? Wanting to make tonight….
Could you use sugar free maple syrup?
i was skeptical but after reading all the positive comments i decided to try. this was really good and so easy. i never cook things on “high” in the slow cooker as it tends to overcook everything but i followed the instructions exactly and the chicken came out great
Great!
Can you make this on te stove or oven quicket?
This recipe is great! I could not have imagined that so few ingredients could create such a fantastic meal! I made the recipe exactly as listed. Once I turned off the crockpot I left the chicken in there overnight causing it to cook for a little more since the pot was still hot. I loved the turn out as it darkened the meat a bit. I also added cayenne for a bit more kick. Will definitely make again!
Also, I didn’t have garlic salt so I used seasoning salt and garlic powder instead.
This was SO easy and delicious. I left the skins on and didn’t need to adjust cooking times
Thanks for Sharing, I was wondering if i could leave the skin on 😀
I made this tonight and it is delicious! So simple to make with just a few ingredients. Definitely will be making this again.
can I put breasts in there too? If so , would it change the cooking time?
Can the drums be put in the crock pot frozen or do they have to be thawed ?
I made this today. I used lite pancake syrup instead of pure maple as that is what I had. Cooked on low for 6 hrs and left on warm for another 45 min. I had to work and it would have been done too early if I did 4 hrs on high. It was very good. My husband doesn’t like dark meat and he liked it, too.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Haven’t tried, but why not!
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Maple syrup isn’t a staple in my house. What would be an acceptable substitute?
Honey
Corn Syrup
Any suggestions on a decent balsamic vinegar brand? Thanks
I have this in my crock pot at the moment. My drumsticks have the skin in do I need to adjust the cooking time? Tia
What is the salad on the picture 🙂 ???
Looks delicious!!!!
What us the salad on the picture? Looks delicious :)))
It looks like her recipe for sauteed brussels sprouts with pancetta.
yes!
what is the salad you have it paired with in the picture, it looks Delicious too!
No PRINT button?
Located under the last picture
How long on Low setting
Typically it takes double the time for low. But the longer you keep it in the better. Thats the beauty about chicken 🙂
I cooked mine for 9 hours on low and they were perfect.
Would chicken thighs work for this recipe?
I’I’m trying it tomorrow!! I can let u know.
Anyone try it with chicken thighs? I have some in the freezer so I was going to make it tomorrow.
Yes, you can use thighs.
I only use boneless skinless thighs and they come out just as delicious.
Put the lid on the crock pot or no?
Unknown, you probably haven’t used a crockpot a lot, but all recipes in a crockpot use the lid-that’s the crockpots purpose to keep the heat in and slowly cook the meal..in fact they recommend usually that you don’t lift the lid unless necessary while it’s cooking the food. Hope this helps.
I cut the skin off my drumsticks, measured everything exactly……even though I wanted to double the sauce but didn't. I cooked on high for four hours and OMG the chicken was so tender it was literally falling off the bones. I saved the sauce (there was about 1" left in bottom of pan. I will use when rewarming as a drizzle over the chicken. It was DELICIOUS. I will indeed be making this again. It is not too sweet, just enough to make you crave seconds. I honestly have no recommendations on adding anything else for it's perfect as is! I almost changed my mind for the pure male syrup was super expensive but I bought it and it made the difference.
Can you put frozen drumsticks in the crock pot?
I did, and I just cooked it for an extra 45 minutes. Still delicious!
I made this recipe on Sunday and I just have to say it was so easy and my husband raved about it and even asked when I was going to make it again. Thank you for all your great recipes.
Does anyone know how I could convert this recipe to work in an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot)?
I would just brown the chicken and set the manual pressure to 15 mins or use the poultry function if you have the 7 in 1 instant pot.
Hi Can you tell me what you have this pictured with? Is that a cabbage salad? It looks great if you could share with me what that is.
It is pictured with her brussel sprouts with prosciutto and shallots. The recipe is in her cookbook. They are fabulous!
I just made this and it's absolutely amazing. I added some dried minced onion to the sauce mixture and it was delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
I'm new to drumsticks and am venturing out a bit. 🙂 Posters have made comments about keeping an eye on it as sometimes they get done a little sooner than 4 hrs. How do you know when they're done? Just check the temp? Eyeball it? What am I looking for? They are in the crock pot now and I am excited
how did yours turn out browned? mine are a light color.
Exactly my question too ! This chicken on the pic must have bean browned before it went in to the slow cooker or after it was done.
So many recipes out there just like this , they “forget” to mentions the brow , saute , roast ect part.
The slow cooker was on warm a few hours after it cooked and that’s how the color turned brown.
I’ve made the 5 times, followed the recipe exactly, and my chicken turned out nice and browned like pictured.
Did you know that the chicken needs to be skinless?
I just made this last night. Delicious! So simple and I had all the ingredients on hand. I used 10 drumsticks instead of 8 in my crock pot and there was still enough sauce for everything. We'll be making this one again for sure!
I made these today for dinner. My crockpot is super small, but I went ahead anyways with 12 drumsticks and adjusted measurements. They were done in about 3 1/2 hours. The flavor is on point. the sauce it creates is flavorful and it will pair well with a number of sides. Not bad at all. Kids and husband all approved, and they can all be picky. Will make again.
How about using wings?
I love that you put the serving size in the "attention getter" or main photo. This looks so good. I was thinking there is NO way this picture is 1 serving (with the two drumsticks) but sure enough… it is! I'm not sure if it's intentional but it's really helpful and kind by not getting our hopes up thinking we can eat lots of good food but when we read the serving size (I call it fine print – lol) it's like 1/2 of what is shown. Gotta try this!
If I plate it and shoot it I always shoot the exact serving 🙂 I also eat the exact serving to be sure it fills me up.
Love it! Thank you! You rock Gina!! Been following you for years! 🙂
Hi! Could I use white wine vinegar instead of the balsamic?
Thank you! (:
I don't see why not!
Trying out this goodie today 🙂 I had everything in my pantry except balsamic 🙁 So i used lemon juice instead… Fingers crossed it turns out just as good!!!! 🙂
Absolutely delicious. My crockpot died so I did them in the oven and it worked perfectly. There was so much juice, I made a second meal with the leftover meat from the drumsticks by adding rice, carrots and mushrooms. This one is going in the winter meal rotation. I may even serve it to company next month.
perfect!
I agree. I calculated on my own as well and I got 4 points per drumstick. I would be curious of Gina's response.
It's really depends on the size of the legs. If they are 4 big legs there will be more ounces of chicken, the smaller ones yield about 2 1/2 ounces cooked meat each.
How is this 5 points? When I put it in to the WW recipe tracker, it's 8 points/serving. That's a big difference… Can you please clarify how you calculated this?
Can't wait to try these! I'll probably use thighs (I have a ton of skinless ones in the freezer). Knowing my always-running-hot crock pot, my guess is mine will be done in like half the time. Thanks Gina!
Such a yummy recipe I made it in my pressure cooker delish!!!!
Tricia, can you please tell me how long you cooked these for in your pressure cooker?
This was amazing! I also put in chicken breasts and thighs. It was a big hit with my 4 boys! Thank you Gina! I just love all your recipes!
Can you recommend a type/brand of maple syrup? There are so many to choose from. Thanks.
I use any brand of pure maple syrup, as long as it's the real thing.
Due to allergies I must use turkey drumsticks. What adjustments would you make to this recipe?
Those are very large, I would use less (maybe 2?)
If I wanted to sub chicken breasts for the drumsticks (since I already have some frozen), how many should I use?
My crockpot is small so I made this in the oven the other day and it was delicious but I'm wondering if it's possible to sear the chicken first (to give it some color and texture), would that change the flavor too much? will it prevent the chicken from absorbing the maple/dijon flavors? Hope someone can help me with this question, I plan to serve this dish at a dinner party this weekend. Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes Gina, you always make me look like I actually know how to cook!
I think it would be fine! I noticed when I leave it on warm a few hours it browns as you see in the photo.
Made these for the fiancé last week and they were great, both of us really enjoyed them! Thank you for the great recipes and including the weight watcher points! Also, I had to use organic honey mustard because we were out of Dijon mustard, and they still turned out perfect!
Just put this in but with boneless skinless chicken thighs. I can't wait to see how it turns out!!
Just made this with 2 chicken breasts, left on low overnight. I shredded it and used it for a twist on tacos!! Perfect flavoring!
I made this using my Actifry (with drumsticks and thighs -skin on). Hubby said it was the best chicken I've ever made! Love your recipes – Keep them coming!
I made this using my Actifry (with drumsticks and thighs -skin on). Hubby said it was the best chicken I've ever made! Love your recipes – Keep them coming!
I doubled the recipe and it turned out perfect! My family loved this. I cooked it on low for five hours. Perfect. I will definitely make this again.
I made this, and I used a little bit of corn startch to thicken the sauce and served it over the chicken. It was amazing!
I made this last night in the slow cooker. Since I was making it overnight I set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours, but after 8 hours the chicken was overcooked. I also only used 6 drumsticks, so that probably contributed to the meat being a little dry. I think 6 hours on low is probably the right amount of time. In my opinion, it tasted better after refrigerating and reheating. Since the sauce was very thin, I took the meat off the bone, and by took it off I mean it fell off. Then I shredded it so the sauce was able to cover more surface area. I think it's definitely worth trying again, and next time I'll make it in a skillet and will let the sauce thicken a bit.
I don't normally like meat flavored with anything sweet and I certainly do NOT like mustard .. BUT, I ate myself crazy on these! lol My goodness, the house smelled amazing and the taste was fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly as written, but next time I may cut my cook time down a bit just because my crockpot is a Beast. lol. I have gladly added this recipe to my rotation!
Delicious and very easy recipe. I cooked mine on low for 5 hours and they turned out perfectly. I also had a smaller crockpot and it turned out fine. My boyfriend thought this was delicious!
How would you alter the time of you started out with frozen legs?
Great recipe. Very easy, cooked within 2-2.5 hours on high and very delicious!!! Very good with the side salad of fresh veggies!!!
This turned out fall off the bone deeeeelish!! I did mine for 8 hours on low since I was at work all day. My daughter gobbled 2 up with a side spinach salad. Easy and simple, this is definitely going in my permanent recipe box. Thank you!!! 🙂
Is it okay to leave the skins on or will it not be as good?
I have a 4.5 quart crock pot. Can I still make this recipe?
I was wondering the exact same thing…
Could you slow cook and the put in to broil for a bit?
I really like the sound & look of these – but I have a question…do they brown in the slow cooker?
I diced up chicken breast and sauteed it until it was cooked through. Then poured in the sauce and simmered until it reduced to my desired thickness. It was AMAZING! Served it with steamed kale and oven roasted potatoes. It could be great over pasta if you don't reduce the sauce down too much. Thanks, as always, Gina!
How would I tweak the recipe if I wanted to make 12 drumsticks? Thank You!
I've used wings with this recipe several times now and it's a big hit. I use honey instead of maple syrup and use the brown rice setting on my rice cooker. I usually forget the vinegar but it doesn't seem to be missing from the taste. It only takes about 30 minutes to have juicy, mouth watering wings flying out of the pot.
Thank you so much for this recipe! The real test is making for the office lunch this week. yikes!
I wanted to try this with wings, i don't have a rice cooker. How long do you think it would take in a slow cooker??
This one is a huge hit with my family; my two-year-old in particular! I also wanted to say that I have tried two other crock pot recipes and they have finally convinved me that I like crock pot food! I've tried so many recipes over the past 10+ years and everything always tastes the same. I don't know how you do it, but keep them coming! I also love that many of your recipes are great for weeknights and parents that work outside the home. It's hard to find those kinds of recipes without compromising quality.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I am a long time reader but first time commenter. This recipe will be a new go-to for my Sundays when I make and portion all of my meals for the week. It tastes just as good the next day and went perfectly with roasted broccoli and green beans. I also purchased your cookbook and plan to use some of the recipes for our non-traditional Thanksgiving and introducing my mom to your recipes. Thank you for making such yummy meals and congratulations on your success!
Made this tonight in my Hamilton Beach stay or go and thought the sauce was great. The chicken did begin to fall off the bone but was a tad dry at the 4 hours on high so I guess should have heeded "or until done". Thanks for the quick and tasty recipe!
I made this the other night for dinner and my whole family loved it! I love so many of your recipes that I have created a board on Pinterest just for your recipes. Keep them coming!
what is the side that you have pictured with the drumsticks? is it cabbage? Recipe?
I cooked these on low while I was at work for over 10 hours and they fell off the bone! They were delicious and the recipe is super simple. Thanks Gina!
Is there a way to substitute for the balsamic vinegar? It's not something I use often so if there's a way around it so I don't have to buy it that would be great. I think I have a little red wine vinegar in the pantry…
My sauce did not coat the drumsticks well. It never thickened up in the crock pot, and was very watered down. Any recommendations? I used 12 drumsticks so doubled the recipe.
What kind of carbohydrate would you recommend to go with this?
I made this with the brussels sprouts, it was amazing.
These were amazing! These with a veggie were super filling! I baked them this time because I couldn't wait and they were still great! Next time the crock pot for sure.
Made this the other night and I absolutely loved it. One of my favs! Making this again soon!
This was so good. I don't like drumsticks but your recipe just changed that. I am soo going to make this again. I loved it!
I had six organic chicken legs in the freezer. I took them out Friday and made this today, and they were still pretty frozen so I couldn't get the skin off but threw them in as is and followed the recipe and removed the skin after. Delicious!!!!!! It only took about three hours on high, so you do need to watch it. I will make this often, and most certainly for company.
Has anyone tried a substitution for the maple syrup? I was thinking half honey and half sugar free syrup. Any suggestions?
If I was to switch to breasts, how much chicken should I buy?
Will this recipe work in a pressure cooker?
I made this tonight with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was delicious. This will be a regular meal now, as my entire family loved it. Thanks, Gina!
How much chicken breast did you use?
I'm also interested in how much boneless, skinless chicken breasts you used, & also how long & at what temp did you cook them?
I made this last night and it was awesome! So much flavor…my boyfriend devoured it which made me happy 🙂
I made these with chicken thighs and they fell off the bone! YUMMY!
I don't have maple syrup, but I have organic agave nectar. Would that work?
I made these yesterday, they were so good! The meat fell off the bone (I'm not usually a drumstick person). I did these on low for 6 hours and warm for another hour until I was ready to eat, worked perfectly.
I made these last night. I thought they were good, but my family thought they were ok and lacked flavor. I did use white balsamic so I'm not sure if that was the issue. Everyone thought they'd have been better with a bit more spice of some sort. More garlic? hmmm
YUM!!! I will be trying this out for my 5 year old who happens to love CHICKEN! Thank you!
www.mylifewithaaron.blogspot.com
I made this last week using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cooked it on low for 6 hours. They came out perfect and so yummy! I served it alongside cauliflower rice and brussel sprouts with bacon. So easy and Paleo-friendly! Thanks Gina! I'm making this again tonight.
I was wondering if boneless skinless chicken thighs would be just as good in this.Thanks Kamilia for posting you used the thighs.
Did anyone leave the skin on?
If you leave the skin on in the crockpot, you'll be left with an oily mess. 🙁
Is it possible to use regular mustard instead of dijon for this recipe?
Thank you so much!
Haven't tested it so I don't know how it will change the taste.
I cannot remember the last time that I had chicken drumsticks! Definitely need to recreate this recipe, love the maple flavour! Pinned!
I made this today as directed…it was DELICIOUS!
I made this using skinless bone-in chicken thighs. I ended up with an overly sweet mushy mess. Perhaps some liquid in the recipe would have helped.
I didn't test it with thighs, worked perfect with drumsticks. Perhaps that was the problem?
I made this exact meal for dinner tonight. It was awesome! The chicken fell off the bone, and received rave reviews from The Hubs. The Brussel sprouts were amazing, and complimented the chicken well. They were SUPER easy to make, since I bought them pre-shredded. Totally patting myself on the back about that one! Thanks, Gina, for another great tasting, healthy meal. ☺
So happy you enjoyed it!!
Awesome! Family loved it. Goes well with Skinnytaste Autumn Pear/Gorgonzola salad….any ideas for leftovers?
Made this for dinner tonight and it is a keeper! I baked mine in the oven since I was only cooking 6 drumsticks. I followed Gina's comment above and baked it, covered in foil, in a 350 degree oven. Took about 40 minutes in my case (be very careful opening the foil top since there is a lot of hot steam underneath!) and then I broiled it for a few minutes to brown. My 9-year old kept saying "delicious!" and we loved the sauce and all. Thank you for sharing this, Gina! I need your cookbook. : )
Great!! : )
Had this for dinner tonight. I added a 1/3 cup dijon and a 1/3 cup maple syrup because I put 10 drum sticks in. It was really tasty. The meat fell off the bone, so I didn't try eating it on the bone. Took it off and enjoyed. Served it with rice and glazed carrots and sugar snap peas.
Just made this for dinner–but I doubled the sauce recipie & swapped the chicken for pork tenderloin (Costo 2pack) Sooooooooo easy & delicious
I made this for supper tonight, side was rice for the kids and I had a salad as none of us are fans of Brussell sprouts (have the cookbook and love it, just not brussell sprouts hah). Definitely check it, as my chicken was tender and ready well before the 4 hour mark. If I'd let it go for the full 4hrs, it would have gotten dry. Not sure I'd trust this as a 'pop it in for 6-7hrs on low' JIC it dried it out. Regardless, it was really good. 🙂
Can this be modified for a pressure cooker? So excited to try this and the brussel sprouts… My cookbook came on Friday!!!
Looks amazing! The chicken look so tender.
I Can't find your recipe for the shredded brussel sprouts with prosciutto?
It's in her recipe book that was just published on the 30th.
I have a similar oven baked dish. Looking forward to trying this one. I add fresh rosemary at the end on the other dish and it makes it for me. Just an idea for extra flavor
This looks perfect for our family and I am thinking my family would love the side as well. Thanks so much!
Hi – I'm also interested in what the side dish is – it looks great!!
Wow this sounds delicious and totally simple! It is totally crock pot season! Thanks!
HI There;
What is the side dish that you have prepared with the drumsticks? It looks delicious!!! Is there a recipe?
Brussels sprouts from my cookbook.
It's her brussel sprouts recipe from her cookbook. She mentions it just before the recipe:
"I served this with Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Proscuitto from The Skinnytaste Cookbook (which my 4 year old loves) and everyone was happy. "
This looks wonderful! I can't wait to try it
Did you take the skin off the chicken before or after putting it in the crock pot? I can't tell by the picture.
the recipe calls for skinless drumsticks, so its off before you cook
My guess is she always removes the skin "before" so as not to have the fat from the skin in her dish. 🙂
I skin them before.
Is there an easy way to skin them? I found it terribly difficult.
Gina posted a video on her "Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks" recipe page.
The youtube link is below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y9_nPJSiaA
To remove the skin, I use disposable gloves and a paper towel to hold on to the skin.
This may be a silly question, but the directions say make sure the chicken is covered, but the pictures don't make it look like it's covered and it doesn't seem like there would be enough liquid to completely cover them. Do you just mean to make sure the bottoms of the chicken/crock pot is covered? I just got organic chicken legs on sale yesterday for less than $3.00 and this will be the perfect recipe to use them on!! Thanks!
Yes, it's the perfect amount of liquid, you don't want more.
What is the delicious looking side?
Brussel sprouts from her cookbook
Can i use this for chicken breast instead of drumsticks?
This may be a dumb question, but what are the size of these drumsticks? Regular large ones or the smaller ones you'll eat when you have "wings"?
Not dumb!! It's the regular large ones. If it helps, the little small "wing" ones are called "drummettes" to help distinguish the two.
Yay that means more food than I was expecting! 🙂 Haha thanks so much for the help!!
Made this last night, the kids and husband loved it! And no precooking, this will be a regular in my house. Thank you!
Mmm this looks fantastic 😀 Love the sauce ingredients, I haven't used my slow cooker in aaaages, maybe time to get it out of the kitchen cupboard, it's getting cold outside now, brr! x
Ok, perfection! Slow Cooker + awesome lick your spoon flavors = this meal is happening at my house soon!
Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats
Yum! I haven't had chicken in so long! yummy! Thanks for sharing. Happy Tuesday!
I'm looking ahead to a group dinner and want to make this in "bulk" as much as possible.
Do you think I could marinate it overnight instead, and then bake in the oven at something like 350 degrees? If so, for how long would you suggest? Do you think they'd come out tasty this way? Just a thought!
Or else, if I do this in the crockpot, how many drumsticks can you fit inside and cook well?
Sure, cover with foil and bake 1 hour, then broil a few minutes so it's gets browned.
I haven't used a broiler in over a decade. So bake in the oven and then put in the broiler? Or just switch the setting from bake to broil?
When using the broiler after baking, you will turn the oven off, move the oven shelf to the topmost position, then turn it on to broil. I usually leave my oven door cracked open and watch the progress as broiling can turn something golden to burnt in seconds! Especially with all the sugar in this dish, be careful and watch it carefully.
can you use sugar free maple syrup! Thanks
That's my question too! I only use sugar substitutes as I'm trying to lose weight and am also diabetic.
Susan, if I may be so bold, if you are trying to lose weight AND you're diabetic, sugar substitutes are likely the worst substance you can put in your body! Man-made anything is bad enough (think process foods) but then to add the chemicals in substitute sugar plus all the chemicals and weird preservatives and ingredients to make sugar free food taste better, it's all a recipe for disaster. Doctors and people who stand to make profit will always highlight that substitute sugars are a great way to quell sugar cravings. But your body cannot naturally process these foreign substitutes. often times – many many times – these chemicals or a catalyst for cancer cells that everyone has within them to become active and wreak havoc.A balanced healthy diet of proteins and vegetables with small amounts of fats is the best medicine. You would be surprised at how many people would not be diabetic were it not for processed foods and over indulgence in sodas, pies, etc. by no means I don't mean to offend you or assume that you don't live a healthy lifestyle, but for those who may read your question and think that substitute sugars or a key for battling weight in diabetics, I have to highly disagree. In fact, it actually makes you gain weight! It's a tricky system, but the people who stand to make money know exactly what they're doing! I hope that you do more research into the healthy benefits of eating right and living a healthy lifestyle. Remember that doctors go to medical schools that are founded and paid for largely in part by pharmaceutical companies. So, in turn, doctors learn to push pharmaceuticals and anything that they may get a kick back on. Not everyone is ethically immoral, but many are. I hope the best for you. Please do the research!
djrj70 is right on here. If you are trying to both of those I would try raw, organic honey as a substitute. I don't eat sugar any longer and I have found the best substitute is honey as long as it is raw organic honey. This way your body can more easily process the sugars but you still get the amazing flavor. If you don't want to try that I would steer clear of this recipe and find something without sweeteners in it.
Another note about medical physicians, they are not taught anything having to do with dietary needs. They are there to assign medications when you need them and (in my opinion) they do that way too often and only treat the symptoms, not the causes.
I wish you all the best of luck in your road to better health. My life has turned around 100% since I cut out sugar, processed foods, and have gone to at least 50% raw diet. It isn't for everyone but once you get all the "crap" out of your system you will find it hard to want to eat anything else. 🙂
this is pretty odd, I went to a diabetes education class and she was promoting using artificial sweeteners. I guess you can't win these days. I know I should capitalize but it won't let me go back and edit what I wrote.
Can djrj70 please expand on how most medical schools are funded by pharmaceutical companies? I've never heard this and would like to understand it more clearly.
This would be great with chicken thighs too!
Can you use chicken breast or thighs instead of drumsticks?
Looks great; maple syrup is high.
Mmm these look delicious and so easy!
Do you think you could use fresh garlic and then some salt instead of garlic salt? We never use it and it would save me having to buy something that will just take up room in the spice cabinet 🙂
Do you have garlic powder in the pantry? That might work well with salt. I think fresh garlic would taste great.
Sure, or you can just use salt
Looks awesome! Do you think I could double the recipe in the crock pot?
Thanks so much! (:
As long as you don't overcrowd the pot, if yours is larger than sure.
You think I could swap honey for the maple? It's so pricy when you don't use it often.
sure
Great idea! I always have good, local honey on hand (a friend at work is a beekeeper!) but I rarely, if ever, use maple syrup. I'm going to make this recipe this weekend!
Can I set this to "low" for 8 hours instead? I'd like to do it overnight, and have it ready for morning tailgating. Please reply
I would love to know, too so I could make them in the morning before work 🙂
I cook my dark meat chicken in the crockpot on low for 4 hours and then turn it to warm for the duration of the time. It cooks so quick actually.
Yes, I'm very sure you can. One hour on low = 2 hours on high. It would be better using dark meat as chicken breasts would dry out if cooked that long. I always cook on low if it's early enough in the day
6 hours on low might be better, but sure that would work.
I did cook this overnight on low and it was definitely overcooked. There was a lot of liquid, and the meat did fall off the bone, but way overcooked. I think four hours on low would have been enough. The sauce does taste good, but this is a recipe that needs to be watched, as drumsticks do not have a lot of meat on them and may cook faster than expected. (My drumsticks are exact to the photo, so I did have the right size). All is not lost – I served this to family (so they have to be forgiving). I will try this recipe again.
I cooked this last night for 3 hours on high and it was great. (And I doubled the sauce recipe and used 12 drumsticks instead of 8. Delicious.)
Looks delicious! Do you think its possible to swap out the drumsticks for chicken breasts without modifying the recipe too much?
I bet you could. I don't see why not?
I might cook for a little less time (others can weigh in here, I don't usually use chicken breasts in the crock pot). I think chicken thighs would be great here, though!
Use whatever you like. Thighs and drumsticks are my preference, on the bone.
I used breasts, but cooked on LOW for 6 hours. Turned out perfect.
Wow! This is an amazing list!!! I just wrote a post on setting up a six-week meal rotation and as I was looking at it, I was thinking I need to change up some meals for the Spring. This is just what I needed. Thanks!
How many breast would you recommend using ?
Don't do the breast, I tried it and it dried out. I think it would be much better with the drumstick. Excited to try it this way. Loved the flavor last time, just didn't have luck with the breasts.
We use thighs, and they work great! We rarely use breast because it tends to dry out more than legs or thighs.
I have with breasts (less time) and with pork loin chops too (the lean ones)