Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Mar 07, 2021, Updated Jan 18, 2024
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These Slow Cooker Glazed Chicken Drumsticks are super easy and packed with flavor. The glaze is a delicious combo of honey, sriracha, soy sauce, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. It’s a great go-to for a tasty chicken dinner.
The Most Flavorful Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
You know what they say: friends don’t let friends make bland chicken! Okay, fine, maybe that’s not a real saying, but it should be! Because, making super flavorful chicken is easy, and that’s where this simple and delicious recipe comes in.
Here, we’re going with chicken drumsticks. I think drumsticks are an under-appreciated part of chicken. They’re juicy, flavorful, and they cook easily in a crock pot. They also stand up well to the bold flavors of balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, sriracha and more.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll notice that this recipe makes about 3 pounds of drumsticks. That might seem like a lot, but it really isn’t. A lot of the weight is because we’re using bone-in chicken. If you’d like, feel free to substitute bone-in thighs; they’re equally delicious.
- Drumsticks: You’ll need 3 pounds of chicken drumsticks. Some people prefer skinless, but you can use either.
- Honey: The sweetness in the sauce is from ¼ cup of your favorite honey.
- Soy Sauce: You’ll also need ¼ cup of soy sauce; I use low-sodium soy sauce. If you’d like, you can substitute tamari or coconut aminos.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This richly-flavored condiment adds an amazingly savory flavor to the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: Just a couple of tablespoons.
- Fresh Garlic: Mince or press six cloves of garlic. You can substitute 1½ teaspoons of garlic powder.
- Sriracha: I love sriracha! It has such an intense, umami flavor, full of heat and deliciousness. 1 tablespoon gives the sauce a nice kick.
- Ground Ginger: Just a teaspoon picks the sauce up and gives it a lovely fresh zing.
- Water: You’ll need 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons of cornstarch blended with the water make the perfect sauce thickener.
- Garnishes: Toasted sesame seeds and freshly chopped cilantro.
How to Make Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Chicken Legs
This is a really easy, basic method for cooking chicken drumsticks. They always come out tender and full of flavor! You can thicken the sauce using a slurry, or serve it as-is.
- Make Sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, sriracha and ground ginger.
- Pour Sauce Over Chicken: Place the drumsticks in a 6.5-quart or larger slow cooker; pour the soy sauce mixture over the chicken drumsticks and gently toss to coat.
- Slow-Cook Chicken: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours.
- Thicken Sauce (Optional): If you’d like to thicken the sauce, make a slurry about 15 minutes before the chicken is done, by whisking together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the slurry into the chicken and sauce; cover again, and cook on HIGH heat for 10 to 12 more minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Enjoy! Serve your drumsticks with sauce and top with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Tips for the Best Chicken Drumsticks
- Use a Liner: Crock pot liners are so helpful, especially when you’re making a glazed recipe like this one. It’ll save you time and hassle, making clean-up super easy.
- Broil ‘Em Up: Want to get a little crispy finish on your drumsticks? No problem! Just line a baking sheet with parchment paper and throw your drumsticks under a hot broiler for a minute or two. This will take them from glazed, to glazed AND crispy!
- Watch the Time: Most people cook chicken in the crock pot until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. I love it that way too, but you can also turn the crockpot off sooner, for less meltingly tender chicken. Just make sure it is fully cooked at 165°F – use an Instant Read Meat Thermometer to check.
Serving Suggestions
Need some good ideas for sides and appetizers? I’ve rounded up a few that I think you will love. They’re easy and delicious!
- Egg Drop Soup: A takeout favorite, Egg Drop Soup has a light, nourishing flavor thanks to the broth and a satisfying texture thanks to oodles of ribbony eggs.
- Crab Rangoons: Another yummy takeout-inspired side dish, these Crab Rangoon Wontons are crispy, crunchy, and full of creamy crab filling.
- Zucchini Fries: The mellow flavor and bold crunch of Air Fryer Parmesan Zucchini Fries is a fun way to serve more veggies, and they go super well with this yummy chicken!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Place leftover drumsticks in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for 2 to 3 months.
- To reheat, place the drumsticks and sauce in a covered saucepan or skillet over low heat until completely heated through. You can also bake the drumsticks, covered, at 350°F until heated through.
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Slow Cooker Asian Glazed Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken drumsticks
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha,, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Optional Garnishes
- Toasted sesame seeds,, for garnish
- Freshly chopped cilantro,, for garnish
Instructions
- Place drumsticks in a 6.5-quart, or larger, slow cooker; set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, sriracha and ground ginger.
- Pour soy sauce mixture over the chicken drumsticks and gently toss to coat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. Chicken is cooked through when internal temperature register at 165˚F.
- If you’d like to thicken the sauce, make a slurry about 15 minutes before the chicken is done: in a small bowl or cup, whisk together water and cornstarch.
- Remove cover from slow cooker and stir the slurry into the sauce; recover and cook on HIGH heat for 10 to 12 more minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
- Serve drumsticks with sauce and top with sesame seeds and cilantro.
Equipment
Notes
- To crisp up the drumsticks, after cooking them, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, arrange drumsticks on the baking sheet and pop them under a hot broiler for a minute or two, or until crispy.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is a very good recipe that I will definitely make again. I didn’t have any sesame seeds so I garnished it with Everything Bagel seasoning that had lots of sesame seeds in it. It worked quite well. I served it with stir fry cabbage, onions and peppers and seasoned rice. The sauce was great on the rice and the cabbage. Yummy meal! The whole family said it was delicious.
Is it ok to start with frozen drumsticks or should they be thawed?
Yes, you can use frozen chicken, but thawed chicken tends to cook more evenly and can absorb flavors better.
Wow these look amazing! Can’t wait to try these! What substitutes are there for Balsamic vinegar? I have white and apple cider vinegar on hand; would either of those work?
Hi! I would use 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar plus about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of sugar.
Actually, I wanted to give this recipe 10 stars!! Absolutely delicious Katerina, thank you so very much for sharing. Definitely going to be on the menu again! And again! And again!!
I’m thrilled you loved the recipe so much that you’d give it 10 stars! It’s wonderful to hear such positive feedback, and I’m glad it will be a recurring dish on your menu. Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
Copied the recipe to the T and although it has a great flavor, it’s not what I was expecting. I was hoping for a more sticky glaze but that’s probably just my expectation based on the title. It’s not as sweet as I wanted and I think 4 hours on low was too long. I always try a recipe as written first then tweak it to my taste. I will add more honey/brown sugar and more sriracha if I make this again. I will also cook for 3 hours on low and see if it’s done at that point. Broiling the chicken in the oven afterwards is a must though. The skin is browned and crispy on some parts and IMO, those are the best parts.
Thanks for your detailed feedback! It sounds like you have some great ideas for tweaking the recipe to better match your expectations. Adjusting the sweetness and cooking time, as well as broiling for a crispy finish, should help achieve the results you’re looking for. Happy cooking! 😊