Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks start with a simple marinade of soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and ginger then effortlessly cook in the slow cooker!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you're anything like me, you spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen over the past few days putting a lot of effort into a number of holiday dishes. So after all of that hard work -- and after all of the leftovers are gone -- here's an easy-peasy, crock pot dinner recipe from my friend Kelly's amazing, brand-new cookbook, The Asian Slow Cooker!

In deciding which recipe from the cookbook to try first, these Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks immediately jumped out at me. Sticky, savory-sweet glazes always go over well with my family, and my kids inevitably fight over the drumsticks when I cook chicken. I'm no math whiz, but two drumsticks divided between three kids equals a fight every time. So an entire recipe of kid-friendly chicken legs?! I couldn't whip up this recipe fast enough.

And fast it was! Well, other than the slow cooking part...but that part handled itself with no effort from me, so it doesn't exactly count. 😉

How to Make Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

1. I actually started this recipe as soon as I got up by tossing the chicken legs into a gallon-sized plastic baggie with a quick marinade of four simple ingredients.
2. Then, after soaking up those flavors all morning, around noon I poured the drumsticks and marinade straight into the slow cooker, set it, and walked away.
3. Finally, just before dinnertime, I transferred the drumsticks to a sheet pan, glazed 'em with the golden liquid from the slow cooker, and popped them under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.

So little work for a main dish that was eagerly gobbled up by my entire family...I'd call that a screaming success!

Variations

These Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks were delicious as made per the recipe, but would be easy to customize, too.

• If you prefer a marinade and glaze that's slightly more sweet than savory, you could increase the Thai sweet chili sauce a tad while simultaneously decreasing the soy sauce.
• You could boost the fresh ginger or even toss in some minced garlic.
• You could add a splash of sriracha for even more spicy kick.
• And if you'd like a thicker glaze to serve alongside your drumsticks, you could always mix a cornstarch slurry into the slow cooker liquids once the drumsticks come out. Simply increase the heat to high and cover with the lid to allow the glaze to thicken while the chicken is under the broiler.

I am extremely excited to have so many easy, home-cooked, Asian recipes at my fingertips thanks to this fabulous new cookbook. Allow me give you a quick sneak peek!

Kelly is a busy mom of two little ones and she is the talented lady behind the gorgeous, scrumptious food blog, Life Made Sweeter. She's taken her favorite childhood recipes and adapted them to fit the needs of the busy home cook in her new cookbook, The Asian Slow Cooker, which features 80 recipes that can be made in the slow cooker (or just one pot)! If you typically satisfy your Asian food cravings with take-out because you're intimidated by the thought of preparing Asian cuisine at home -- but you'd love to save money while simultaneously eating healthier -- then this cookbook is for you!

And the recipes? Simply mouthwatering, with a stunning, full-color photo for each and every one.

Plus, the cookbook includes a variety of slow cooker tips, tricks and tools, as well as how to stock a pantry for Asian cooking!

You can find The Asian Slow Cooker on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold.

But above all, don't forget to try these tasty Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks! Because turkey is so yesterday...and who needs take-out anyway? 😉

More Asian Crockpot & Instant Pot Recipes

• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken with Peanut Sauce
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
• Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl
• Slow Cooker Asian Beef Short Ribs

Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

Sweet Chili Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks start with a simple marinade of soy sauce, Thai sweet chili sauce, and ginger then effortlessly cook in the slow cooker until tender for an effortless, sweet-and-savory, Asian chicken dinner!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours hours

Marinating Time:: 3 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Calories: 396kcal

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Ingredients

• ⅔ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ⅔ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2-inch fresh ginger root, peeled & minced
• 4 to 5 pounds chicken drumsticks
• Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
• Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• In a large resealable container, combine the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, and ginger. Place the chicken on top and toss to coat well. Place it in the fridge and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight. When ready to cook, dump the chicken and marinade into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
• Carefully transfer the drumsticks to a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with extra sauce and broil on high for 3 minutes on each side, flipping once and coating with more sauce. Remove from the oven and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

• Broiling helps to add crispiness to the drumsticks and seal in the flavors. But if you're in a hurry, feel free to skip this step.
• Nutrition information calculated with the skin-on.
• If you'd like a thicker sauce to serve alongside the drumsticks, mix a slurry of 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch plus 1 ½ tablespoons cool water until smooth. After the drumsticks are finished cooking and have been removed to the baking sheet, stir the cornstarch slurry into the liquids in the slow cooker, cover with the lid, and increase the heat to high. Allow to thicken while the drumsticks are broiling.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Asian Slow Cooker cookbook, by Kelly Kwok.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1595mg | Potassium: 503mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

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