Leg Quarters Recipe Slow Cooker

slow cooker chicken leg quarters pinterest pin image

If you are looking for a flavorful dinner that cooks itself, my easy slow cooker chicken leg quarters is a great dish to make! It has a homemade barbecue sauce and lots of onions to add a ton of flavor. Everyone will love this meal, even your picky eaters!

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Why this recipe is great:
Ingredient notes:
What slow cooker is best?
Recipe step by step directions:
Variations:
Storage:
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
More gluten free chicken recipes:
📖 Recipe

When days get shorter and the weather is cold, I find myself turning to my slow cooker more and more often. It is a great way to make dinner with so little work!

These chicken leg quarters are slow-cooked with a homemade barbecue sauce. The flavor penetrates the meat, making it absolutely delicious! Chicken legs and chicken leg quarters are also great for those on a budget!

If you haven't tried cooking in a slow cooker or Crock Pot yet, I encourage you to try it. There is nothing like dumping ingredients in, and then coming home to a ready-made hot meal!

I have lots of delicious gluten free slow cooker recipes if you want even more dinner ideas :-).

Why this recipe is great:

It cooks while you are away!
Meats cooked in a slow cooker stay tender, moist, and delicious. The flavor also slow cooks into the meat, making it so good!
Even your picky eaters will love my homemade mild sweet barbecue sauce recipe.

If you love these chicken legs in a slow cooker recipe, try my Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken recipe too!

Ingredient notes:

Chicken leg quarters - I love these because they have a lot of meat. You can also use regular bone in chicken thighs or legs too!
Ketchup - You can use any brand. Although most ketchup is gluten free, it is good to always read the labels.
Mustard - I like to use brown mustard because it adds more flavor. You can also use dijon if you prefer.
Spices - Chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Be sure if you are sensitive to gluten that your spices are gluten free and not processed on shared equipment.

What slow cooker is best?

Any slow cooker will work well, I find size is the most important because I like to cook a big meal so that there are leftovers to freeze. I use this 7 quart Crock Pot.

Recipe step by step directions:

photos of steps 1 and 2 making the slow cooker chicken

Step 1: In a small bowl, add the sauce ingredients and mix well.

Step 2: Add the chicken leg quarters and sliced onions to the slow cooker.

HINT: I created this slow cooker chicken quarters recipe to be a dump-and-go recipe because I wanted it to be the easiest possible. If you like a browned finish for your chicken, I would encourage you to brown the chicken in a hot oiled skillet on each side for 4 minutes before adding it to the slow cooker.

photos of steps 3 and 4 making the slow cooker chicken legs

Step 3: Smother the sauce all over the chicken and add the water to the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Variations:

You can vary the flavors in this barbecue slow cooker chicken legs recipe.

You can make this slow cooker chicken with mushrooms, or add veggies like carrots and potatoes.
Add some spice by adding ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers to the barbecue sauce.
Use boneless chicken breasts and shred the meat when it is cooked so you can use it for sandwiches.

Storage:

This easy slow cooker BBQ chicken will keep for up to 4 days in an air-tight container or for up to 4 months in the freezer.

To freeze this chicken, add it to a freezer-safe zip style bag and press the extra air out.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you put raw chicken in the slow cooker?

You can definitely put raw chicken in your slow cooker. That is how it cooks with all of the flavors from the sauce.

Should chicken be covered in liquid when cooking in the slow cooker?

The chicken will make a lot of liquid as it cooks so it is not necessary to cover the chicken in liquid.

Can you overcook chicken in the slow cooker?

Although it is hard to do, you can overcook your chicken in a slow cooker. Always stick to a recipe's cook time for the best results.

Can you cook frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

Unfortunately, you can not cook frozen chicken in a slow cooker. The temperature is too low and the chicken can spoil cooking so slowly.

the top view of a platter with cooked chicken quarters

More gluten free chicken recipes:

Slow Cooker Cornish Game Hens
Grilled Chicken Filet Burger
Gluten Free Oven Fried Chicken
Easy Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!

📖 Recipe

Barbecue Slow Cooker Chicken Leg Quarters

A delicious easy homemade slow cooker chicken leg quarters recipe that is budget friendly.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 6 hrs

Total Time 6 hrs 5 mins

Course Meal Recipes

Cuisine American

Servings 4 leg quarters

Calories 487 kcal

▢ 1 ½ pounds chicken leg quarters
▢ 1 cup ketchup
▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 ½ tablespoons ground paprika
▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil
▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ ½ cup water

Put the barbecue sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add your chicken leg quarters to the slow cooker and then top with the sliced onions.
Pour the sauce on top of the chicken and onions.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
HINT: I created this slow cooker chicken quarters recipe to be a dump-and-go recipe because I wanted it to be the easiest possible. If you like a browned finish for your chicken, I would encourage you to brown the chicken in a hot oiled skillet on each side for 4 minutes before adding it to the slow cooker.
Enjoy hot. You can add potatoes and carrots if you would like to slow cook some vegetables with the chicken.

You can use chicken leg quarters, chicken legs, or any bone-in chicken pieces you have on hand.
If you like your chicken really saucy, double the barbecue sauce recipe.
This chicken dinner will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
You can freeze this chicken easily in a freezer-safe zip-style bag.

Serving: 1 leg quarter Calories: 487 kcal Carbohydrates: 33 g Protein: 25 g Fat: 28 g Saturated Fat: 7 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 142 mg Sodium: 1278 mg Potassium: 628 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 27 g Vitamin A: 2412 IU Vitamin C: 3 mg Calcium: 52 mg Iron: 2 mg