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Crockpot Chicken Drum Sticks

ByMelissa Jo Posted on
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This is my kind of smothered chicken dinner — simple, rich, and full of cozy fall flavor. And if you like my smothered chicken and smothered pork chops you’ll love my crockpot chicken drumsticks and gravy!

These Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks with Gravy are slow-cooked all day in a creamy, buttery sauce made from brown gravy mix, cream of chicken with herbs, onions, and peppers. The chicken gets tender and juicy, the gravy turns silky, and that splash of heavy cream at the end makes it melt-in-your-mouth perfect. It’s the kind of set-it-and-forget-it meal that fills your house with the best smell all day long. By dinnertime, you’ve got fall-off-the-bone chicken and a golden, creamy gravy that’s made for spooning over mashed potatoes or rice. If you love easy slow-cooker comfort food, my Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Soup, Lentil Soup, and Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs — all cozy favorites with that signature Melissa Jo Real Recipes touch.

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🤔 Common Questions

Can I use boneless chicken instead of drumsticks?

Yes! Boneless thighs or breasts work great — just reduce the cook time slightly so they don’t dry out (around 2½–3 hours on HIGH or 5–6 hours on LOW).

Can I make this without a crockpot?

Absolutely. You can bake it covered in a 9×13 dish at 350°F for about 1 hour, then uncover and bake another 15–20 minutes to let it brown.

Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks

This is my kind of smothered chicken dinner — simple, rich, and full of cozy fall flavor.
These Crockpot Chicken Drumsticks with Gravy are slow-cooked all day in a creamy, buttery sauce made from brown gravy mix, cream of chicken with herbs, onions, and peppers. The chicken gets tender and juicy, the gravy turns silky, and that splash of heavy cream at the end makes it melt-in-your-mouth perfect. It’s the kind of set-it-and-forget-it meal that fills your house with the best smell all day long. By dinnertime, you’ve got fall-off-the-bone chicken and a golden, creamy gravy that’s made for spooning over mashed potatoes or rice. If you love easy slow-cooker comfort food, my Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Soup, Lentil Soup, and Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs — all cozy favorites with that signature Melissa Jo Real Recipes touch.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 8 skinless chicken drumsticks ask the butcher to remove the skin
  • 1 can Cream of Chicken with Herbs soup
  • 1 packet brown gravy mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper sliced (use red too for color if you’d like)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

Seasoning mix:

  • 1 packet Sazón
  • 1 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp Adobo optional

For finishing:

  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • ½ stick butter sliced thin (lay over each piece of chicken)
  • ¼ –½ cup heavy cream add at the end
  • 1 tbsp butter optional, to finish the gravy

Instructions
 

Make the base:

  • In the bottom of your crockpot, whisk together the brown gravy mix, water, and cream of chicken soup until smooth. Add the sliced onions and bell peppers on top.

Season the chicken:

  • Pat the drumsticks dry and rub them with olive oil plus all of your seasonings. Make sure every piece is coated evenly.

Layer it in:

  • Place the seasoned drumsticks on top of the veggie-and-gravy base. Spoon a bit of the gravy mixture over them.

Top with butter:

  • Lay thin slices of butter right over each drumstick — this helps them brown up and gives the gravy extra richness as it melts.

Cook low and slow:

  • Cover and cook on LOW 6–8 hours or HIGH 3–4 hours, until the chicken is tender and fall-off-the-bone.

Add the cream:

  • About 20 minutes before serving, Mix corn starch with heavy cream and mix. It will melt into the gravy and make it silky and luscious. For extra shine, stir in one tablespoon of butter just before serving.

Serve:

  • Spoon the chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles. Garnish with parsley or chives if you want to make it fancy.
Keyword crockpot, crockpot chicken drumsticks
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2 Comments

    1. Great question! 😊 Yes, you can absolutely use boneless skinless thighs if you prefer. The bones and skin do add extra flavor and help keep things super moist when cooking in the crockpot, but thighs will still work beautifully.

      Here’s how to adjust for boneless thighs:
      • Use the same amount (about the same weight) of thighs instead of drumsticks.
      • Reduce cooking time a little — for boneless thighs I’d recommend 3 – 4 hours on LOW or 1.5 – 2 hours on HIGH.
      • If you’re missing the skin, after cooking you can give the thighs a quick broil for 3–4 minutes to crisp up the tops.
      • Make sure you include plenty of sauce/liquid so the thighs stay juicy.

      Reply

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