Tender Crockpot Chicken Leg Quarters

Ready to cook some Crockpot chicken leg quarters this week? They are a cheap and healthy meal we all love. Baked chicken leg quarters are great but if you don’t have time for these, you can throw them into your pot in the morning this way!

Slow Cooker Chicken Leg Quarters

Of course if you have the desire and time to go all out I have several other ways you can make this cut. With a Traeger you can make smoked chicken quarters which is great if you like to cook outside but needs to be tended to a bit so the meat doesn’t dry out. This is literally set it and forget it.

I do love slow cooker boneless skinless thighs. They turn out delicious but are quite a bit more expensive than if you buy them like this. It is more likely I will find these on sale and when I do I load up because there are so many different ways to cook them so you get fall off the bone meat.

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters Slow Cooker

You will be surprised to know that frozen meat doesn’t really take much longer, sometimes none at all, cooked this way. I know, it kinda’ doesn’t make sense that this would be the case but figured it out with our slow cooker frozen chicken thighs. At first I cooked much longer and it was dried out, did it the same and OMG it was amazing.

Of course the seasonings are up to you as far as that goes. I would add at least salt and pepper but you could Lawry’s seasoned salt or even add red pepper flakes for heat too. Adding some under and over the skin gets it all over so you really don’t need a sauce. If you do want to add bbq sauce I would do that before broiling.

This isn’t really any different than how to cook turkey legs and thighs if you wanted to use those instead during the holidays. The only change in cook time would be if yours were a lot larger. Just have a digital thermometer on hand to check and remove once they hit 165F.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt and pepper

If you want to get crispy chicken skin at the end under your broiler you’ll want a sheet pan for that. Alternatively you can use your countertop appliance like we did with air fryer chicken leg quarters. If you take the skin off then you wouldn’t need to bother with this but should buy it with it on to add moisture to the protein underneath.

If you wanted to add potatoes into your Crockpot chicken recipe I would use petite or the baby ones that come in a bag at the store. Add 1/2 cup of broth at the bottom of the pot if you do to promote steaming from the get go. This one requires no liquid because the meat will exude broth as it cooks and then create steam thereafter.

How to Cook Slow Cooker Chicken Leg Quarters with Potatoes

• Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.
  • (This is not required, I just like to make sure no pieces of the chicken get stuck on the sides).
• In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt & pepper.
• Sprinkle the dry seasoning under and on top of the skin. Place the seasoned chicken in your slow cooker. 
• Cover and cook on high for 3 hours is best, but can do low for 6 hours.
• Once cooking time is complete, use a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.

Remove and place on a baking sheet. If you want to add a sauce to the top, brush that on at this time so it bakes on and kinda’ caramelizes on the skin. Cook under your broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken skin is nice and brown.

Should chicken be covered in liquid in slow cooker?

Absolutely not. The only reason you should submerge meat in liquid would be if you wanted to make boiled chicken legs or something. The biggest negative to that is the skin gets ewwwwy and rubbery. Best if used for just shredded meat for that reason.

You don’t need to add any water or broth to make this at all really. That may surprise you but think about it. When cooking any sort of meat as a slow cooker recipe it will seep juices out as it cooks. Those will get super hot in the contained pot which will create steam, which will cook the outsides even faster.

Trust me, this is how to cook chicken leg quarters as easily as directed below. We would never share something that didn’t work perfectly for us. Wouldn’t want to leave followers frustrated.

Barbecue Slow Cooker Chicken Leg Quarters

It doesn’t stop at just barbecue sauce though. We love teriyaki too, like it is our favorite sauce ever. If we are in the mood for an Asian flare. Slow cooked gets the center tender and moist. Then you add you sauce and crisp however you’d like. I do the same thing when making bone in chicken breasts too.

If you do find that legs and thighs separated happen to be cheaper and you want to go with those, they are just as easy. You can try our slow cooker bbq chicken thighs and legs take about the same time. Let me say that Crock pot chicken recipes are the bomb. 5 minutes of prep at the beginning and 5 minutes at the end (if I want to broil).

Have leftovers? They save well!! Just wait until they have cooled and then transfer into a large freezer bag. Zip closed and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then reheat chicken in air fryer or remove the meat and make a casserole or something with it.