Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken
This BWW parmesan chicken crockpot dish copies the flavor of a parmesan garlic wing sauce, but on tender chicken drumsticks. Garlic, butter and parmesan make a glossy coating that clings to the meat.
6
servings15
minutes6
hoursChicken drumsticks cook low, then get tossed in a garlic parmesan butter sauce and broiled for color.
Ingredients
3 lb chicken drumsticks
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
Ranch dressing, for dipping
Directions
- Pat the drumsticks dry. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper and rub it over the chicken.
- Pour the broth into a 6-quart slow cooker and add the drumsticks.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours. The chicken should reach 175°F and pull easily from the bone.
- Heat the oven broiler and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute without browning.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, lemon juice and half the parmesan. Remove from heat.
- Move the drumsticks to the baking sheet with tongs. Brush generously with the sauce.
- Broil 3 to 4 minutes until the edges are golden and bubbling.
- Toss with the remaining parmesan and parsley. Serve hot with ranch.
Notes
- Chicken wings work and cook faster, about 3 hours on LOW. Bone-in thighs are another good swap. The sauce can be made earlier and warmed gently. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven to bring back the crisp edges.
Getting wing-joint flavor from a slow cooker
Parmesan garlic wings are all about the sauce: butter, garlic and a heavy hand of cheese. This version uses drumsticks, which are cheaper and meatier than wings, and lets the slow cooker do the long, gentle cooking. Five to six hours on LOW leaves the meat tender enough to slide off the bone. Plan on two or three drumsticks per person as a main dish, or one per guest as an appetizer. The recipe doubles if your cooker is large, but keep the pieces in no more than two layers.
The slow cooker cannot crisp skin, so the oven broiler finishes the job. A few minutes under high heat turns the buttery sauce into golden, bubbling edges. This two-step method gives you the wing-joint taste of a sports bar with no deep fryer and almost no mess.
Ingredient notes
Chicken drumsticks: Buy 3 pounds, about 10 to 12 drumsticks, and pat them dry. Dry skin takes the rub better and browns faster under the broiler. Pick pieces of similar size so they finish together.
Unsalted butter: Six tablespoons is the base of the sauce. Use unsalted so you can control the salt, because the parmesan is already salty.
Fresh garlic: Mince six cloves and cook them gently in the butter for one minute. Jarred garlic tastes sour in a sauce like this, and burnt garlic tastes bitter, so keep the heat at medium. Grate a little extra parmesan for the very end, since the second coat sticks to the warm sauce and looks better on the plate.
Parmesan: Grate it yourself from a wedge. The pre-grated kind in the canister has anti-caking powder, and it turns gritty instead of melting into the butter.
Lemon juice: One tablespoon cuts the richness. Use fresh juice if you can.
Tips for the best result
Dry the drumsticks: Wet chicken steams under the broiler instead of browning. Pat each piece with paper towels before the rub goes on.
Do not overcook: The most common mistake is going past 6 hours on LOW. Drumsticks fall apart on the tongs when the meat gets too soft. Check at 5 hours and pull them when the meat reaches 175°F. Pick the thickest part of the largest drumstick for your thermometer, and keep it away from the bone.
Watch the broiler: The sauce has milk solids in it, so it goes from golden to burned in under a minute. Stay by the oven and rotate the pan if your broiler has hot spots.
Parmesan garlic chicken crockpot swaps
Use chicken wings in place of drumsticks, but cut the cook time to 3 hours on LOW. Bone-in thighs also work with an extra hour. For a spicy kick, add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the butter. A spoonful of honey makes a sweeter sauce. Skin-on pieces brown better under the broiler than skinless ones, and the rub sticks better too. Wings and drumsticks both take the same sauce.
Do not toss the chicken in the sauce before the slow cooker cooks it. The sauce will break and turn greasy over several hours, and the cheese will clump at the bottom.
What to serve with it
Serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks and a bowl of ranch dressing for dipping. Add a pile of french fries or a baked potato bar for a bigger meal. Stack napkins on the table, because this one gets messy.
Storing and reheating
Keep leftovers for 4 days in the fridge. Reheat on a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes so the edges crisp up again. The microwave works but the coating gets soft. Freeze the unsauced cooked drumsticks for 3 months, then thaw, broil and sauce fresh.
Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 6 hours
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 14, led by chicken drumsticks, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
Tips for Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken
Chicken wings work and cook faster, about 3 hours on LOW. Bone-in thighs are another good swap. The sauce can be made earlier and warmed gently. Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven to bring back the crisp edges.
Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken FAQ
How long does Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken take?
Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken takes 6 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot BWW Parmesan Garlic Chicken?
14 ingredients, led by chicken drumsticks, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
