Sticky Chicken Legs Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken recipe made with bone in chicken thighs, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic ginger, and tomato paste. Serve over hot rice for a great family dinner!

Slow cooker sticky chicken pieces on top of rice on a blue plate

If you're looking for a great dinner recipe that a perfect dupe for Chinese food takeout, this easy Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken will be one you're going to want to try ASAP! I've been making this dinner for my family for years and my husband and kids all can't get enough of it.

This one does take an extra step – broiling the chicken skin – but it's WELL worth it. Don't be intimidated if you've never broiled anything before. I'll walk you through it step by step!

Easy slow cooker sticky chicken on a blue plate next to cooked rice

What kind of chicken is used in this recipe?

You'll need bone in, skin on chicken thighs to make this.

Can I used boneless skinless chicken thighs instead?

I really recommend using the bone in and skin on thighs. The fat from the skin renders in the Crockpot and creates an amazingly flavorful broth for the chicken to cook with.

Can chicken drumsticks or chicken legs be used?

Sure! Just use the same amount as the chicken thighs. Slow cooker sticky chicken drumsticks or slow cooker sticky chicken legs both sound absolutely delicious to me!

What's in this recipe?

Ingredients for slow cooker sticky chicken on a blue placemat

How to make this recipe:

In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

Stirring ingredients for a recipe in a small white bowl

2. Place chicken thighs in the bottom of a slow cooker and pour soy sauce mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on low.

Pouring soy sauce over chicken thighs in a slow cooker

3. Remove chicken thighs from the Crockpot and place on a cookie sheet or a baking dish.

Removing slow cooker sticky chicken drumsticks from a slow cooker with black tongs

4. To make this sticky chicken sauce: In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, tomato paste, and water.

Ingredients for sticky chicken sauce in a small white bowl on a blue placemat

5. Brush sticky chicken sauce on all sides of chicken. Set your oven to BROIL setting and place baking sheet with chicken in the oven for 3 – 5 minutes or until sauce has caramelized on the chicken.

Spreading slow cooker sticky chicken legs sauce over chicken thighs on a baking sheet

6. Serve over cooked hot rice.

Serving slow cooker sticky chicken on top of cooked rice

Does the skin get crispy?

No, it just bakes the sauce on the skin to make it extra delicious!

What can I do with the extra sauce?

Heat up any extra sauce you have after basting the chicken, and serve it drizzled over the rice. The flavor of the sticky chicken sauce is top notch!

Can I use a brown sugar substitute?

Yes, that would probably work fine, but results may vary depending on the brand used.

Help! I've never broiled before!

Don't worry, it's easy to broil! Instead of the nice even bottom heat typical baking produces, the broil setting on your oven switches to really intense direct heat from above the food. My biggest tip is do not walk away from the oven while you're broiling. The food can get too done or burn on top quickly, so keep a close eye on it!

Can this recipe be frozen?

You can freeze the raw chicken in the cooking sauce in a large gallon freezer bag, and then store the sticky chicken sauce in a separate freezer bag. This makes a fantastic ready to go freezer meal! Just be sure to label it with the cooking instructions!

Recipe pro tips:

Mix up the sauces ahead of time to make the actual cooking process go much quicker!
Try a combination of chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of all thighs
Don't be alarmed at the low sauce to chicken ratio in the Crockpot – the chicken will render broth and fat as it cooks. It will be plenty!

More recipes you'll love:

Tangy Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
Pressure Cooker Drumsticks
Cheesy Bacon Zucchini Skins
Crockpot Shredded Chicken
Honey Glazed Chicken Wings
Pineapple Chicken

If you liked this recipe, leave a rating and a comment below this post!

Slow cooker sticky chicken pieces on top of rice on a blue plate

▢ 3 lbs bone in skin on chicken thighs
▢ 1/4 cup brown sugar
▢ 2 tbsp soy sauce
▢ 1 tsp ground ginger
▢ 4 cloves garlic minced

For sticky chicken sauce:

▢ 1/2 cup brown sugar
▢ 1/4 cup tomato paste
▢ 1/4 cup water
▢ 2 tbsp soy sauce
▢ cooked rice

Place chicken into a Crockpot.
In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Pour mixture over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker and place on a baking sheet.
In another small bowl, stir together sticky chicken sauce ingredients.
Baste evenly over top and sides of chicken thighs.
Place into the oven on broiler setting for 3 - 5 minutes or until most moisture has cooked off.
Serve chicken over cooked rice with additional sauce drizzled on top, if desired.

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I'm Kelly. Wife, mom of three, coffee addict, & crockpot obsessed! Join me as I share my favorite shortcut recipes right here!

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