Easy prep, simple ingredients this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Legs and Potatoes is the perfect meal.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Drumsticks
There’s something magical about the aroma of a slow-cooked meal filling your home, and this recipe for Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Legs with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots is no exception.
All the flavors and textures you want but it requires minimal effort, thanks to the convenience of a slow cooker. This recipe is truly simplicity at its best, great for a busy weeknight dinner. This is one of my favorite ways to get dinner on the table when there is a lot of after school events going on. All the work is done before the chaos and the food is ready to go at dinner time.
The best part is that this can be a complete meal that the entire family can enjoy. Personally I love how the veggies have a roast like flavor to them, and for my kids their favorite part is the tender chicken legs.
Ingredients
- Baby Potatoes – This can be red potatoes or yellow, or even a mixture of both. I like to use the super convenient bags of pre-washed baby potatoes, that way there is zero prep work for the potatoes.
- Carrots – You will want about a pound, most store will sell carrots in a one pound bag so you can just grab one of those if they have it. Otherwise a pound is about 6 large carrots. (You can also just use baby carrots too)
- Chicken Legs – You will want 8 chicken legs. I found this is about the perfect amount to lay out in a layer in the crockpot, 8 chicken drumsticks will be about 3 pounds.
- Olive Oil – Yes we are putting everything in the crockpot but we are using a little olive oil to get the Italian Seasoning to stick and stay on the veggies and chicken.
- Italian Seasoning – If you don’t have any at home you can always pick up some at the grocery store or you can hop over to my recipe for Homemade Italian Seasoning. If the seasoning you choose doesn’t have salt you are going to want to make sure you add some to the meal!
For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.
Instructions
Prepare Vegetables
Start by preparing the vegetables. Peel and cut the carrots into 1-inch pieces. In a mixing bowl, drizzle olive oil over the baby potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, tossing well to ensure every piece is coated.
Layer in Slow Cooker
Transfer the coated carrots and potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker crock.
Season Chicken Legs
In the same mixing bowl, add the chicken legs. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and toss until each chicken leg is well coated.
Cook in Slow Cooker
Carefully arrange the seasoned chicken legs in a single layer on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, ensuring the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Optional Broiling (Crispy Finish)
For those who crave a crispy finish on the chicken legs. Preheat the oven to broil (high), lightly grease a sheet pan, and transfer the chicken legs to the pan. Broil for 3-4 minutes until they reach a golden brown hue, then flip and repeat for the other side.
Serve
Plate the Italian-seasoned chicken legs alongside the roasted baby potatoes and carrots. Don’t forget to drizzle the dish with the flavorful juices from the slow cooker for an extra burst of taste.
tips, tricks and questions
Can I use different vegetables in this recipe?
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with your favorite veggies, but keep in mind their cooking times to ensure everything is perfectly tender. Since the carrots and potatoes are a pretty hearty vegetable you will want something similar, and a similar size, most root vegetables would work well in this recipe.
Is it necessary to broil the chicken legs for a crispy finish?
Nope, the broiling step adds a nice brown and crispy texture to the chicken, but you don’t need to broil the chicken at the end.
Can I prepare this recipe a day in advance and reheat it?
Certainly! This dish reheats well, making it an excellent option for meal prepping. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and gently reheat when ready to enjoy.
What other seasonings can be used instead of Italian seasoning?
Feel free to get creative! Experiment with your favorite herbs or spice rub to customize the flavor profile. Grab your favorite spice blend and give that a try instead!
Note. if your Italian Seasoning doesn’t have salt listed as an ingredients you are going to want to add a little sea salt or kosher salt to the veggies and chicken.
Add if you are interested in giving it a little bit of an extra kick the best way would be to try adding some red pepper flakes to the mix!
For Serving:
Even though these chicken legs and veggies are already seasoned my children really liked picking out sauce to go with the meal, they like barbecue sauce and ketchup, let kids go wild! It is a great meal for the whole family to enjoy!
If you like this Slow Cooker Chicken Legs and Potatoes Recipe you might also like these slow cooker recipes:
Slow Cooker Chicken Legs and Potatoes
This simple dinner is made by layering carrots and baby potatoes with chicken legs to all cook together in the crockpot.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds baby potatoes
- 1 pound carrots (about 6 large carrots)
- 3 pounds chicken legs (8 chicken legs)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 4 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Peel and cut carrots into 1 inch pieces.
- Add the carrots and baby potatoes to a mixing bowl. Drizzle and toss in the olive oil. Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of the Italian Seasoning. Toss well to coat.
- Add the coat rots and potatoes to the bottom of the slow cooker crock.
- Add the chicken legs to the same mixing bowl you used for the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Toss well so the chicken is well coated.
- Evenly add the chicken legs in a single layer on top of the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, or high 3 to 4 hours. The meal is ready when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165° F.
- Optional: Turn your oven to broil (high). Lightly grease a sheet pan and add the chicken legs to the sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes until the legs start to brown. Remove the sheet pan and flip the chicken legs over. Transfer back to the oven and broil another 3-4 minutes until the chicken is browned on this side.
- Serve the chicken, potatoes, and carrots together with the juices from the crockpot.
Notes
During testing in my slow cooker the meal was usually ready on the low end of the cooking time so 6 hours on low and 3 hours on high, sometimes even cooked slightly faster than that, so keep an eye on the meal at the end, if the chicken cooks too long the meat might just fall right off the bones.
If your Italian Seasoning doesn't contain salt make sure you add some to the chicken and vegetables.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 chicken leg plus veggiesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 422Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 216mgSodium: 208mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 43g
Nutritional data is automated and might not be 100% accurate, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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Do you not add any liquid to this recipe?
Nope no liquid needed, you will find as it is done cooking the carrots create quite a bit of juices but no need to add any at the beginning.
Hi I don’t see no other kind of seasoning like salt and a black pepper, does Italian seasoning are alternative, just a question
Oops I didn’t read notes, my apologies