This is how to cook Crockpot chicken leg quarters recipe. 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!

Leg quarters are such a cheap and popular slow cooker meal for us. Cooking both the legs and thighs together means more dark meat together in one piece. It is an inexpensive cut you may not have thought about before but should!

Of course if you have the desire and time to go all out we 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 set it and forget it.

We do love slow cooker boneless skinless thighs. They turn out good but are quite a bit more expensive than if you buy them like this. It is more likely we will find these on sale and when we do we 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 we have a few different varieties and we love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

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

Let us give you a peek of our pretty thang we bought recently. It goes with our kitchen so we can leave it out on the countertop all the time.

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, solid for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters in Slow Cooker

You will be surprised to know that frozen meat doesn't take much longer, sometimes none at all, cooked this way. We 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 we cooked much longer and it was dried out, did it the same and OMG it was good.

Of course the seasonings are up to you as far as that goes. We 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 don't need a sauce. If you do want to add bbq sauce we would do that before broiling.

Ingredient notes

Typically we keep the number to about chicken leg quarters. It is best if you add defrosted or fresh pieces but honestly if they are right out of the freezer the cooking time doesn't change much.

As far as the seasonings are concerned that is up to you but a few suggestions would be paprika and/or some salt and pepper.

Chicken Leg Quarters with Potatoes

If you wanted to add potatoes into your Crockpot chicken recipe We 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.

Can you add BBQ sauce?

It doesn't stop at 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. We do the same thing when making bone in chicken breasts too.

Tips

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.

This isn't any different than making this a turkey leg quarters recipe if you wanted to use those instead during the holidays. The only change in cook time would be if yours were a lot larger. have a digital thermometer on hand to check and remove once they hit 165F.

How do you crisp the skin?

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.

Crockpot Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe

By How to cook Crockpot chicken leg quarters in a few hours. Fork tender legs and thighs, then crisp the skin when done. A healthy dinner. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 3 hours hrsServings: 4 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray. (This is not required, we 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.
Once cooking time is complete, use a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken and place on a baking sheet. Cook under your broiler for 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken skin is nice and brown.

Notes

with Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters

The cook time will not change if they are frozen however there are a few tips. Make sure your pieces are separated from one another. If they are in one large chunk, run under cool water to separate quarters from one another and add in, with 4 max inside.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Should chicken be covered in liquid in slow cooker?

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

What is the difference between chicken drumsticks and quarters?

Drumsticks are another name for legs on a bird. Quarters include the thigh as well, attached without separating the two. Typically these larger pieces are cheaper even though you get more meat because they aren't cooked as often.

Barbecue Slow Cooker Chicken Leg Quarters

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

How to reheat leftovers

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.