Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my slow cooker chicken wings recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
How To Cook Chicken Wings In A Crock Pot
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
Thaw your chicken wings before slow cooking. This avoids any food safety risks (source from the USDA) and ensures that the garlic butter sauce sticks. Plus, frozen wings can water things down, making it harder to get that crispy texture later. If you don’t have time to thaw, make my frozen air fryer chicken wings instead. Use a liner for easy cleanup. If you want easier cleanup, use reusable slow cooker liners like this. Just lift out the liner and toss it in the dishwasher when you’re done. Do you really have to broil them? No, but I highly recommend it because the skin is pretty soggy if you don’t include this step. After broiling, you get the best of both worlds — super juicy, tender meat inside and crispy, golden skin on the outside. Watch closely when broiling. The time to brown can vary. I recommend placing the wings 6 inches from the heating element for this step, and when I do this my slow cooker wings usually take 5 minutes per side to brown. Don’t want to use your oven? You can also crisp up the wings in your air fryer! Just preheat to 400 degrees F, then air fry for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy. You’ll need to do this in batches to avoid crowding the basket, which is why I usually prefer the oven for a large batch like this recipe. You can serve the chicken wings in the slow cooker if you like. Just drain the liquid and wipe it down, then place the wings back in after broiling — like my picture below. I like to do this and keep my Crock Pot on the warm setting, so the wings stay warm!
The buffalo sauce from my buffalo wings recipe Regular or sugar free BBQ sauce (similar to my Crock Pot chicken legs) Your favorite hot sauce (mixed with butter or olive oil) Teriyaki sauce for some sweetness
Just toss the wings with sauce before slow cooking, then brush on more sauce either before or after broiling. The seasonings from my baked chicken wings taste great, or try 2 tablespoons of my lemon pepper seasoning.
Dipping Sauce – These garlic butter wings are already plenty flavorful on their own, but I really like them with ranch dressing. If you make my buffalo version in the variations above, blue cheese dressing pairs well with that, too. Raw Veggies – Wings wouldn’t be complete without the classic celery sticks and carrot sticks. Sometimes I mix it up with radishes and bell pepper strips, too. Pizza – I love slow cooker wings and pizza for a comfort food dinner! Try my pizza casserole or cauliflower crust pizza for lighter options. Salad – For a complete meal deal, add one of my crisp salad recipes! My creamy radish salad or simple cucumber tomato salad are so easy.
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Tips: See the details in the post above! I’ve got tips to help you get your slow cooker wings nice and crispy, an easy cleanup trick, notes on using frozen wings, an alternative to your broiler, and more. Flavor variations: See the details in the post above! I’ve got ways you can make these with buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, simply seasonings, and more. Storage: Up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Meal prep: Cook the chicken wings in the Crock Pot, keep in the fridge, and wait to broil them until the day you’re serving them. Freeze: Up to 3 months in the freezer. I recommend freezing on a sheet pan first to prevent sticking, then transfer to a zip lock bag.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Ebook Bundle, Keto Ebook Bundle, and Winter Ebook Bundle! These slow cooker chicken wings have saved me on more than one occasion. And if I know I’ll have an extra busy day, I even slow cook them the day before and broil the day-of. How often do you use your slow cooker? I’m curious if I should focus on slow cooker recipes more, or not. Let me know in the comments below!
