BBQ Crock Pot Chicken Wings

Make our amazing Crock Pot Chicken Wings for your next game day appetizer. These crockpot bbq chicken wings are made with 4 ingredients and are so easy to make.

Serve your slow cooker chicken wings with a homemade dip such as Ranch or Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese.

Crock pot chicken wings might actually be the easiest appetizer of all time. These incredible bbq chicken wings are made in 4 simple steps and require little to no effort on your part.

Fresh or Frozen Wings?

First things first. Fresh or frozen wings? There are lots of options out there when it comes to chicken wings and we have some good and bad news for you:

Good news: You can buy either frozen or fresh chicken wings at the grocery store and either will work. Actually, we recommend buying them frozen because you’re more likely to find a drummies + wings combo frozen than fresh!

The other nice thing about buying them frozen is you’re more likely to be able to find the drummies and wings already separated than having to do it yourself, which is a mess. We know this from experience.

Bad news: if you buy frozen wings, we recommend thawing them before cooking them in the slow cooker. No worries, all you have to do is let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and you’re ready to go!

The reason why we suggest thawing them first is to make sure you eliminate any kind of food borne illness from happening.

Are chicken wings bad for you?

Chicken wings get a bad wrap because they are classically breaded and fried. If you make them at home, like in the slow cooker, for example, they are much better for you!

So, if you’re hoping to make a better-for-you wing, use this recipe!

How to Make Crock Pot Chicken Wings

The slow cooker might actually be the easiest method to cook chicken wings. It’s a set it and forget it kind of method and I totally dig it.

Follow the following steps to make the most delicious crockpot bbq wings on the planet. Plus, we’ll share other flavor ideas such as buffalo sauce and honey garlic!

Step 1: Season

Before tossing your uncooked wings into the slow cooker, season them up with some salt and pepper on both sides. Be generous here.

We decided to stick with salt and pepper because the bbq sauce is the main flavor of these wings, but if you’d like, you can use other seasonings too. Here are some ideas:

Once, they’re fully seasoned, spray the bottom of your crockpot with cooking spray and place them inside your slow cooker.

Step 2: Sauce

Now it’s time to pour in about 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. You can either use store-bought BBQ sauce or make your own at home. Give the wings a nice stir to make sure everything is fully coated in BBQ Sauce. Don’t worry, you’ll use more sauce later.

Our Favorite BBQ Sauces

Looking for BBQ sauce suggestions? Here are some of our favs:

Other Sauce Ideas

An awesome thing about this crock pot chicken wings recipe is that this method works for ANY kind of flavor, not just bbq sauce. Love buffalo wings? Use buffalo sauce! Love teriyaki sauce? Make them teriyaki chicken wings.

Whatever sauce you choose, use around 1/2 cup. Here are more sauce ideas:

Step 3: Slow Cook

Now it’s time to let your slow cooker do its work! Cover your slow cooker and cook on:

• high for 2 hours
• low for around 4

You know your slow cooker chicken wings are done cooking once they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Your wings will be extremely moist once they’re done cooking, but don’t worry, we’ll teach you how to crisp them up a bit!

Step 4: Brush & Bake/Grill/Broil

Want to eat your wings as-is? GO FOR IT! Since they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165ºF, they are safe to eat and ready to go.

Want to crisp them up a little bit and caramelize the bbq sauce? Remove slow cooker chicken wings from the crockpot and place them on a pan. Brush both sides of all the wings with more sauce. By brushing the wings with sauce before you cook them again, the BBQ sauce will caramelize and become super delish.

Now it’s time to dry them out a little bit and give them that delicious texture. Depending on the season or what you have available, we’ve got options here. Our favorite way? GRILLED!

• Bake: Bake wings at 400ºF for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway.
• Grill: Grill wings at 450 for 1-015 minutes, flipping halfway.
• Broil: Broil on high for 2-5 minutes, flipping halfway.

As always, feel free to add more sauce or bake longer, if desired. We wanted to make a note that because you aren’t frying your chicken wings, they won’t get super crunchy like at a restaurant.

We’ve found that the higher the heat, the more restaurant-like they will be. Remember, they just sat in a crockpot for 2 hours and are super moist!

Step 5: Dip it!

What would a chicken wing be without the sauce? Just a piece of meat if you ask me! Serve your crock pot chicken wings with your favorite sauce such as:

How do I cook a lot of wings?

The best way to cook a lot of wings is actually in the slow cooker! Good news for you, you’re already on a recipe that cooks 3 lbs. of wings. Scroll down to the recipe card to learn how to do so!

Storage Suggestions

Let chicken cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat: place on a microwave-safe plate and reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

Can You Freeze Slow Cooker Wings?

Yes, you can freeze crock pot chicken wings. If you plan to freeze your chicken, we recommend freezing immediately after cooking in the slow cooker.

Once fully cooked, let cool for 30 minutes. Then, transfer into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag and remove as much air as possible and seal closed.

Freeze for up to 3 months.