Description
Slow Cooker Dijon-Thyme Chicken Legs are a flavorful and tender dish featuring skin-on chicken drumsticks cooked low and slow with Dijon mustard, bone broth, and aromatic spices. This easy recipe yields juicy chicken infused with thyme and cumin, perfect for a comforting family meal with minimal hands-on time.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 8-10 skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 2 lbs, depending on size)
Seasoning & Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. ghee (or avocado oil for dairy-free), divided
- 3 Tbsp. Tessemae’s Dijon Mustard
- 3/4 cup bone broth (homemade or store-bought)
- 2-3 dates, pitted and finely chopped (may substitute 1 Tbsp. honey if not Whole30)
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. paprika (smoked or sweet)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: Arrowroot starch (for Whole30) or corn starch for thickening the gravy
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the skin-on chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels to help them brown better and season them with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sear the Chicken: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat half the ghee or avocado oil. Add the chicken drumsticks in batches and sear until golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. This step adds flavor and improves texture. Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker.
- Make the Sauce: In a mixing bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, bone broth, chopped dates (or honey substitute), ground cumin, dried thyme, smoked or sweet paprika, and remaining ghee or avocado oil. Stir well to blend all the flavors.
- Cook in Slow Cooker: Pour the mustard-thyme sauce evenly over the browned chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Optional Gravy Thickening: If desired, remove the chicken once cooked and stir in arrowroot starch (Whole30-compliant) or corn starch into the cooking liquid to thicken the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat. Pour the thickened gravy over the chicken before serving.
- Serve: Plate the slow cooker Dijon-thyme chicken legs with the flavorful sauce spooned over the top. This dish pairs well with steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice, or a simple salad.
Notes
- Slow Cooker Dijon-Thyme Chicken Legs are simple to make and sure to please the whole family.
- Searing the chicken before slow cooking improves flavor and texture but is optional.
- Use arrowroot starch for thickening if following Whole30 guidelines, otherwise corn starch works well.
- Bone broth adds richness and depth to the sauce; use homemade or a quality store-bought brand.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 legs + 3 Tbsp. sauce
- Calories: 304
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 375mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
