Description
Crockpot BBQ chicken wings are one of the easiest ways to serve up tender, flavorful wings with little or no fuss.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings (fresh or frozen)
- 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce (such as Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce, plus more for basting)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
- Serving suggestions: coleslaw or shredded cabbage, ranch or more BBQ sauce
Instructions
1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set aside.
2. Transfer wings into the slow cooker.
3. Pour the bbq sauce mixture over the wings and toss until evenly coated.
4. Cover with the lid and cook:
5. – Frozen wings: HIGH for 3–4 hours
6. – Fresh or thawed wings: LOW for 4–5 hours.
7. Cook until the meat is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
8. When the wings are done, preheat your oven broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with nonstick spray or a light layer of butter.
9. Arrange the wings on the prepared sheet and brush with additional barbecue sauce. Broil for 6–8 minutes, turning halfway, until caramelized and slightly crisp.
10. Sprinkle with fresh parsley or green onions, if desired. Serve warm with coleslaw, ranch, or more barbecue sauce.
Notes
A larger slow cooker works best when cooking 4 pounds of wings; overcrowding may lead to uneven cooking.
For frozen wings, always cook on HIGH to reduce food safety risks. Slow cookers heat up slowly, so cooking on LOW may keep chicken in the “danger zone” too long.
Expect liquid to collect in the slow cooker when using frozen wings. Discard it before broiling for a thicker coating.
If you like saucy wings, keep extra barbecue sauce handy for basting during broiling. Adding layers of sauce helps create a sticky, flavorful finish.
You can substitute drumsticks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 5-6 wings
- Calories: 522
- Sugar: 33g
- Sodium: 1440mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 31g
- Cholesterol: 126mg