There’s nothing like “set it and forget it” recipes when you’re throwing a party, and Slow Cooker Chicken Wings are where it’s at when you’re craving chicken wings but have no time to watch them.
Chicken wings are a football party must-have. There are so many different ways to cook them from deep fried, baked, grilled or slow cooked – there is sure to be a cooking method right for you.
But no matter how you cook your wings, there are a couple things that are a must when it comes to chicken wings. First, the meat must be tender. Second, the outside has to be nice and crispy. Last, but certainly not least, the sauce has to bring some serious flavor! This recipe delivers all three.
To make things as easy as possible for you on party day, we’re sharing a slow cooker chicken wings recipe. We use plain, fresh wings and put them straight into the slow cooker with homemade buffalo wing sauce until cooked. While the cook time is 2 hours, there is minimal work to be done because you can set it and forget it – that is, until your house smells so good you can’t stop thinking about those wings. (If you don’t already have a slow cooker, what are you waiting for? We recommend this one.)
When they’re done cooking in the slow cooker we take the wings out and broil them on a sheet pan to crisp up. The end result is fall-off-the-bone tender meat with a crispy, crunchy outside layer. The buffalo sauce has a nice kick to it but isn’t overpowering, though you can add more heat to it if you want by using additional cayenne pepper. These wings pair perfectly with ranch or blue cheese dip. Go team!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
There’s nothing like “set it and forget it” recipes when you’re throwing a party, and Slow Cooker Chicken Wings are where it’s at when you’re craving chicken wings but have no time to watch them.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. fresh whole chicken wings, cut into flats and drumettes. Discard tips or use for a stock. (Here’s how to cut them.)
- 3/4 cup hot sauce (I like Frank’s RedHot)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like a kick)
- 1/8 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. After cutting the wings into flats and drums, place them in the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the ingredients are blended together and the sauce is bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the wings in the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn on high and cook for 2 hours (or on low for about 3-4 hours) or until wings are fully cooked to an internal temp of 165°F.
- Prepare baking sheet by placing a cooling rack on top. When the wings are fully cooked transfer the wings to the prepared cooling rack/baking sheet. Brush buffalo sauce from the slow cooker onto the wing pieces. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil on high until the wings are nice and crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Turn wings over and broil an additional 2 minutes on the opposite side. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn! Remove from oven, brush with additional sauce if desired, and enjoy with ranch or blue cheese dressing/dip.