Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms and Spinach is such an easy all-in-one, low carb, gluten free Crock-Pot recipe! Just 15 minutes of prep, too — and you can swap out for bone-in thighs, if you prefer.
I was going through my freezer this week, pulling out some of the older frozen meats and rotating newer purchases to the back, when I found a couple of pounds of chicken drumsticks that needed to be used. So, on one of our busy summer days I threw these into my Crock-Pot with some veggies and pantry staples I also had on hand — transforming them into these Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach.
Yup, that’s a keeper! This easy & affordable all-in-one dinner recipe just takes about 15 minutes of prep work, then you can throw everything into your Crock-Pot and let it do all the work for you. Dinner: Done.
Even if you don’t happen to have drumsticks in your freezer today, they’re generally one of the most affordable cuts of meat around. This makes them always a good choice for Sunday Scratchups: Your weekly recipe from scratch around grocery sales and affordable ingredients. You can also swap the drumsticks out for bone-in thighs, if those are on sale this week instead!
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach
Ingredients
8 oz baby bella or white mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
2 lbs chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs, trimmed
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
5 oz fresh baby spinach
Directions
Arrange onions and mushrooms in the bottom of the Crock-Pot. Place the drumsticks on top of the veggies, and season the chicken with sea salt and pepper.
Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and spices in a small bowl, then pour the balsamic mixture over the drumsticks. Pour the diced tomatoes over everything.
Cook on low for five hours. Open the lid and add in the spinach (no need to stir), replace lid, and continue to cook on low for 15 more minutes or until spinach is steamed and wilted.
Stir in the spinach and serve, spooning some of the juices from the crock over the chicken.
Easy Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks are Gluten Free and Low Carb
This super easy chicken drumsticks recipe is both low carb and gluten free, and you always have to love a meal that makes its own side dish. You get a ton of flavor from the garlicky tomatoes and tangy balsamic, which also work in tandem to help keep the chicken tender and juicy. (And those balsamic mushrooms… yum…!) I hope you enjoy this one as much as our family dide.
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach, printable recipe
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz baby bella or white mushrooms
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced into half moons
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs trimmed
- Black pepper to taste
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 5 oz fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Arrange onions and mushrooms in the bottom of the Crock-Pot. Place the drumsticks on top of the veggies, and season the chicken with sea salt and pepper.
- Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and spices in a small bowl, then pour the balsamic mixture over the drumsticks. Pour the diced tomatoes over everything.
- Cook on low for five hours. Open the lid and add in the spinach (no need to stir), replace lid, and continue to cook on low for 15 more minutes or until spinach is steamed and wilted.
- Stir in the spinach and serve, spooning some of the juices from the crock over the chicken.
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Jennifer V
Tuesday 31st of October 2023
Was so sure I would love this. I found it to be way too sweet and could only blame the balsamic. I even used less than the amount specified. It cooked up nicely in 2.5 hrs. on high. I won't be making it again, but I gave it try
Tina
Sunday 13th of September 2020
how do you trim the drumsticks?
rachel
Sunday 13th of September 2020
Just clip off any excess skin you don't want with kitchen shears. Depending on the brand and kind you buy, some are pre-trimmed nicely for you already, but some will have big folds of skin you might want to trim off before cooking.
Tracey Gottfried
Tuesday 14th of April 2020
Can I use button mushrooms in a can for this recipe?
rachel
Tuesday 14th of April 2020
I haven't tried, but I don't see why not. Just drain them well first -- Their texture will be different, though.
Natalie
Monday 23rd of March 2020
This was delicious and paired so well with rice! thank you for making easy meals for my husband to prepare when I work longer hours.
Elizabeth
Tuesday 18th of February 2020
Hi there,
It seems like these kind of crock pot meals I always get rubbery skin on the chicken drumsticks. Did you remove the skin before cooking? If not, did the skin come out rubbery. Is there anything you did special to brown the skin?
rachel
Tuesday 18th of February 2020
I did not (see photos) -- the skin isn't going to come out the same as if you roasted the chicken, but if you'd like a little browning on them you can brown in olive oil on the stove before cooking in the Crock-Pot.