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.
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 — or you could also swap the drumsticks out for bone-in thighs, if those are on sale the week you’re reading this instead!
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach
Ingredients
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
2 lbs chicken drumsticks, 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…!) Enjoy :).
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach, printable recipe
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks with Mushrooms & Spinach
Ingredients
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced into half moons
- 2 lbs chicken drumsticks 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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Jessica says
My family loved this! I didn’t feel like making a salad, so I steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower that was left over from last week’s meal plan, and some homemade (butter free) Mac and cheese. They all tasted really well with the juices from this crockpot meal. Thank you for another great meal!
Heather Cook says
My hubby has a strong aversion to vinegar, especially balsamic. (I know, I know, I don’t understand it either.) Any idea if I could sub something for that item? This sounds amazing.
rachel says
Well… it wouldn’t be the same flavor, but if you are going to omit the balsamic you might try just squeezing on a little lemon juice to taste at the end to get a little acidity? I can’t swear to the results, though, since I haven’t tried — and you’ll also lose the sweet part of the sweet + tangy balsamic.
Heather Cook says
Fun update! (At least for me. 😂) I made this on a night that hubby worked late since I figured he’d eat at work or have leftover pizza when he got home. When he smelled the kitchen he wanted to try it and ended up LOVING it, balsamic and all!
rachel says
That is awesome! lol
Courtney Ankrum says
Could you put the drumsticks in frozen? And if so how much longer should it cook?
rachel says
I have never tried, and don’t like putting frozen meat in the slow cooker for safety reasons — if you are going to do it, though, I’d give it more like 7-8 hours on low.
Hannah says
Since you are my cooking tutor 😬… Could I cook them 3 hours on high if I’m pressed for time👀?
rachel says
Well — I have -never- tried doing that, so that’s my caveat. But 5 hours on low should convert to about 2.5 hours on high. I’d check to make sure they are cooked through to temperature, though.
Amanda H says
Sounds yummy! Any thoughts on what veggie to substitute for mushrooms? I hate mushrooms LOL
rachel says
Oh gosh, whatever you like? You could, for instance, do chickpeas if you wanted something with some firmness and contrast, you could do zucchini (which would get very soft).
MF says
Is it possible to use chicken breasts or thighs. Hubs doesn’t like chicken with bones🙄
rachel says
Well you could, but it would be a different dish. If you put b/s chicken breast or thighs in there, you’re going to end up with some falling apart chicken that lends itself to being shredded at the end.
Elizabeth says
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 says
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.
Elizabeth says
Thanks. I removed the skin to avoid my rubbery skin phobia and it was pretty good. THANK YOU for your wonderful recipes.
Natalie says
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.
Tracey Gottfried says
Can I use button mushrooms in a can for this recipe?
rachel says
I haven’t tried, but I don’t see why not. Just drain them well first — Their texture will be different, though.