This slow cooker 5-ingredient buttered cabbage and chicken is the kind of dish that shows up at every big family feast out here in the Midwest. It’s simple farm food: tender greens, juicy meat that falls right off the bone, and potatoes that soak up all the buttery broth. My own mother used to tuck cabbage and chicken into a big enamel roaster for holidays and church suppers, and when slow cookers came along, we just moved the same idea into the crock. It’s the sort of recipe you make when you want the house to smell like home and you don’t want to fuss with a long list of ingredients.
Serve this straight from the slow cooker with plenty of that buttery broth ladled over the cabbage and potatoes. It’s lovely with soft dinner rolls or slices of crusty bread to mop up the juices, and a simple side of applesauce or a crisp green salad balances the richness. For a true Midwestern-style feast, add a pan of corn casserole or green beans and finish the meal with something simple and old-fashioned, like a fruit crisp or pie.
Slow Cooker Buttered Cabbage and ChickenServings: 6
Ingredients
8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), skin-on
1 small head green cabbage (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), cut into thick wedges
1 1/2 pounds yellow potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper (optional, for seasoning the chicken and vegetables)
Directions
Prepare the vegetables: Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into 6 to 8 thick wedges, keeping the core attached so the wedges hold together. Scrub the yellow potatoes and cut them into large, hearty chunks so they don’t fall apart during the long cooking.
Season the chicken: Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them all over with about 1 teaspoon of the salt and, if using, half of the black pepper. This gives the meat good flavor as it slowly cooks and helps the juices season the whole pot.
Build the base in the slow cooker: Place the potato chunks in an even layer on the bottom of a large slow cooker (5- to 7-quart size). Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and any remaining black pepper. Nestle the cabbage wedges over the potatoes, fitting them in snugly so they form a bed for the chicken.
Add the chicken and butter: Arrange the seasoned drumsticks on top of the cabbage, packing them in but keeping them mostly in a single layer. Slowly pour the melted butter evenly over the chicken, cabbage, and potatoes so everything gets a little shine. The butter will mix with the juices from the chicken and vegetables to create a rich, savory broth.
Slow cook until tender: Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the chicken is very tender and the meat pulls away from the bone easily with a fork, the cabbage is soft and translucent, and the potatoes are fully cooked and can be pierced without resistance.
Finish and serve: Taste a bit of the broth and cabbage and add a pinch more salt if needed. For a more golden look on the chicken, you can carefully lift the drumsticks onto a baking sheet and run them under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, then return them to the slow cooker. To serve, spoon the soft cabbage wedges and potato chunks into bowls or onto plates, nestle a drumstick or two on top, and ladle some of the buttery broth over everything so it glistens.
Optional holding step: If you’re serving this as part of a big family feast, you can switch the slow cooker to WARM once everything is tender. Leave the lid on, and it will hold nicely for up to an hour while you finish other dishes, keeping the chicken juicy and the cabbage meltingly soft.
Variations & Tips
For extra flavor without adding more main ingredients, tuck in a small onion, sliced, under the cabbage, or scatter a few garlic cloves among the potatoes. A teaspoon of dried thyme, marjoram, or caraway seeds sprinkled over the vegetables before adding the chicken gives the dish an old-country flavor my grandparents would recognize. If you prefer white meat, you can use bone-in chicken thighs instead of drumsticks, but keep the skin on for moisture and flavor. To lighten things up a bit, you can replace half of the butter with low-sodium chicken broth; you’ll still get a rich-tasting broth, just not quite as buttery. For a more browned look without broiling, quickly sear the drumsticks in a hot skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. If your family likes a bit of tang, pass apple cider vinegar or prepared mustard at the table and let folks drizzle just a touch over their own plate to brighten the buttery richness. Leftovers reheat well; shred any remaining chicken off the bone, chop the cabbage and potatoes, and warm everything together in a skillet for a quick next-day hash.
