This little slow cooker number is straight out of the 1960s church picnic playbook, only easier. You start with frozen drumsticks, toss in just three more pantry friends, and let the crock pot do the rest. The sauce is that sweet-tangy, tomato-kissed glaze that used to show up on every red-and-white checkered tablecloth when I was a young mom. It’s the kind of recipe you throw together on a busy morning and come home to the smell of supper that tastes like summers gone by, with plates wiped clean and hardly a word spoken except for, “Is there any more?”.
These drumsticks love simple, old-fashioned sides: buttered corn, coleslaw, and a pan of baked beans or scalloped potatoes fit the picnic mood perfectly. Spoon some of the sauce over plain white rice or mashed potatoes to catch every bit of flavor, and add dill pickles or sliced cucumbers and onions in vinegar for a bright, crisp contrast. A basket of warm dinner rolls or cornbread rounds things out so folks can mop up the sweet-tangy juices at the bottom of the slow cooker.
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker 1960s Picnic DrumsticksServings: 6
Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2 pounds frozen chicken drumsticks (about 10–12 pieces, unthawed)
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup grape jelly
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Directions
Place the frozen chicken drumsticks in an even layer in the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. It’s fine if there is a little frost or the pieces touch; just try not to stack them too high.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, grape jelly, and yellow mustard until the mixture is smooth and the jelly is mostly dissolved. This is your classic sweet-and-tangy picnic sauce.
Pour the sauce evenly over the frozen drumsticks, lifting a few pieces with a spoon or tongs so some of the sauce can run underneath. Use the back of the spoon to spread the sauce so most of the chicken is lightly coated.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the drumsticks are cooked through, very tender, and reach an internal temperature of at least 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part (not touching the bone). Do not remove the lid during the first few hours so the heat stays steady and the chicken thaws and cooks safely.
Once the chicken is done, gently stir or turn the drumsticks so they are well coated in the sauce. If the sauce seems thin, let the drumsticks sit uncovered in the hot slow cooker for about 10 to 15 minutes to thicken slightly, or transfer the lid slightly askew so some steam can escape.
Taste the sauce and adjust if you like: add a spoonful more jelly for sweetness or a small squirt of mustard for extra tang. Serve the drumsticks hot straight from the crock, spooning plenty of sauce over each piece.
Variations & Tips
For a little smoke and spice, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and a pinch of black pepper or red pepper flakes to the sauce before pouring it over the chicken. If you remember those old 1960s cocktail meatballs, you can swap the grape jelly for 3/4 cup of canned jellied cranberry sauce or apricot preserves for a different sweet note. Barbecue-style: replace 1/2 cup of the ketchup with your favorite bottled BBQ sauce to deepen the flavor. For a slightly less sweet version, use 1/2 cup jelly and 1 cup ketchup, then taste and adjust at the end. You can also finish the drumsticks under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes on a foil-lined pan to caramelize and lightly char the skin—just watch closely so the sugars in the sauce don’t burn. Food safety tips: Always start with drumsticks that are frozen solid and come from a reliable source; keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to cook. Place the frozen chicken directly into the slow cooker and immediately add the sauce, then turn the cooker on right away—do not let the chicken sit at room temperature. Cook on LOW or HIGH only as directed; avoid using a “keep warm” setting to cook from frozen, as it may not bring the chicken into the safe temperature range quickly enough. Use a meat thermometer to confirm each drumstick reaches at least 165°F (74°C) near the bone before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before eating.
