If you're looking for an easy and delicious way to enjoy turkey, this Slow Cooker Turkey Drumsticks recipe is for you!
It's a perfect alternative to a traditional roast turkey at Christmas or Thanksgiving, especially when you want something simple that delivers tender, juicy meat with minimal effort.
Whether you're cooking for a smaller group or your family prefers turkey leg meat to breast, these drumsticks are a winner. With a handful of ingredients and your trusty slow cooker, you’ll have flavourful, fall-off-the-bone turkey drumsticks that everyone will love.
Serve with all your favourite sides baby roast potatoes, crispy yorkshire puddings, seasonal veggies and don’t forget the homemade turkey gravy using the slow-cooked turkey leg juices!
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Below is the recipe card for our slow-cooked turkey drumsticks, but be sure to read on below for all our tips, tricks, and advice!
We explain exactly why we do what we do, from using a vegetable trivet to smothering the turkey in herb butter, ensuring your turkey turns out perfectly tender, juicy, and flavourful.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Drumsticks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 kg Turkey Drumsticks - 2 x 1 Kg Drumsticks
- 50 g Butter
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Puree
- 2 Onions
- 2 Carrots
- 200 ml Chicken Stock
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Remove 50 g Butter and 2 kg Turkey Drumsticks from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and bring to room temperature. Remove turkey from packaging and use kitchen paper towel to pat them dry.
- In a small bowl add softened butter, 1 teaspoon Garlic Pureeand 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme. Use a fork to mash together.
- Push a spatula between the leg meat and turkey skin to loosen the attachment.
- Use your hands to baste the herb butter under the skin of the drumsticks and all over the top of the skin.
- Season the turkey leg skin with Salt and Black Pepper
- Chop 2 Onions and 2 Carrots, into chunky pieces. These are used to prop the turkey legs off the bottom of the slow cooker and will add extra flavour to the juices to make gravy later.Pour in 200 ml Chicken Stock just enough to cover the carrot and onion.
- Place drumsticks on top of the carrot and onion inside slow cooker.
- Place lid on and cook for 6 hours on low.
- It will be well cooked by then, but you can always check by inserting a thermometer. The safe internal temperature of cooked turkey is 74℃. It is fine for it to be over this temperature, as it is slow-cooked; it will not dry out.
- Optional* If you like crispy skin, transfer the turkey drumsticks to a baking tray. Place in oven for 15 minutes to crisp off the skin.
- Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. This allows the juices to settle for soft tender fall apart turkey meat.
Turkey Juices Gravy
- Meanwhile, mash the carrots and onions with the juices released during cooking.
- Transfer into a jug through a sieve to remove the lumps.
- Pour the stock into a large pan over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoon Cornstarch with 2 tablespoon Water. Slowly pour the cornflour mix in whilst whisking to prevent lumps from forming. Bring to the boil, then lower heat. If not thick enough repeat with more cornstarch.
Carving / Serving
- Once the meat has rested, there is no need to carve it! You can simply use a fork or fingers, and it will fall off the bone. We use two forks to shred the meat into smaller pieces.
- Serve with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussels sprouts.
Video
Nutrition
This slow cooker turkey drumstick recipe is a perfect alternative for a Christmas dinner if cooking a whole turkey feels daunting.
With minimal prep and no need to juggle oven space, you can create a festive, tender turkey meal without the hassle of a large roast.
We also have plenty of other turkey recipes you may want to try!
- Rolled Turkey Breast Joint with Stuffing
- Air Fryer Turkey Crown
- Slow Cooker Turkey Crown Recipe
- Small Whole Turkey - How to Prepare and Cook
Turkey Drumsticks
Turkey drumsticks can vary quite a bit in size, ranging from around 600g to over 1kg each, depending on the bird. When selecting drumsticks for this recipe, ensure they’ll comfortably fit in your slow cooker.
A single 1kg turkey drumstick serves about three people, making it easy to adjust quantities based on your group size and slow cooker size.
For reference, we used two 1kg turkey drumsticks in a 6-litre slow cooker, which fit perfectly. If you have a smaller slow cooker, you might want to opt for slightly smaller drumsticks or even just one drumstick.
Turkey drumsticks are incredibly affordable, so you can enjoy a delicious Christmas meal on a budget.
Whole Turkey Leg
This recipe works just as well with a whole turkey leg (which includes both the drumstick and thigh). The cooking time remains the same, so the meat is fall-apart tender. Just make sure the turkey leg fits snugly in your slow cooker.
Vegetable Trivet
We use carrots and onions as a trivet in this recipe to keep the turkey drumsticks elevated, preventing them from sitting directly on the heat at the bottom of the slow cooker.
This ensures even cooking and keeps the meat juicy. As the vegetables cook, they release flavours into the turkey juices, making the gravy richer and more savoury.
Stock
You only need a small amount of stock—just enough to cover the vegetables at the bottom. Don’t worry. The turkey drumsticks will release plenty of their juices as they cook, combining with the stock to create a rich, flavourful base for your gravy.
Garlic and Herb Butter
Turkey drumsticks are naturally lean and can dry out if not cooked properly. By smothering the drumsticks in our homemade garlic and thyme butter, you infuse the meat with rich flavours while ensuring it stays tender and juicy during the long, slow cooking process.
Be sure to spread the butter all over the drumstick on the skin and underneath.
This way, the butter melts slowly, basting the meat from the inside and outside, locking in moisture and giving every bite a delicious, herby taste.
Cooking Time for Turkey Drumsticks in Slow Cooker
The great thing about using a slow cooker is that you can pop everything in and forget about it!
Important: Once you put the lid on, resist the temptation to lift it during cooking. Each time you do, valuable heat escapes, which can affect the cooking time.
We recommend cooking on low for 6 hours for the best results.
We don’t provide a high setting time because it won’t yield the same tender, juicy turkey—if you’re in a rush, it’s better to cook it in the oven!
How to check if the turkey is cooked?
After 6 hours, the turkey will be tender and fully cooked, but if you want to be sure, use a thermometer.
The internal temperature of cooked turkey should reach at least 74°C, though it’s fine if it goes higher—the slow cooking will keep the meat moist and succulent.
How to Crisp up Slow Cooker Turkey Skin?
Remember that the slow cooker won’t give you crispy skin like roasting in the oven does. While the slow cooker excels at making the turkey tender and juicy, the skin tends to stay soft. We usually prefer to remove the skin entirely before serving, as the meat is the real star of the dish.
However, if you want to improve the look and texture of the skin, you can quickly crisp it up in the oven.
Once the turkey is cooked in the slow cooker, transfer the drumsticks to a baking tray and pop them in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan) for about 15 minutes. This will give the skin a golden, crispy finish while keeping the meat inside perfectly tender.
Rest
Once done, remove the drumsticks from the slow cooker (or oven) and loosely cover them with foil. Let them rest for at least 20 minutes. This step allows the juices to settle, making the turkey extra tender.
Make Turkey Gravy (from the Slow Cooker Juices)
While the turkey is resting, make the gravy using the delicious juices and vegetables that have cooked alongside it.
Mash the vegetables
Mash the carrots and onions with the turkey juices in the slow cooker to release all their flavours.
Strain and simmer
Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug, discarding the lumps. Transfer the strained liquid to a saucepan over medium heat.
Thicken the gravy
In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Slowly whisk this into the turkey juices, bringing the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the gravy thickens. If you prefer a thicker sauce, repeat with more cornstarch and water until you reach your desired consistency.
Carving
There’s no need to carve the turkey drumsticks—after resting, the meat will be so tender you can easily shred it with two forks or simply pull it off the bone with your fingers!
For a whole turkey leg, the thigh and drumstick meat will also fall apart beautifully.
Serving
We like to shred all the meat off the bone prior to serving. So you have juicy tender meat ready to go!
For a traditional roast turkey Christmas meal, serve the turkey with classic sides like crispy yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, air-fried carrots, honey-roasted parsnips, and Brussels sprouts.
Don't forget some of our delicious homemade cranberry sauce and the gravy! We also have a delicious bread sauce.
Storage
Leftover turkey can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months—more advice on storing cooked Turkey.
Reheating
Reheat leftover turkey in gravy to keep it moist and flavourful. This helps prevent the meat from drying out and adds extra richness.
Oven
Place the turkey in an oven-safe dish, pour over warm gravy, and cover it with foil. Reheat at 180°C (160°C fan) for 15 minutes, or until hot throughout.
Microwave
Place the turkey in a microwave-safe dish with gravy, cover, and heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add more gravy if needed and heat until warmed through.
Leftover Turkey Ideas
Don’t let any of this delicious turkey go to waste! Here are some easy and flavourful ways to enjoy leftovers:
Turkey Curry
Our Leftover Turkey Curry is a fantastic way to transform leftovers into a warming, aromatic dish. With spices and a creamy sauce, it’s a crowd-pleaser that makes leftovers feel brand new.
We have plenty of other curry recipes you can add the meat too.
Turkey and Ham Pie
Combine leftover turkey, ham and vegetables in our Leftover Christmas Dinner Turkey and Ham Pie for a comforting meal. This hearty pie is perfect for using up leftovers to create a cosy dinner.
Meat and Cheese Board
Add slow-cooked turkey drumstick meat to our Ploughman’s Lunch platter! Alongside a selection of cheeses, cold meats, pickles, and crusty bread for a rustic spread that’s perfect for sharing. Include apple slices, chutney, pork pies, scotch eggs, and some salad.
Check out our Antipasto Platter Italian Meat and Cheese Board too.
Turkey Salad
Make a batch of our delicious Italian Rice Salad and add the leftover cold turkey for a fantastic, fresh, flavourful meal.
Or try with our cold orzo salad or Caprese salad - tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.
Sandwiches and Soups.
For a quick, satisfying lunch, use leftover shredded slow-cooker turkey in sandwiches or wraps with cranberry sauce, stuffing, or tangy mustard.
Shredded turkey adds extra protein and flavour to soups or stews. It’s also delicious in vegetable soups. Try our Spicy Carrot and Coriander Soup.
FAQs
Always thaw frozen drumsticks in the fridge before cooking them in the slow cooker to ensure the best results.
No, the turkey drumsticks in this recipe are so tender after slow cooking that the meat will fall off the bone easily and can be shredded with a fork. This gives you juicy, pull-apart turkey instead of neat slices—perfect for serving family-style!
Yes, this recipe works perfectly for a whole turkey leg, and the timing will stay the same. Just ensure the leg fits into your slow cooker.
We hope this recipe for slow-cooked turkey drumsticks inspires you to try something a little different this holiday season, whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a family roast dinner any time of year.
With simple prep, minimal ingredients, and all the comforting flavours of a traditional roast, this dish is a fantastic way to enjoy turkey without the fuss.
Whether you serve it with classic sides, use leftovers creatively, or just savour the tender, juicy meat, this dish will surely be a hit.
If you try this recipe, let us know how it turned out in the comments—we’d love to hear your tips, tweaks, and favourite sides to serve it with!
Louise says
Great recipe i cooked them yesterday, after receiving this recipe from your email and the turkey came out fantastic, the meat literally fell of the bone, my husband was well impressed 🙂
Luke and Kay says
Hi Louise! So happy to hear you enjoyed the slow cooker turkey drumsticks and that they turned out so tender – sounds like they were a big hit! 😊 Thanks for sharing your experience, and we’re thrilled your husband was impressed too. Let us know if you try any more recipes! 🦃✨