Updated 1/5/2021
My 3 Ingredient Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings recipe is our go-to for an easy scrumptious party or game day food any time of the year!
This recipe has been shared more than 200 thousand times by our readers.
I can’t even tell you how many times I have made this easy recipe for my own family and they still enjoy them. It is one of our favorite recipes for any time of the year.
We like just a tiny bit of char on our Chicken Wings. The secret to making delicious Crockpot BBQ Wings is in the final step!
This post contains affiliate links
Ingredient List for making these Chicken Wings
- Coca Cola
- Chicken wings
- BBQ Sauce
The Wings I Cook
- Bone in,
- Skin on
- Store brand Chicken Wing Drummettes They come in 2 1/2 lb. bags and I usually cook two for my family
The Crockpot to use
I use a 6 quart Crockpot like this one for this recipe with 5 lbs. of wings and they fit comfortably.
How To Cook Crockpot Chicken Wings
No need to thaw the chicken wings. They thaw and cook at the same time. I always rinse my chicken first.
Place the chicken wings in a big colander in the sink and rinse with slow running water to remove any ice crystals which may be on them from the freezer. This colander (affiliate) looks exactly like mine which is large enough to hold all the wings at once.
Use low water pressure, don’t turn the water on full force, so you won’t splash chicken water all over the place. But just to be safe please wash the sink and counters around it any time you have rinsed chicken prior to cooking.
DO NOT THAW
Do not thaw the wings prior to cooking! They thaw, cook and soak up flavor all at one time in just 2 or 3 hours!
Add your frozen wings to the Crockpot after rinsing them in a colander.
Cover with the cola. When we have Coke on hand that is what I use but the store brand and even diet cola works just fine also. Folks have contacted me to say they even used Sprite and it worked well too.
The wings are going to create their own juice while cooking so you only want to barely cover with cola. The combination of the chicken juices and the cola will create a tender juicy deliciousness in your BBQ Wings!
The next step after Slow Cooking
Drain the cooked wings well in the colander before adding the BBQ sauce. Carefully remove the wings from the slow cooker. I use a large slotted spoon like this one (affiliate link)
Do not use tongs to remove the wings from the slow cooker. They are very tender and will fall apart easily. A slotted spoon is best because it allows the juice to drip back into the pot.
The last step to making slow cooker BBQ Chicken Wings
Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Place chicken wings out in rows, in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan. Brush with your favorite barbeque sauce. We like Sweet Baby Rays which you can find on Amazon right here.
Now let’s bake on that yummy sauce.
Place into oven preheated to 350°. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until they have just a tad of char. We love the char on ours. If you don’t, be sure to remove them from the oven sooner. The end result is finger licking delicious chicken wings!
Also See how to make these into Lemon Pepper Wings
Scroll down for complete printable/downloadable recipe.
Kitchen Tips
When we have a big crowd and I cook a lot of wings I serve them from disposable aluminum pans like these for easy clean up. Just sit the tongs by the pan and step out of the way! Everyone loves these slow cooker wings!
Use Slow cooker liners for easy clean-up. I l-o-v-e them and don’t dare ever run out of them.
Make this crowd pleaser for the super bowl, a family dinner or even as an appetizer. This recipe will be one of your family favorites to make a regular rotation on your meal plan.
Side Dishes to serve with BBQ Chicken Wings
- Creamy Homemade Cole Slaw,
- Best Ever BBQ Baked Beans
- Homestyle Oven Baked Fries,
- Southern Style BBQ Baked Beans,
- Southern Potato Salad (made from scratch!)
- Fresh Green Bean Salad
- Baked Potatoes (20 Baked Potato Toppings)
The Secret To The Success of this Wings Recipe
The secret to perfectly cooked Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken Wings is placing them in the oven for a few minutes after removing them from the crockpot. The oven sets the BBQ sauce and keeps the wings from being too wet from cooking in the liquid.
3 Ingredient Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings
Easy recipe for BBQ Chicken Wings. Only 3 Ingredients and best of all it is a Crockpot recipe!
Ingredients
- 12-16 chicken wings, do not thaw
- 1 can Coke
- 1 Cup BBQ Sauce (we use Sweet Baby Ray's)
Instructions
- Turn Crockpot on low. (I like this Crockpot with great ratings)
- Pour the can of Coke into the crockpot.
- Place all of the chicken wings into the Coke.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
- Remove wings from Crockpot onto a baking pan covered with foil.
- Brush wings generously with BBQ sauce
- Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, just until the BBQ is heated.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Crockpot SCV803-SS 8 quart Manual Slow Cooker with 16 oz Little Dipper Food Warmer, Stainless Steel -
Wilton Performance Pans Aluminum Large Sheet Cake Pan, 12 x 18-Inch
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Basting Brush Silicone Heat Resistant Pastry Brushes Spread Oil Butter Sauce Marinades for BBQ Grill Barbecue Baking Kitchen Cooking, Baste Pastries Cakes Meat Desserts, Dishwasher safe, Set of 4
-
Aluminum Pans 9x13 Disposable Foil Pans (30 Pack) - Half Size Steam Table Deep Pans - Tin Foil Pans Great for Cooking, Heating, Storing, Prepping Food
-
Reynolds Kitchens Premium Slow Cooker Liners - 13 x 21 Inch, 12 Packages of 4 Liners (48 Count)
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 169Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 29mgSodium 386mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 0gSugar 11gProtein 6g
Nutrition information is only estimated and may not be entirely accurate.
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LAMusing says
Wow these look so delicious! Thanks!
Laura G says
These sound amazing and will be perfect for this summer
Molli Taylor says
this could not have come at a better time! i got a package of wings at the pantry and im NOT good with chicken with bones at all… crockpot makes handling less
Leanna says
Great plan to cook wings in a crockpot. I have to try it.
Sue Jobe says
Can I double the recipe and use 2 cans of Coke? How does the cook time change if I do?
Elaine Espino says
Can I do these with diet coke or pepsi instead I am not to in to regular soda. Bur would like to make they look delucios
Mara says
Has anyone made these with fresh (not frozen) wings and, if so, what was the cooking time you used?
Thanks!
Hannah says
I did. 2 ish hours on low
Denise says
Do you have to use frozen
Shirley Wood says
It’s the only way I have done it but no, you do not. Just monitor your cook time in your Crockpot. It may not take quite as long.
Christine @ myblissfulmess says
These look awesome! And so so easy! I think I’ll be adding these to my 4th of July menu.
Emily says
I’m not usually a wings person, but these are making my mouth water 🙂 So that means my husband would LOVE them 😀
Roseann Hampton says
I love quick and easy recipes!
Emmy says
This looks delicious Shirley! Gonna pin this to our Pinterest board if you don’t mind 😉
Cara says
Could you use frozen chicken drumsticks?
Shirley Wood says
Yes. Frozen is what I use.
Christy says
Do you think Vanilla Coke will work?
Shirley Wood says
Hi Christy. It probably would but I’m not sure about how good vanilla flavored wings might be. Please Let me know!
Chris says
Hi Shirley. So you don’t put the Bbq sauce in until they go in oven? Just Coke and wings in crock pot?
Shirley Wood says
Hi Chris. Yes, that is correct.
Donna says
How do you prevent the wings from sticking to the foil in the oven? Also, do the wings stay intact or fall apart when removed from crockpot to oven?
Shirley Wood says
Hi Donna! I use pan coating spray to prevent sticking anytime I’m baking in the oven. If your wings are falling apart, you cooked them too long. I have never had that problem. Mine are done in about 3 hours in my Crockpot. Remove them gently from the Crockpot to be safe.
Heather says
Making these for Christmas. Question…Can the wings be frozen when put in, and if so how long do you cook them for?
Shirley Wood says
Great question Heather. I do cook them frozen and that is the cooking time listed in the recipe. I will update the recipe to reflect that.
I only cook them frozen so I don’t know the cook time if you thaw them first.
Thanks for asking. Happy Christmas season to you.
Heather says
Thank you so much! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Beverly says
This just popped up on my facebook feed and the picture caught my eye. The recipe hooked me. Pinning and planning on making these soon.
Lacie Ring says
Hey Shirley! I love wings and an easy recipe! What about throwing them on the grill instead of in the oven? Thank you for linking up at Funtastic Friday! Pinning!
Jennifer Dodrill @ All-In-One-Mom says
These sound delicious! I love the idea of starting them in the crockpot, and Sweet Baby Ray’s is the best BBQ sauce! Pinning!
Lindsey says
I absolutely adore any meal that is made in a crock pot and/or has less than 5 ingredients. This is fantastic! Definitely going to try this in the summer. Pinned, stumbled and tweeting.
sue says
These look delicious and I was surprised to see Coke as an ingredient. Thanks for sharing with us at #WednesdaysWisdom and have a great day!