There was one thing about crockpot chicken that used to drive me crazy. Sometimes it gets so soft that it practically falls apart the second you touch it, and that is just not the texture I want every time I pull out the slow cooker. So with this Crockpot Lemon Chicken, I take a few extra minutes to brown the chicken first. It gives the outside some color and texture before it cooks low and slow in that lemon garlic sauce, and it makes such a difference. You still get the convenience of coming home to a warm dinner after practices and everything else we have going on, but the chicken actually holds together and has tons of lemon flavor.
If your slow cooker is basically another member of the family during busy weeks, try my Slow Cooker Steak and Potatoes, Slow Cooker Italian Beef, or Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken next. These are the meals I keep coming back to when everyone needs a real dinner but our afternoon schedule has other plans.
Stephanie’s Tips
• Do not skip browning the chicken. It only takes a few extra minutes and gives the chicken a much better texture than putting it into the slow cooker completely raw.
• You are only browning the chicken in the skillet, not cooking it through. It will finish cooking in the crockpot.
• Scrape up the browned bits from the skillet when you add the broth. There is a lot of flavor hiding down there.
• Use fresh lemon juice for this recipe.
• Add lemon zest along with the lemon juice when you want a stronger lemon flavor.
• Cook the chicken until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
• Whisk the cornstarch completely into the water before adding it to the crockpot so you do not end up with lumps in the gravy.
Crockpot Lemon Chicken ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work well here because browning them first helps them hold their shape while they finish cooking in the slow cooker.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper give the chicken plenty of flavor before it ever reaches the crockpot.
- Fresh lemons: Fresh lemon juice is what gives the sauce its bright lemon flavor. You can also add some zest when you want the lemon to come through even more.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cooks right in those browned bits left behind from the chicken and adds even more flavor to the sauce.
- Chicken broth: This creates the base for the lemon gravy and helps pull all those browned bits from the skillet into the sauce.
- Fresh parsley: Adds a little freshness to the lemon garlic sauce.
- Cornstarch and water: These are mixed together at the end to thicken the cooking liquid into a gravy.
Substitutions and variations
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead. Check the chicken for doneness rather than relying only on time.
- Olive oil: Avocado oil or grapeseed oil can be used for browning the chicken.
- Chicken broth: Chicken stock works too. You can also prepare broth using chicken bouillon and water.
- Fresh parsley: Italian parsley works best, but dried parsley can be used when fresh is not available. Use less dried parsley since the flavor is more concentrated.
How to make Crockpot Lemon Chicken?
- Season both sides of the chicken breasts with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute until golden brown. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh parsley. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into the bottom of your crockpot.
- Add the chicken to your crockpot and cover it.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir together the water and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Stir the slurry into the crockpot and cover.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, and enjoy.
I still prefer the crockpot when I have the time because those extra hours give the chicken more lemon flavor, and more importantly, dinner is already warm when we finally get home from all the afternoon activities.
How should I store Crockpot Lemon Chicken?
- Store leftover Crockpot Lemon Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- For the best results, store the chicken with some of the lemon gravy so it stays moist while reheating.
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the chicken and sauce gently on the stovetop until heated through.
- Completely cooled leftovers can also be frozen in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What should I serve with Crockpot Lemon Chicken?
- Mashed potatoes are probably my favorite because that lemon gravy needs somewhere to go, but rice and pasta both work really well too.
- For vegetables, add roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cabbage, green beans, or broccoli.
FAQs
Add some fresh lemon zest to the sauce along with the lemon juice. The slow cooker already gives the chicken plenty of time to pick up the lemon flavor, but the zest will make it even brighter without adding a bunch of extra liquid.
Yes. Mushrooms and onions are both good options because they can handle the longer cooking time.
I would be more careful with vegetables that cook quickly because several hours in the slow cooker can leave them very soft.
Thaw the chicken completely before starting this recipe. You need to be able to season and brown the chicken properly before it goes into the slow cooker.
Use an instant-read thermometer and check the thickest part of the chicken breast. It is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
No. You do not need to marinate the chicken for this recipe. It cooks directly in the lemon sauce for several hours, which gives it plenty of time to pick up that flavor.
Yes. You can finish this recipe completely on the stovetop if you do not want to use the slow cooker. The chicken will not soak up quite as much lemon flavor as it does after cooking for a few hours in the crockpot, but you will still get that lemon gravy.
Follow the recipe through browning the chicken and preparing the lemon sauce in the skillet.
Instead of pouring the sauce into the slow cooker, leave it in the skillet.
Add the chicken back to the pan.
Reduce the heat and continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water.
Whisk the slurry into the sauce in the skillet.
Continue cooking until the sauce thickens.
Spoon the lemon gravy over the chicken and serve.
Crockpot Lemon Chicken
Equipment
- Crockpot
- Large skillet
- Plate
- Wooden spoon
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 lemons juiced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Season both sides of your chicken breast with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute until golden brown. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and fresh parsley. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture into the bottom of your crockpot.
- Add the chicken into your crockpot and cover.
- Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir together the water and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Stir the slurry into the crockpot and cover.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice, and enjoy.
Notes
- Brown the chicken before adding it to the slow cooker for better texture and flavor.
- The chicken only needs to be browned in the skillet. It will finish cooking in the crockpot.
- Cook until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Add fresh lemon zest with the lemon juice for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together before adding it to the sauce.
- Store leftovers with some of the lemon gravy to keep the chicken moist.
- Chicken thighs can be substituted for chicken breasts.
- For a stovetop version, leave the sauce in the skillet, return the chicken to the pan, and cook to 165°F. Remove the chicken, whisk in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water, and cook until the sauce thickens.
Was this a win at your dinner table?
Leave a quick rating or review below! It helps other busy families find the recipes that actually get eaten.
Always love a crock pot meal! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
The Lemon Chicken sounds absolutely delicious , can I make this recipe in an oven? Sorry I dont own a crockpot and I wanted to try this recipe badly!
I have not made it in the oven personally, but I definitely feel this would translate well to the oven. After you brown the chicken, I would put it in a 350° oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. This should take around 15-20 minutes.
This was fantastic! I love how easy it was and so delicious! I will be making this again.
Yay! I’m so glad it was a hit for you guys.
I needed a fire and forget dinner last week, but didn’t want to skimp on flavor. Browning the breast beforehand was brilliant. It gave a moist texture, and the flavor infusion of the lemon and garlic sauce was perfect from the slow cooker.
This chicken was so tender and juicy! I served with mashed potatoes just like your photos and those mashed potatoes tasted so good with the lemon gravy. Will be making this easy one on repeat!