Crock Pot Lemon Chicken is succulent, juicy, and fall-off-the-bone tender. Flavored with garlic, lemon, and thyme, this recipe makes an impressive dish when entertaining, yet it’s simple enough for a weeknight meal!
I love serving this beautifully cooked chicken with Garlic Rice and tender Green Beans whenever I want to turn an ordinary meal into something special.
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One thing’s for sure: after all my years in the kitchen, this principle still holds for me – simple food cooked with love and shared with family and friends is a total joy.
I don’t think you can ever have too many family dinner recipes. Whether it’s easy homemade spaghetti sauce, oven-fried chicken, or this citrus-flavored chicken, these recipes always seem to wow my family, no matter how many times I’ve served them. Crock Pot Lemon Chicken, cooked low and slow, fits into my feel-good food collection perfectly.
Ingredients For This Recipe
- Chicken: For this recipe, I love using a whole chicken cut-up, including the breasts, thighs, and wings. However, feel free to use only white or dark meat if that’s what you prefer. I use bone-in chicken pieces but you an substitute boneless, skinless if you prefer.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adding richness and depth.
- Lemons: The star of the show. You’ll need 3 lemons for fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon slices.
- Garlic Bulbs: For that aromatic kick.
- Chicken Stock: You can also use chicken broth as a base for our creamy lemon sauce.
- Dried Thyme: Though thyme is my go-to, feel free to experiment with dried rosemary, Italian seasoning, or lemon pepper seasoning for a twist.
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper: Essentials for great seasoning.
- Creamy Lemon Sauce (Gravy) Ingredients:
- Pan Drippings: From the strained cooking juices in the crock pot, creating the foundation of our gravy.
- Flour: Or corn starch if you’re looking for a gluten-free option.
- Butter: Because everything is better with butter.
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Variations And Substitutions
- Add potatoes, carrots, and onions to the crock pot to turn this into a complete one-pot meal.
- Use cornstarch instead of flour in the sauce for a gluten-free chicken recipe that’s keto-friendly.
- Add additional herbs like rosemary, Italian seasoning, or lemon pepper.
How Long To Cook Lemon Garlic Chicken In The Slow Cooker
For tender crock pot chicken, you’ve got two options:
- LOW for 6 hours.
- HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
How To Make Easy Lemon Chicken
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium-high heat, working in batches.
- Place all but 3 to 4 lemon slices on the bottom of the crockpot with garlic bulbs.
- Layer chicken on top of lemon and garlic. Gently pour over the stock. Place the remaining lemon slices on the chicken and sprinkle on thyme.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 6 hours.
- When done, remove the chicken from the pot and strain the broth.
Make Creamy Lemon Sauce For Chicken
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan to make the lemon sauce or gravy.
- Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until golden brown.
- Slowly pour in flavored broth and continue to whisk until smooth. Cook on medium heat until gravy is thickened, stirring constantly.
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
Sure! This recipe is very forgiving. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a combination of the two.
Absolutely. Cooking with lemons is one of my favorites but you can experiment with limes, oranges, or even a combination of citrus fruits for a bright twist on this recipe.
The USDA recommends thawing meat in the refrigerator before using it in a crock pot recipe. Otherwise, frozen chicken in the slow cooker might take too long to cook at a safe temperature (above 165°F), allowing bacteria to grow. I think it’s always best to err on the side of caution when it comes to cooking meat.
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Storage Tips
Leftover slow cooker creamy lemon chicken can be refrigerated for 3-4 days and stored in an airtight container. To reheat, put the leftovers in a baking dish and place in the oven set to 350 degrees until heated.
You can also freeze this healthy chicken recipe. Place the chicken and any sauce in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw in the fridge, then reheat.
What To Serve With Lemon Chicken With Gravy
I like to serve Crock Pot Lemon Chicken hot, garnished with fresh herbs like thyme, basil, parsley, a few lemon slices, and a drizzle of gravy. It pares perfectly with white rice, baked potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or Parmesan noodles.
This recipe is terrific to serve at a dinner party with scalloped potatoes, roasted broccoli, and garlic skillet rolls.
More CrockPot Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this Crock Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken – cut up
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 lemons cut into thick slices
- 3 garlic bulbs – tops cut off to expose cloves
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan, working in batches.
- Place all but 3 to 4 lemon slices on the bottom of the crockpot along with garlic bulbs.
- Layer chicken on top of lemon and garlic. Gently pour over the stock. Place the remaining lemon slices on top of the chicken and sprinkle on thyme.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours.
- When done, remove chicken from pot and strain broth.
- Serve chicken and gravy over rice, noodles, or creamy grits.
Gravy
- Melt 2 tablespoon of butter in a pan.
- Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until golden brown.
- Slowly pour in flavored broth and continue to whisk until smooth. Cook on medium heat until gravy is thickened, stirring constantly.
Video
Notes
- Leftover Crock Pot Lemon Chicken can be refrigerated for 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container. To reheat, put the leftovers in a baking dish and place in the oven set to 350 degrees until heated through.
- You can also freeze this chicken recipe. Place the chicken and any sauce in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. To serve, thaw in the fridge then reheat.
Nutrition
Want To Know More About Slow Cooking?
If you are new to cooking with a Crock Pot or just don’t know where to start, I’ve got something to help. I’ve put together a helpful guide with tips and recipes to get you using a slow cooker like a pro!
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TJ Andrezze
Amazing recipe – Thank you!
Christine
Thank you, Donya! This lemon chicken is the BOMB! So easy to follow this recipe! Delicious and filling! Perfect for a family meal!
You are so welcome! Thanks for the great rating.
~Donya
Ingrid van Arnhem
Can you use the Instant Pot slow cooking function to get the same results (I’ll be cooking the 4 chicken breasts only
Hey there. Yes, I think the slow cooking function will work great. Let me know how things turn out.
Enjoy!
~Donya
Ann C.
This is the best and the easiest lemon chicken I have made. Fabulous. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were sooooo tender. Used more garlic and made the gravy only taking out the lemon. WOW
Thanks, Ann! I so appreciate your kind words and the terrific rating.
Have a wonderful day,
~Donya
Diane
I made this with breasts only. And I wasn’t sure how to do the garlic, but I used one bulb, and separated the cloves. I smashed them, but I did use ALL of them! This is one of the few recipes for lemon chicken that actually tastes LEMONY! Very good! I also made the ‘gravy’ and served it with rice. This is a very simple and tasty meal! I LOVE IT! My family loved it, also. I have extra gravy that will go on more rice for something else!
Donya
Hey there Diane!
Once again you are just warming my heart with your sweet comments. I am overjoyed to hear you and your family enjoyed this, it’s a great, quick, and easy meal. Thank you for all your overwhelming support!
~Donya
Debbie Anne Leonard
I eat only the breasts of the chicken. How many should I use to equal one whole chicken?
Hey Debbie! I would use 3 to 4, bone in with skin on. You should be good to go. Enjoy!
Have a great day,
~Donya
Valerie L.
Donya, I tried this recipe one day last week for dinner, and it was delish! My husband, Mr. Picky, gave it a big “thumbs-up”, which made me happy. I served it with Basmati Rice and a salad. I’ve already passed it along to two other people, one of which has already tried it and loved it, too. So, thank you very much for this easy and flavorful recipe. We love chicken dishes, so I will have to try a few of your other recipes for chicken, too. Have a nice day!
Hey Valerie! You have made my day. I am so happy you tried it that your family liked it. Thank you so much for passing my recipe along. That means the world to me. Let me know what you’re cooking next!
Have a wonderful day, friend!
~Donya
Cris Goode
Donya- This looks so yummy!! We love the bright flavors of lemon chicken with the tenderness of slow cooking. Thanks so much for stopping by Whatcha Crockin' Wednesday!
Anonymous
This looks delicious! I will have to try this.