Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

Flavored with garlic, lemon, and thyme, this recipe makes an impressive dish when entertaining yet it's simple enough for a weeknight meal!

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.

Lemon chicken cooked in the crock pot on a white platter with garlic and a fresh thyme sprigs.
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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.

Why You’ll Love This Slow-Cooker Lemon Chicken

This tender, tangy dish is a busy weeknight savior or a family gathering favorite. With just a handful of ingredients—chicken, garlic, lemon, Italian dressing mix, capers, and broth—it’s packed with flavor and comes together fuss-free. Let the crock-pot do the work, and serve it over pasta, potatoes, or rice for a comforting, no‑fuss meal.

Ingredients For This Recipe

Salt and pepper, chicken stock, dried thyme, whole cut up chicken, garlic, olive oil, lemons, flour and butter on a white cutting board.
  • 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.

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.
Chicken stock being poured from a glass measuring cup over raw chicken in lemon slices in a black crock pot.

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

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brown over medium-high heat, working in batches.
  2. Place all but 3 to 4 lemon slices on the bottom of the crockpot with garlic bulbs.
  3. 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.
  4. Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 6 hours.
  5. When done, remove the chicken from the pot and strain the broth.

Make Creamy Lemon Sauce For Chicken

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan to make the lemon sauce or gravy. 
  2. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook until golden brown. 
  3. Slowly pour in flavored broth and continue to whisk until smooth. Cook on medium heat until gravy is thickened, stirring constantly.

Make-Ahead, Freezing & Leftover Tips

  • Make it ahead: Prep everything in the crock-pot the night before for a grab‑and‑go meal.
  • Freeze-friendly: Cook, cool completely, then freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat in the oven or slow cooker.
  • Store leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or stovetop.

 

Frequently Asked Questions And Answers

Can I use boneless chicken for this recipe?

Sure! This recipe is very forgiving. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs, or a combination of the two.

Can I replace lemons with other citrus fruits?

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.

Can frozen chicken be used in 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.

Lemon chicken cooked in the crock pot on a white platter with garlic and a fresh thyme sprigs. and creamy gravy being poured from a white pitcher.

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.

Lemon chicken cooked in the crock pot on a white platter with garlic and a fresh thyme sprigs.

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!

Lemon chicken cooked in the crock pot on a white platter with garlic and a fresh thyme sprigs.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken (+Video)

4.82 from 11 reviews
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 134kcal
Print Pin Rate
Lemon Chicken, cooked low and slow in the Crock Pot 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!

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

How To Store Leftovers and Freeze
  • 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.
You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs or a combination of the two if you like.
 
Nutritional values provided are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal · Carbohydrates: 13g · Protein: 4g · Fat: 9g · Saturated Fat: 1g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g · Monounsaturated Fat: 6g · Cholesterol: 4mg · Sodium: 1337mg · Potassium: 256mg · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 4g · Vitamin A: 34IU · Vitamin C: 44mg · Calcium: 36mg · Iron: 1mg

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!

How To Get Started With Slow Cooking

Lemon chicken cooked in the crock pot on a white platter with garlic and a fresh thyme sprigs.

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17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you, Donya! This lemon chicken is the BOMB! So easy to follow this recipe! Delicious and filling! Perfect for a family meal!

  2. 5 stars
    Can you use the Instant Pot slow cooking function to get the same results (I’ll be cooking the 4 chicken breasts only

    1. Hey there. Yes, I think the slow cooking function will work great. Let me know how things turn out.
      Enjoy!
      ~Donya

  3. 5 stars
    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

  4. 5 stars
    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!

    1. 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

  5. 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!

    1. 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

  6. 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!

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