Comforting, citrusy, and flavorful Crockpot Lemon Chicken never disappoints! Made with juicy lemons, heads of garlic, and herbs, this easy lemon chicken will quickly become a new favorite dinner recipe.
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Breasts
Lemon and chicken is always a winning flavor combination! Bright and citrusy lemon pairs so well with slowly cooked white meat chicken. While this fresh flavor profile is reminiscent of warmer months, this dinner is delicious year round.
In addition to zesty lemon, each bite of lemon chicken features prominent notes of garlic and herbs. As the chicken breasts slowly cook, the flavors have plenty of time to seep into the meat. Each bite is juicy, mouthwatering, and oh so tender.
If you love lemon and chicken as much as I do, try Creamy Lemon Chicken Skillet, Baked Lemon Chicken in Foil Packets, and Lemon Herb Instant Pot Whole Chicken next.
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How to make Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Place the prepared garlic and lemons in a crockpot.
- Season the chicken.
- Brown the chicken in a skillet.
- Add the chicken to the crockpot.
- Combine the liquids and pour on top of the chicken.
- Top with fresh thyme.
- Cook.
Do I need to peel or mince the garlic?
Nope! Simply cut the tops and bottoms off the heads of garlic and place them cut-side down in the bottom of the crockpot. No peeling or mincing required! Because the heads of garlic aren’t stirred with the other ingredients, the papery skin won’t flake off into the rest of the dish.
The same goes for the lemons – no need to peel them. Cut the tops and bottoms off, cut in half, and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
How long will this slow cooked lemon chicken stay fresh?
Store lemon chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it on the stove or microwave until heated through.
What should I serve with lemon chicken?
Anything goes! I love serving lemon chicken with starchy sides like rice, quinoa, noodles, or mashed potatoes – these tend to soak up any extra sauce that makes it to the plate.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- While the chicken will fully cook in the crockpot, browning the chicken prior to slow cooking adds another depth of flavor. Don’t skip this step!
- For even more lemon flavor, sprinkle a little bit of lemon pepper on top of the chicken breasts just before serving.
- Use fresh lemon juice instead of pre-bottled juice for the best taste.
Crockpot Lemon Chicken comes together easily and is full of fresh, bright flavor!
Crockpot Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 heads garlic
- 2 whole lemons
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the tops and bottoms off of the garlic heads and lemons. Cut the lemons in half. Place the garlic and lemons in the bottom of the crockpot insert.3 heads garlic, 2 whole lemons
- Combine the salt, pepper, and oregano in a small bowl. Season both sides of each chicken breast with the seasoned salt mixture.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet to brown, 5 minutes per side.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Transfer the browned chicken to the crockpot and place on top of the garlic and lemons.
- In a pot, whisk the chicken broth, lemon juice, and bouillon together. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste
- Place thyme sprigs on top of the chicken.5 sprigs fresh thyme
- Cover the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Remove the thyme springs, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.Fresh parsley
Horrible! So bitter! Came home expecting a nice meal, spent an hour trying to salvage this catastrophe, only to end up eating pasta. If I could give negative stars I would. Never again!
I am sorry this didn’t work out for you, Helen!
“Like many SLOW cooker recipes, crockpot lemon chicken is QUICK and easy to prepare.”
LOL
Delish! Maybe a tad too lemony! When I make it again, and I will, might leave out the lemon juice. Added a little corn starch to thicken the gravy. Doing low carb, so going to have it over spinach.
Feel free to adjust to your personal tastes!
I used 4 medium lemons juiced and the rinds at the bottom of the pot then added some rosemary and Italian seasoning. The garlic did not melt down so next time I will use the garlic press. When done I added 2 tbsp of corn starch in a bowl with some of the broth whisked and then added back in and cooked on high for 30 minutes. Came out good really good. Love the lemony taste.
Sounds delicious, Pam! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Full of flavor, super easy. Enough juice at end to make a sauce for side dish. Delish
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lark! Thanks so much for stopping by!
So much lemon. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s just so bitter.
I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t taste as expected, Allison!
My whole family loved this. I served it with mashed potatoes and broccoli. YUM!