Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs With A Creamy Lemon Sauce
Need a new take on slow cooker chicken? Chicken thighs served with a creamy lemon sauce will absolutely raise the bar. The lemon sauce absolutely makes the recipe, and this dish is bound to be devoured at dinnertime!
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What’s To Love About This Recipe
- This isn’t your standard chicken thigh recipe! This includes a zesty twist on chicken with the most delicious creamy lemony sauce.
- I’m willing to bet this is one of those recipes that you won’t tire of anytime soon! It’s one of our family favorites because it tastes luxurious but is really pretty simple to prepare.
- The combination of creamy lemon sauce and chicken thighs packs so much flavor. It’s a dish that is filling but also not too heavy.
- One of the nice things about the slow cooker is that the thighs won’t dry out like they might with other cooking methods. Since the thighs are slow-cooked in liquid, they stay juicy during cooking, and browning them beforehand also seals in lots of flavor.
- The homemade sauce sure beats a premade jar of sauce with chicken! You’ll be able to taste the difference and will also enjoy it with sides like veggies, rice, or potatoes.
Ingredients Needed
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – Chicken thighs are more fatty than breasts, and the darker meat is very flavorful. Be sure to use boneless thighs since bone-in may cause the meat to overcook and become more shredded – not what we want for this dish. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of thighs, which is typically 3-4 thighs per pound.
- Olive oil and butter – Melt some olive oil and butter together in the skillet to lightly brown the chicken and seal in flavor.
- Onion and garlic – Dice half a yellow onion for extra flavor and mince 3 garlic cloves. This combination enhances the chicken and adds complexity to the broth base.
- Seasonings – Grab a few things from your spice cabinet for a light seasoning. Combine Italian seasoning with just a bit of salt and pepper.
- Chicken broth – Broth will create the base for the creamy sauce and also keep the thighs juicy in the slow cooker.
- Grainy mustard – I like using stone ground mustard to add a little texture to the sauce and for a rustic element.
- Heavy cream – Heavy cream makes the sauce! Don’t make any swaps here – trust me, the richness is so worth it!
- Lemon juice – Surprisingly, just a bit of lemon juice is enough to give the sauce a tasty, zesty flavor.
- Cornstarch – Add a little cornstarch to the sauce at the end to thicken it. This ensures it will really stick to the chicken and anything else you want to serve with it.
How To Make Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
- Sprinkle each side of the chicken thighs with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter with olive oil.
- Add diced onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Move onions and garlic to the side of the pan and add seasoned chicken thighs.
- Sauté for about 2-3 minutes on each side until they are nicely browned.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken thighs and cover to keep warm.
- Add cream, mustard, and lemon juice to the slow cooker and whisk until combined.
- To thicken the sauce, pour it into a small saucepan and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Bring the sauce to a boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened to desired consistency.
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.
pro Tips
- I rarely recommend browning chicken before slow cooking, but definitely brown the thighs in this recipe for added flavor, texture, and overall appearance.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer (165 ℉).
- Simmering the sauce is another worthwhile step! It becomes even more rich and thick when it simmers – you won’t get quite the same results by leaving it in the slow cooker.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- I don’t recommend swapping chicken breasts for boneless thighs in this recipe. Chicken breasts won’t deliver the same flavor and texture at the end. However, you could always recreate the sauce and serve it with other cuts of chicken.
- If you want to try this recipe with another method, I’ve already tested it for you in the Instant Pot! Instant Pot Chicken Thighs with Lemon Sauce will deliver the tastiest results – but faster than the slow cooker!
- If you don’t have cornstarch on hand, you could always whisk in a bit of all-purpose flour or tapioca flour instead.
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Enjoy a simple, family-friendly meal by serving slow cooker chicken thighs with your favorite veggies and a carb like rice or potatoes. Some of my favorites are roasted broccoli, asparagus, or Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic.
This would also be a delicious choice to serve over buttered penne or egg noodles. If you want to get a bit fancier with your meal, add Slow Cooker Gratin Potatoes and a fresh Caesar salad.
Whatever you serve, you’ll want something to really soak up every bit of the lemon sauce. I recommend including breadsticks or garlic bread just for that reason!
Storing and Reheating
Leftover chicken thighs can be sliced and turned into a delicious lunch over rice and with a side salad. You can also reheat extra sauce to serve over noodles or other veggies.
Store leftover thighs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet on the stove.
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs With A Creamy Lemon Sauce
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- saucepan
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 yellow onion diced or about 1/4 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Sprinkle each side of chicken thighs with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper
- In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil
- Add diced onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes
- Move onions and garlic to side of the pan and add seasoned chicken thighs
- Sauté for about 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned
- Transfer contents of pan to slow cooker
- Add chicken broth
- Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours
- Remove chicken thighs and cover to keep warm
- Add cream, mustard, and lemon juice to slow cooker and whisk until combined
- To thicken sauce, pour it into a small saucepan and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- Bring sauce to a boil for 2-3 minutes until thickened to desired consistency
- Add additional salt and pepper to taste
- Pour sauce over chicken and serve
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or a skillet on the stove.
- Transfer the sauce to a pan to simmer for the best results.
- This recipe is designed for boneless skinless chicken thighs to get the most accurate results.
- Check for doneness with a meat thermometer (165 ℉).
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs FAQs
- Do you need liquid in a slow cooker for chicken thighs? For this recipe, you do need to add chicken broth to keep the thighs juicy and to create the sauce base.
- Is it better to cook chicken thighs on high or low in the slow cooker? For this recipe, you can cook the chicken thighs on either the high or low setting.
- Why choose chicken thighs over chicken breasts for this recipe? Chicken thighs are the preferred option here because they are so much more flavorful than chicken breasts. With the extra browning step and the juiciness of the dark meat, you really cannot recreate the same results with chicken breasts. The added fat also enhances the already-decadent sauce – you’ll love it!
- Can chicken thighs be overcooked in the slow cooker? It is possible to overcook chicken thighs if they were left in the slow cooker for a very long time or if the contents dried out. Since these are cooked in chicken broth, the cooking time can be somewhat flexible.
- Can this recipe be made in the Instant Pot? Yes! See my directions for making chicken thighs with lemon sauce in the Instant Pot.
Did you use skinless thighs for this recipe?
yes!
I made this for the first time a few weeks ago and just put it in the slow cooker again this morning. It was a big hit…really good flavor that my all boy family loved. It was gone immediately. Have you tried doubling the recipe?
Hi Tammy! You can easily double this recipe!! Just make sure you use at least a 6 quart slow cooker.
Instant pot conversion? I haven’t made chicken thighs in the IP yet!
I haven’t tried these in the Instant Pot but I think it would work really well! Brown, then high pressure for maybe 8-10 mins? Then remove chicken and switch to sauté to make sauce?
Trying this evening, will let you know how it turns out!
My schedule only allows for suuuuper long slow cooker meals (8-10 hours) so the IP has been a game changer, just took some getting used to!
Delicious!
Hubby took one bite & said “this goes on the make again list” & my two year old inhaled it!
I did everything according to the recipe and put it in the instant pot on the poultry setting for 15 min (10 wasn’t quite long enough, 15 was perfect!)
I removed the chicken & added the rest of the sauce ingredients. Sauté setting for 5 ish minutes & done!
So great, thanks for the recipe!
Hooray!! That’s great news. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your results. I’m going to give this one a try in the Instant Pot as well!
Could I use bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed? They’re much, much cheaper at my market (and taste better, imho).
Yes! That would work just fine!
The sauce, crawl on my knees for that sauce. Was absolutely delicious.
Hooray!!
If I wanted to make a batch to freeze, will this work out ok? Will the sauce freeze and thaw out without separating?
Unfortunately, I don’t think this sauce will freeze well.
Thankyou, if i made the thighs ahead of time then i could freeze the juices after cooking? That way i keep the flavour but make the actual sauce when we want to eat it?
Yes, I think that would work much better!! It could save you a little time on cook day.
Hi, I’m wondering if I can follow your recipe, but start with using frozen chicken thighs? Other recipes I’ve done and it always seems fine! But I wanted to ask, because I’d hate to mess up this meal. It sounds amazing!!
Hi Amanda! I actually recommend never using frozen meat in the slow cooker. It will stay in the temperature “danger zone” too long and could get bacteria, and is not worth the risk of getting sick. You would always do a quick thaw in the microwave!!
Should have gotten back sooner. This was DELICIOUS and did not have to double the sauce. Really, really yummy! Thanks!!
Making this now. What do you do with the yummy drippings that are left in frying pan? Do I add them to the crock pot?
Hi Debby! Sorry I missed your question yesterday, hopefully you added it to the slow cooker! How did it turn out for you?
My family loves sauces. Want to make this tonight and wonder if doubling the sauce will be too much? Thanks!
Darn, I didn’t catch this in time! Did you double the sauce? It’s makes quite a bit but doubling is never bad 😉 You can always serve it over rice too!
Thanks for your reply! I actually didn’t get to it last night but am making it for sure tonight. Guess I will double the sauce but don’t want to be throwing anything away.