Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemon Sauce
Ever wondered about how to make chicken thighs? Well, if you want the best, most flavorful and delicious recipe that everyone will devour, then you need to try making these simple and easy Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemon Sauce!
My new favorite chicken. What?! I know. Just the other day I said this chicken was my favorite. And it is. But so is this. Like “eat it every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it” kind of favorite. Crazy. Obsessed. That’s me. But don’t judge until you’ve tried it. This recipe just might become your new favorite along with all the other favorites. Because it’s so good. And I didn’t even mention yet, it is simple and easy. A few steps but super simple ingredients. Who doesn’t love that?!
What you’ll need
- boneless skinless chicken thighs
- olive oil and butter to brown them up (the combination is best!)
- onion, garlic and seasonings
- broth, mustard, cream and lemon juice for the sauce
- cornstarch to thicken
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs {VIDEO}
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To Make these Chicken Thighs
- brown the chicken in a skillet
- transfer to slow cooker and cook with broth
- remove chicken to make sauce
- stir cream, mustard, and lemon juice into drippings
- make a cornstarch slurry and add
- transfer to a pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened
Why Chicken Thighs and not Breasts
- Can we talk about chicken thighs? So much flavor. Boneless, skinless and so easy to handle, no knife work needed.
- If you haven’t tried chicken thighs yet, this is the time! I am pretty sure you will be hooked.
- The flavor, texture and juiciness CAN NOT be beat! Also, very affordable too!
- Chicken breasts would not have the flavor to do this recipe justice
Cooking Tips
- Brown up your chicken with a bit of olive oil and butter and get some onions and garlic browned up while you’re at it! I don’t suggest skipping this step as the nice brown crust is kind of essential in this recipe. Otherwise, I think the chicken would kind of fall apart.
- When it’s all done cooking you will add the cream (and lemon and mustard) to your sauce! You can just add it right to the slow cooker OR you can take 5 minutes and bring it to a boil with a little added cornstarch in a saucepan and you will not be sorry. At all. The sauce will become that much more thick and rich and stick right to every bite of that chicken! Give it a try and let me know if chicken thighs are your new favorite!
Want these now instead of waiting all day for them to slow cook? Try my Instant Pot Chicken Thighs instead!
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
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This was delicious. I made it on the stove, no slow cooker. When I got to the slow cooker part I just cooked the boneless thighs in the brother on low, covered for 20 minutes then did the rest of the receipe as written. As far as being listed on a site as keto, I often save things onto Pinterest boards that say GF or keto , when the recipe as written is not , cause I can make it fit. For instance, leave out the corn starch or sub tapioca starch, and halve the onions and walla it is keto.
Thank you so much! It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed it. I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
what kind of grainy mustard do you suggest and can you substitute flour for the cornstarch?
thanks
Karen
I like stone ground mustard and yes, flour will work as well.
I made the recipe as written with the exception of the heavy cream. I had half and half and increased the corn starch to 2 TBL as recommended. The sauce was perfect. I have never prepared chicken thighs. This will not be the last time. The meat was so tender and flavorful. My family said the recipe is a keeper! I’ll be making again soon. Thank you for the recipe. Really delicious!
I don’t have heavy cream can I use half and half ??
Yes! The sauce may be a little thinner so you may need additional cornstarch to thicken to you liking.
So many critics; sounds wonderful to me and look forward to making it this weekend. Love chicken thigs with Busalmic variations. but was searching for something new with a creamy texture. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
This recipe also popped up for me on a search for Keto recipes. I’m so glad it did! The only hang-up for me is the cornstarch which is easily substituted with a quick online search. I used bone-in thighs, so I increased the cook time just a bit. So delicious. Thank you!
So glad you loved it!
It is keto apart from the tiny bit of cornstarch, very low carb dinner and looks delicious so I will be making it in my keto diet 🙂
I hope you enjoy!
Can I make this on the oven … no slow cooker in my house!
I would vote for skillet instead of oven.
I wonder, can I substitute chicken breasts. We just don’t like dark meat.
You certainly could, but for best results and flavor I strongly recommend using chicken thighs. Breasts may dry out and won’t have the same flavor.
This recipe while it looks delicious is NOT keto and should not be listed in a keto recipe site!
Hi Li! I’m sorry you are frustrated. I’m not sure which keto website included a link to my recipe, but I have no control over what they decide to share. I’m sure you can easily read my post and see here that I have not claimed for this recipe to be Keto as I don’t include any diet specific info on my recipes. I’ve removed your one star rating as I don’t believe it’s fair to penalize my recipe which you haven’t tried because someone else on a site I have no control over claimed it was Keto. I hope you can take it up with that site owner to get your issue resolved and find a recipe that is suitable to your needs!
I made this for dinner today. It was EXCELLENT!! I made extra sauce so there was lots leftover. We’re going to use it over rotelle pasta and just add some grated provolone cheese to it. I think it’s going to be delicious.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it!!