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Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken is the answer to your last-minute “what’s for dinner” woes! Using basics that you likely have on hand, this healthy dinner can be made in the slow cooker with just a few extra ingredients. Serve over rice or with a side of steamed veggies for a satisfying meal at home!

lemon chicken and rice on a blue plate

Why Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Is The Best 

  • Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken is one of the best options for a truly yummy dinner at home when you don’t want to venture out to the grocery store. Use some pantry ingredients for the sauce and serve over rice. If you have chicken stored in the freezer, even better!
  • This is such an easy-to-prep dinner because it goes with lots of side dishes and the mild but delicious flavor appeals to just about everyone – including the picky eaters!
  • On those days when you are tempted to pick up takeout for ease, you can opt for lemon chicken knowing that it is healthier and will cook quickly enough for you to start it around lunchtime. This only took 3 hours on high in my 3.5-quart slow cooker.
  • Restaurant lemon chicken dishes tend to have lots of added sodium, MSG, vegetable oil, or gluten. This version is so much better for you!

Ingredients Needed

You might already have everything you need at home! Add some rice and extra veggies on the side and you’ll have dinner set in no time.

You’ll need:

  • Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for easy shredding. Boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work!
  • Chicken broth – Broth always makes a tasty sauce base. If you like, you can use bone broth for extra nutritional benefits.
  • Soy sauce – Soy sauce aids in tenderizing the chicken and works so well in slow cooker recipes. Use coconut aminos or tamari sauce for a gluten-free option, if needed.
  • Honey – Just a bit of sweetness offsets the acidity of the lemon juice.
  • Lemon juice – Fresh-squeezed lemons or a fresh bottle of lemon juice will do. The fresher the better for a more impactful flavor!
  • Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is a key ingredient in Asian-inspired home-cooked recipes.
  • Garlic powder – Using garlic powder helps even distribution in the sauce.
  • Ground ginger – Is there a better combo than ginger and lemon? Ground ginger adds a wonderful element to the lemony sauce.
  • Hot sauce – You only need a dash of hot sauce for spice. Choose sriracha, chili sauce, or any hot sauce that you already have.
  • Cornstarch slurry – Just a bit of cornstarch dissolved in water will provide a slight thickener to the sauce. This gives a little extra stickiness to the sauce that is perfect for serving over rice or other veggies.

How To Make Lemon Chicken In The Slow Cooker

This is one of the easiest chicken recipes you can make in the slow cooker.

  1. Start by placing the chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
  2. Whisk together all remaining ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl.
  1. Pour the mixture over the top of the chicken.
raw chicken breasts with sauce and garlic in slow cooker
  1. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until the chicken is fully cooked.
  2. Remove the chicken, shred it with forks, and return it to the slow cooker to toss and fully coat with the sauce.
shredded chicken in slow cooker with lemon slices
  1. Serve shredded lemon chicken over rice or as desired.

A few extra tips for the best results:

  • Make sure to use thawed (not frozen) chicken for food safety precautions.
  • It is worth the extra step to shred the chicken rather than serving whole chicken breasts. When you shred it and add it back to the sauce, not only is it more visually appealing, but the chicken also absorbs the sauce and becomes so much more flavorful!

Variations and Substitutions

Try a few variations to make this lemon chicken just how you like it!

  • If you’d rather use boneless skinless chicken thighs, go for it! The water content in chicken can vary so sometimes it is easier to prevent chicken from drying out by using chicken thighs. 
  • You can substitute tapioca flour for cornstarch or just leave the cornstarch out if you want a thinner sauce. Also, if needed, you can thicken the sauce with a little additional cornstarch slurry. 
  • You can use freshly squeezed lemon or just use bottled fresh lemon juice. Keeping a bottle on hand in your refrigerator makes it easy to meal prep!
  • As an optional step, garnish bowls of lemon chicken with sesame seeds and green scallions.

What To Serve With Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken 

Lemon chicken is so delicious served over steamed white or brown rice. The rice soaks up the extra lemony juices from the chicken and makes a filling meal. You could also pair some sautéed veggies like zucchini, Green Beans with Garlic, or try some Oven Roasted Carrots.

To complement the acidic taste of the lemon, pour a glass of crisp white wine. Enjoy!

shredded lemon chicken garnished with lemon slices served with rice on blue plate

Storing and Reheating

Lemon chicken with a side of rice and veggies would be a fabulous option to prep ahead for leftover portions throughout the week. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost if needed and reheat single servings in the microwave for short increments.

lemon chicken and rice on a blue plate

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Jennifer Draper
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken is the answer to your last-minute “what’s for dinner” woes! Using basics that you likely have on hand, this healthy dinner can be made in the slow cooker with just a few extra ingredients. Serve over rice or with a side of steamed veggies for a satisfying meal at home!
4.03 from 73 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Asian
Servings 6
Calories 151 kcal

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • dash hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken breasts in slow cooker
  • Whisk together remaining ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl
  • Pour mixture over chicken in slow cooker
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours until chicken is fully cooked
  • Remove chicken, shred it with forks, and return to the slow cooker to toss and fully coat with sauce
  • Serve shredded lemon chicken over rice or as desired

Notes

  • Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost from frozen and reheat single servings in the microwave.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds or scallions. If needed, thicken the sauce with a small additional amount of cornstarch slurry.
  • Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165 ℉, but it tends to shred better at 205 degrees ℉.

Nutrition

Calories: 151kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 25gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 303mgPotassium: 445mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 34IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken FAQs

  • Should I brown the chicken before putting it in the slow cooker? No, you do not need to brown the chicken first. This recipe works best with thawed chicken breasts straight into the slow cooker.
  • Can I use frozen chicken for this recipe? No, make sure the chicken is thawed before placing it in the slow cooker. For this recipe and the allotted time, this helps to ensure food safety.
  • Can I replace the lemon with other citrus fruits? I don’t recommend replacing the lemon in this recipe. If you’d like to try another citrus fruit variation with your chicken, you might like Slow Cooker Crispy Orange Chicken or Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken which includes chunks of pineapple.
  • How long does this recipe take to cook in the slow cooker? This recipe is designed to cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Since slow cookers can vary slightly, check the temperature with an internal food thermometer to ensure doneness. Chicken breasts are fully cooked at 165 ℉, but I find they shred better at 205 degrees ℉ and won’t dry out since they are cooking in liquid.

More Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes

43 Comments

  1. Hi, I am new to sc world! If I made this with same quantities but in 5.5l sc would cooking time be less? Also do you know what it would be on low? Thanks

    1. Hi Cath! Since you will be using a slightly larger slow cooker it won’t be as full meaning the food will actually cook faster. So, I would cook it for the minimum times listed (either 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low) to be sure it doesn’t overcook. Welcome to slow cooking! You will love it 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    One pot to wash perfect . I had all of the items & surprising enough i had chicken. In the crock pot & im relaxing watching netflex movie. Life is good.

  3. Making this for a family birthday party. Plan to serve this along with two other meats on a “sliders bar.”
    Thanks for the recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    I usually do not post online, but in this case I must make an exception as this recipe is simply brilliant.

    Thank you very much!

  5. Don’t know if you’ll see this but recipe sounds very flavorful.
    Are there any vegetables you could recommend putting in this recipe that would go with the flavor profile? Have niece with new twins so I need to get some meals in her fridge andn/or freezer that are “one pot” for easy reheat. She can throw a bag of steam rice into microwave but I’d really like to get some vegetables into her. Thoughts appreciated on these separately or some combination: green beans, asparagus, spinach, carrots, corn and ____? I know time of veg addition to crockpot would vary in overall cook time.
    Thank you so much.

    1. I’d think something like carrots should work. Veggies that would be slower cooking and would hold up well? I haven’t tried it but I think it should work. Another option would be to give her the steam in bag veggies as a quick side?

  6. This was a winner in our house! Thanks for the recipe! I added more of the broth/sauce to make it even juicier and served it over white rice as suggested. Everyone liked it and I am definitely adding it to the regular rotation!

  7. This looks delicious! Going on my list of can’t wait to try crock pot recipes. I know what you mean about finding the healthy eating balance. It’s easy to go overboard which only leads to eventual bingeing. After decades of finally trying to figure it out I’ve found that what works best for me is an 80-20 approach. I try to eat nourishing food at least 80 percent of the time. This gives me plenty of room for little splurges.
    Take Care!

    1. Thanks! That is a really good approach! You are so right that if you don’t allow yourself a little room then it’s easy to completely get off track!

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