Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

5 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes

Easy Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe for juicy chicken breasts in a buttery lemon sauce. You’ll love this simple and delicious dish!

This Slow Cooker version of Lemon Chicken is the perfect start for a weeknight meal. For more easy tasty crockpot chicken, check out my Slow Cooker Pesto Chicken and Honey Pineapple Chicken.

Cooked chicken in slow cooker with sauce.

Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

This creamy Lemon Chicken bucks the general rule of thumb I live by with slow cooker chicken recipes. I usually don’t add boneless chicken breast to a crockpot because it tends to dry out and isn’t as flavorful as thighs or bone-in chicken pieces. However, with a little sear to lock in the juices and lots of butter to add fat, you get juicy meat that is full of flavor. Plus the amazing sauce is packed with zesty, punchy flavor!

If you’re looking for a main dish that pairs with practically any side, this lemony chicken is perfect! The sauce doubles as a topper for pasta, rice, potatoes, and veggies. You could also slice up the chicken and use it for salads, wraps, and sandwiches. It’s a versatile chicken recipe you’ll be making over and over.

Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts because the butter will add the fat that you normally get with bone-in or dark meat.
  • Unsalted Butter: The butter adds moisture and a rich flavor, for juicy, moist chicken full of flavor.
  • Italian Seasoning: A store-bought blend of Italian seasoning contains herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme. You can make your own combination with what you have on hand too.
  • Lemons: Lemon juice adds a bright and zesty freshness that cuts a bit of richness. Lemon and chicken make a perfect pair especially in the buttery sauce!
  • Garlic: I’m using fresh garlic. Feel free to adjust the quantity of minced garlic if you’re a garlic lover (or reduce it if you’re not).
  • Half and Half: The half and half at the end makes the sauce extra creamy and brings everything all together. You want to wait to add it so it doesn’t break or separate.
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used in the end to thicken the sauce and hold it together.
  • Chicken Base: I’d highly recommend using this optional ingredient, which is a concentrated stock paste. It adds so much extra savory flavor!

How to Make

Time needed: 5 hours and 10 minutes.

  1. Season and Sear the Chicken

    Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until both sides are golden.

  2. Prep Slow Cooker

    Place the seared chicken into the slow cooker. Pour lemon juice and zest over the chicken (Don’t actually add the whole lemons in, I only did for the picture). Add garlic and pieces of butter evenly over the top.The easiest, creamiest, slow cooker lemon chicken.

  3. Slow Cook

    Cover the Crock pot (slow cooker) and cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for less time (2 hours) until the chicken is tender.

  4. Make and Add Cream Sauce

    Whisk half and half, cornstarch, and chicken base until smooth. Pour the cream mixture into the slow cooker, mix gently, and cook on high for another hour until the creamy sauce thickens. Serve when ready. Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken with butter, garlic and lemon coating tender chicken breasts in a creamy sauce. Even great as a pasta topping!?

Recipe Card

Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

Easy Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe for juicy chicken breasts in a buttery lemon sauce. You'll love this simple and delicious dish!
Yield 5 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 5 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 lemons , juiced and zested
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon chicken base , optional, but delicious!

Instructions

  • In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt on medium high heat.
  • Add the kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning to the chicken and add it to the pan.
  • Cook on each side for 4-6 minutes.
  • Add the chicken to your slow cooker.
  • Cover with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and the rest of the butter in pieces (I added the lemons in the before picture just for reference. Don't cook the lemons in the slow cooker).
  • Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
  • In a large measuring cup add the half and half, cornstarch and chicken base and whisk well.
  • Add the liquid, mix, and cook an additional hour on high.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 756mg | Potassium: 958mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 26.4mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Chef’s Note: Chicken Breasts vs. Thighs

This recipe uses chicken breast meat but it would be completely amazing and delicious with chicken thighs. The reason I avoided chicken thighs in this dish was I didn’t want all the extra fat to render because the sauce would’ve been too greasy. Don’t worry; I’ve lowered the cooking time to account for the use of breast meat. If you use thighs, I would recommend using boneless skinless thighs so there isn’t too much fat.

Can This Be Made Ahead?

Yes, this meal can be cooked ahead, but it’s best made and served once it’s done cooking. Cooking it longer than 5 hours risks the cream sauce curdling and the chicken will dry out.

Nutritional Facts

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 465 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 198mg66%
Sodium 756mg33%
Potassium 958mg27%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 50g100%
Vitamin A 660IU13%
Vitamin C 26.4mg32%
Calcium 86mg9%
Iron 1.2mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

How to Store

  • Store: Allow the chicken and sauce to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
  • Reheat: Reheat on the stove top over medium low heat. Stir occasionally and avoid boiling so the sauce doesn’t break.
  • Freeze: Place cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Serving Ideas

  • Italian: The lemon and herb seasoning make this a perfect main dish for Italian dishes like pasta and gnocchi. Try it with my easy homemade Potato Gnocchi!
  • Starchy Sides: Rice or potatoes also make a great side for this simple chicken dish. Steamed Rice or Mashed Potatoes soak up that delicious creamy sauce.
  • Veggies: The simple ease of Roasted Winter Vegetables with beets and butternut squash makes this dish a complete meal. Italian Roasted Vegetables also works great as it has zucchini and broccoli.

Frequent Questions

Can I leave this in the slow cooker for 8 hours while at work?

I wouldn’t let it keep cooking for the full 8 hours because the chicken could dry out. However if you have a slow cooker with a timer and auto-switch to warm, you could use that.

Can I skip the browning step?

Technically, yes. Although browning adds extra flavor and is highly recommended!

Can I make extra sauce?

If you want more sauce, feel free to double the sauce ingredients while keeping the amount of chicken the same. This won’t affect the cooking process, but you’ll have more of that delicious creamy lemon sauce to go around!

Why add the cream at the end?

Adding the half and half at the beginning might cause it to break or curdle during the long cooking process. It’s best to add the cream mixture during the final hour of cooking.

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Variations

  • Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken: Add some more Italian flavor plus cheesy goodness with ½ cup Parmesan cheese. You want to use finely fresh grated cheese so it melts easily.
  • Mediterranean Style: Swap the Italian seasoning for 1 teaspoon of za’atar and add ¼ cup of pitted, sliced kalamata olives into the slow cooker in the last hour. The cooking time remains the same, but the dish will have a more vibrant, Mediterranean flair.

More Easy Slow Cooker Dinners

Collage of cooked chicken in sauce.

Photos used in previous versions of this post.

Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken with butter, garlic and lemon coating tender chicken breasts in a creamy sauce. Even great as a pasta topping! 

Seared chicken breasts, lemon and butter pieces in slow cooker.
Cooked chicken breasts in lemon sauce in slow cooker

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Have kept this recipe in my browser for 6 years. It’s a classic that i come back to a few times a year. Try it with the Parmesan cheese it’s A WINNER!!

  2. This recipe is awesome! The lemon flavor has a big profile, but it doesn’t overwhelm the chicken. It’s a bold dish and I am excited to try it again.

  3. This turned out so good! I used my InstantPot to sauté the chicken and then on the slow cooker mode on high for 2 hours. I thought the last 1 hour after adding the cream would make the chicken breasts overdone, but they were not at all. They were perfectly cooked, with a delightfully savory lemon cream sauce. Topped over rice, this was hit with my family. Will definitely make again and add this to my dinner rotations.

  4. I just made this today, my family loved it. I usually BBQ on the weekends, but the chilly SWFL weather (long pants and socks), made me think the slow cooker was better. I added capers, I love a lemon caper sauce.

    1. Glad the recipe worked for you and your family Bob! I love a lemon caper sauce too! Thanks for the five star review.

  5. I made for New Year’s Eve. It was delicious!!! Served with rice. Will definitely make again. Worthy of company. I have a Ninja Impossible Slow Cooker that also has a Saute setting (among other things) so I was able to cook everything in the one pot. Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe.

    1. Happy New Year! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Mary Alice and thanks for the five star review!

  6. Never tried this in a crockpot before, but gave it a try … we loved it! The only thing I added was a large tablespoon of capers (just because we like them with lemon chicken) at the same time as the slurry. Delicious and will be my go to from now on. Thanks for sharing ??

  7. Loved this dish and the family was happy! Do you have a recommendation for a dairy free alternative to the half and half?

    1. I haven’t used a dairy free alternative; however coconut milk products offer a coconut cream but then you would have a distinctive coconut taste to the recipe. I am curious to see what you try and how it turns out!

    2. I used Ripple (pea-based) half and half, and it turned out great! I didn’t miss dairy half and half at all.

  8. LOVE this recipe! I’ve been making this for over 5 years and it’s a fan favorite and my go to! It is also weight watchers friendly. I’ve been shredding the chicken before adding the half and half and chicken base. Now that I read the recipe in full (lol), going to serve with the whole chicken breast. I also like extra lemon sauce. Thanks again!

    1. Hard to answer exactly. Perhaps keep an eye on your chicken with a meat thermometer and when it reaches 165 degrees at the thickest piece of your meat this means your meat is ready to eat!

  9. Amazing recipe! I followed the recipe exactly, and the chicken was tender and flavorful…but the sauce! OMG! Will definitely make this again, but double the sauce so I have enough to top spaghetti with! And to top broccoli with also!

    1. So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Great idea to add the garlic and Herb Boursin cheese! Thank you for the five stars!

  10. Hi do you add the half and half sauce into the crock pot and and cook for 4 hours or does it go in after 4 hours to cook 1 additional hour with the sauce?

    1. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
      Then…in a large measuring cup add the half and half, cornstarch and chicken base and whisk well.
      Add the liquid, mix, and cook an ADDITIONAL hour on high.
      Please let us know how you liked your Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken!

  11. We absolutely loved this recipe and will definitely be making it again. We deglazed the pan with white cooking wine after cooking the chicken in steps 1-3 and added it to the crockpot with the chicken. We doubled the sauce, omitted the chicken base and did the cook on high route. This was SOOO good and we will definitely be making it again. Thank you for the recipe.

    1. Chicken Base: I almost never buy boxes of broth because I keep the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon.

  12. I’ve made this at least 10 times already. I use thighs instead of breast and I double the sauce because it’s soooo good. Always a winner.

  13. Hello! Is this recipe suitable to leave in the slow cooker for a full workday (~8hrs)? If so what adjustments do you suggest? Thank you!

    1. I’m assuming you would brown the chicken in a cast iron skillet and then place it in the slow cooker for 8 hours? My concern is that the cream may separate or even curdle after 8 hours? Breasts of chicken over cooked become very chewy and stringy. I don’t think this is the recipe you’re looking for if you need 8 hours or so in the slow cooker. Perhaps review our many Slow Cooker recipes for a better option at https://dinnerthendessert.com/?s=slow+cooker

  14. Absolutely delicious !! Once I had browned all the chicken in the skillet, I added a splash of white wine to deglaze it, added the minced garlic then let it simmer a few minutes before pouring it all over the chicken. Delicious !!!!

    1. So glad you enjoyed the Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken Jennifer. Thanks for the five star review.

  15. Super easy and a real crowd pleaser. Sometimes I make extra sauce and add bow tie pasta and peas as a way to sneak some extra veggies to the kids. The family loves this and it has become part of our dinner rotation.

    1. We love this recipe and I use it often. I do use half the chicken (there are only two of us), but make the full amount of sauce, lol. This time I used lemons from a friend’s tree, they seem to have more juice and flavor, so I added some about 1/3 of a block of cream cheese. Phenomenal as always, thank you!

      1. Lemons from a friend’s tree is always the best! Thanks so much for your sweet comment and for the five star review, Karyn!

  16. This is phenomenal! I doubled the Italian seasoning for my family’s tastes, and added about a half block of cream cheese at the end. I am pretty picky about my own cooking but this is delectable!

        1. Maddie are you referring to the 1 cup of half and half? If so, Half and Half is a dairy product. (Equal parts milk and cream).

  17. This was really bland tasting and I added extra things for flavor. The sauce wasn’t creamy and also had no flavor. The chicken did come out really tender but I didn’t taste lemon at all. I was surprised as it cooked awhile. Maybe it is just me.

    1. Oh no, so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. We have several Slow Cooker Chicken recipes on the site if you’d prefer to try other options. Thanks for trying!

  18. Made this with the Trader Joe’s lemon pasta and it is DIVINE. Definitely a recipe we will be repeating!

    1. So glad you enjoyed the Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken! Thank you Lenox for the five star review!

  19. I’m confused by when to put the lemon juice and zest in the crockpot. You say, in your instructions not to cook lemon in the crockpot. Please clarity for me. Thanks!

    1. Sorry for the confusion Vicky.
      Cover with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and the rest of the butter in pieces (I added the lemons in the before picture just for reference. Don’t cook the lemons in the slow cooker).

    2. The flavor is OUT OF THIS WORLD! I added more Italian season to the chicken, doubled the sauce, used 2 large lemons (instead of the regular-size lemons the recipe calls for), added a whole block of creams cheese, and it was an absolute hit in my house.
      This recipe has definitely made it to our regular rotation of meals. So light, so creamy, so easy!! Thank you Dinner then Dessert, y’all are awesome. ?

      1. You made my day…Love this review and thanks so much Brianna for the five star review!

  20. Absolutely beyond delicious!!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe and I think I may have to try making this sauce for other proteins b/c I can’t stop eating it!

  21. What if I just go ahead and dump everything in a crockpot? I’m no cook and want to just try that. Don’t mind if it’s not as good.

      1. I think you misunderstood the question. The point was, do you HAVE to braise the chicken first.

        1. Instructions
          1. In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt on medium high heat.
          2. Add the kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning to the chicken and add it to the pan.
          3. Cook on each side for 4-6 minutes.
          4. Add the chicken to your slow cooker and continue to follow the recipe.

  22. Can you use lemon juice and zest? If so, would you know how much? Thank you! It looks amazing and I plan on making it tomorrow:

    1. You only use the zest and the juice in the recipe. I just loved how pretty it looked.

      1. Thank you. I meant to say the lemon juice you buy from the store and not fresh lemons. However, I went and bought fresh lemons. This recipe was amazing! I served over garlic angel hair pasta!

  23. I made this last night and it was delicious, my picky eater loved it. I added chopped asparagus when I added the half & half mix and served it with shell pasta. The shells held the sauce perfectly, it was the only pasta I had in the house lol. Definitely added to the monthly meal list. I might try adding some capers next time also.

  24. Omg.. so yummy. I added in half cut white potatoes for the cooking duration, and threw some green beans in at the end.
    It turned out as one of the best dishes I’ve ever cooked hehe.. thank you!

    1. Chicken Base: I almost never buy boxes of broth because I keep the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon.

    1. serving_size 1 calories 465 carbohydrates 8 protein 50 fat 25 saturated_fat 13 cholesterol 198 sodium 756 potassium 958 fiber 1 sugar 1 vitamin_a 660 vitamin_c 26.4 calcium 86 iron 1.2

  25. I made this yesterday and it was delicious!!! What changes do I need to make (if any) if I want to make it with salmon instead of chicken?

  26. Very tasty. I browned my chicken the night before to save that step. I would double the sauce amount next time.

      1. I think this might be my new favorite crockpot meal! And I have made a ton of different meals! Omg it’s so delicious!!

  27. I am making this now with chicken thighs, added chicken broth with the cream. I will be adding peas for some added color served over angel hair pasta. The house smells delicious hoping it taste as good as it smells?

  28. This was so easy and so delicious! I did double the fresh lemon juice, as we love the lemony flavor. And I also used it to quickly deglaze the pan I used to sear the chicken breasts, get all those yummy chicken bits. The sauce was still plenty creamy for us. We served with homemade mashed potatoes and artichokes. So easy and super tasty! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  29. Thank you! Love this! I am addicted to lemon. I added sumac to the rub and capers to the sauce! Perfect crock pot chicken recipe!

    1. Me too Liz! Love Lemon! Thanks so much for the 5 star rating and if you try other Slow Cooker recipes on the site, please let me know what you think! We have sooo many Slow Cooker recipes because they are such a time saver!!

  30. Can this recipe be made in an insta pot? I love it in the slow cooker but my son doesn’t have one- just wondering about cooking time and when to add the sauce!

    1. Some Insta Pots have a crockpot setting. If your son’s does not, he can google a similar recipe of “slow cooker chicken breasts in creamy sauce” (choose one with good star ratings) and go by their cooking instructions.

    2. Tatiana, I know this has been a while but as for the Instant Pot, I am using my instant pot today to make this on the slow cooker mode. You can sauté and do it all in the pot itself. I love the versatility of the instant pot! I use it both ways for slow cook and for pressure cooking. It’s great to be able to use the pressure cooker part but it has the option of the slow cooker and works great! Just let it vent the whole cook time. You can adjust your settings for low or high- look up how for the pot you have. My low is called “normal”- mine is a bit older. It may be a little different on a newer one. Add the sauce as you would to a slow cooker. It may seal slightly but not much if you keep it vented and you can take the lid right off.