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.
Table of contents
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe Card
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
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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
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
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.
Technically, yes. Although browning adds extra flavor and is highly recommended!
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!
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.
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.
Related Recipes
More Easy Slow Cooker Dinners
Photos used in previous versions of this post.
The sauce is no doubt super tasty.. but there is almost a 1/4 inch layer of butter sitting on top, and though I used big chicken breasts they were definitely over cooked at 4 hours on low + the 1hour on high.. maybe it would be better with thighs and no butter? I don’t know .. have you run into this problem?
Oh no! Maybe cut the butter next time? I’m wondering if your slow cooker may run hotter than mine so maybe next time use a meat thermometer with the last hour of cooking and remove the chicken when it’s done? I really haven’t run into this issue with this recipe, I’m sorry.