Creamy Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

Plate of creamy lemon garlic pasta with a seasoned chicken breast, garnished with lemon slices and fresh parsley. The dish is served on a white plate with a yellow and white checkered napkin on the side.

Crock Pot lemon chicken is a creamy, comforting recipe made with tender chicken simmered in a lemon-garlic sauce. The result is a bright and flavorful dinner that’s simple enough for busy weeknights yet elegant enough for guests.

Course Dinner

Keyword chicken, pasta

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Servings servings

Calories 495

Author Gina Dickson

Ingredients

⅓ cup finely diced onion about ½ a small onion
5 small whole garlic cloves
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice about 1-2 lemons
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and dressing mix powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon cornstarch
5 lemon slices for garnish
2 tablespoons honey to drizzle over top before serving
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil for garnish
Your favorite pasta for serving

Instructions

Prep

Dice the onions.
⅓ cup finely diced onion
Peel garlic cloves.
5 small whole garlic cloves
Squeeze lemon juice.
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, whole garlic cloves, diced onion, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
1 cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and dressing mix powder, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Brown Chicken

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts or thighs. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked, just browned.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
Transfer the browned chicken to the slow cooker. After removing the chicken from the skillet and into the Crock Pot, use a little chicken broth to deglaze the pan and scrape up all those delicious browned bits and add to the Crock Pot. It'll add so much flavor and richness to the sauce.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours. Note: Slow cookers can vary, so adjust the cooking time as needed.

Thickening The Sauce

Once cooking time is over, ladle out the broth and pour it into a small saucepan. Bring it up to a boil on medium-high heat on the stove.
Mix the heavy cream and cornstarch in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
½ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Pour the cream slurry mixture into the pan of boiling broth and whisk it together until it thickens. This should take about 1 minute.
Return the thickened broth to the slow cooker and set on warm until you are ready to serve.
Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked pasta.
Your favorite pasta
Drizzle honey over the chicken and garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley or basil.
5 lemon slices, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil

Notes

Storage & Reheating

Room Temperature: Keep leftovers out no longer than 2 hours after cooking.
Fridge: Store cooled chicken in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Label with date. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
Reheat: Warm gently in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in a splash of broth or cream if the sauce thickens too much.

Nutrition