Best Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Best Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken

Juicy, fall-off-the-bone slow cooker chicken thighs in a rich buttery lemon garlic sauce. Season, set, and let your crockpot do all the work for an effortless weeknight dinner.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings: 6 portions

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 450

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

3 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs fully thawed if previously frozen
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
0.75 tsp black pepper
0.75 tsp red pepper flakes
2 medium lemons zested and juiced
1.5 tbsp minced garlic fresh preferred
6 tbsp salted butter cut into small pieces
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Equipment

6-quart slow cooker
Small mixing bowl
Citrus zester or microplane
meat thermometer
serving platter

Method

Whisk together the paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl to create your spice blend.
Zest both lemons into a small bowl, then juice them and set the juice aside separately.
Place the chicken thighs into your slow cooker in a relatively even layer.
Sprinkle the spice blend evenly over all chicken pieces. Scatter the minced garlic and lemon zest across the top. Pour the fresh lemon juice over everything.
Dot the salted butter in small pieces across the surface of the chicken.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C) at the thickest part.
Transfer chicken to a serving platter, drizzle with the cooking liquid, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

Chicken thighs are highly recommended over breasts for slow cooking as they stay moist and tender through the full cook time. If your sauce is too thin, remove the chicken and simmer the liquid on HIGH with the lid off for 15 to 20 minutes. Always use fresh lemons for best flavor. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months.