This easy crockpot lemon chicken recipe is cooked low and slow in a bright and savory lemon garlic sauce dotted with capers and onions.
Why this recipe works
Only 20 minutes of prep, including a quick browning in a skillet before going into the slow cooker, makes this crockpot lemon chicken quick and easy. I love me a low-effort meal with big flavor. That gentle sear in the skillet adds an entirely new layer of flavor to the dish!
There’s always room in my heart for skillet lemon chicken, but making it in the crockpot saves a lot of extra time and dishes to clean up. Plus, there’s honestly no complaints when it comes to a set it and forget it recipe. The most work you’re going to put in here is juicing the lemons and browning the chicken beforehand, which isn’t an absolute must, but highly recommended. Pop it in on high to cook in around 3 to 4 hours, or flip it to low to be ready in closer to 6 or 7 hours, depending on what kind of time you have that day.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHICKEN – While many of our chicken recipes call for pounding the breasts to an even thickness, that is not necessary for this recipe. The thickness of the breast does not play a part because of the long cooking time.
LEMONS – You will need zest and lemon juice as well as a full lemon for slicing. While you can certainly zest the lemon you are going to slice, you will still need juice. So it’s best to have 2 or 3 lemons. You can realistically use bottled lemon juice, but I would highly, highly recommend using fresh. Especially for a recipe built around lemons!
CAPERS – Capers add a nice kick of salty umami flavor. If capers aren’t your thing, you can substitute with finely chopped green olives, or simply leave them out altogether.
How to Make Crockpot Lemon Chicken
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Trim chicken breasts of excess fat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt. Season both sides of the breasts with some of this mixture. Set remaining seasoning aside for a later step.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total.
- Remove chicken from skillet and place in the crockpot.
- To the brown bits and leftover butter in the skillet, add garlic and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, remaining seasoning mixture, and Italian seasoning. Stir or whisk to combine and heat through.
- Pour half of the skillet contents over the chicken in the crockpot. Layer on onions, lemon zest, and lemon slices. Pour remaining skillet contents over the lemons.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 6-7 hours).
- Remove lid and add capers. Replace lid and turn off the crockpot. Let sit 5 minutes to warm capers.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes! Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts if preferred. The cook time should remain the same. However, if you use bone-in chicken thighs, they will probably take closer to 4 hours to cook on high. Chicken thighs are an excellent swap in the slow cooker, as they’re a lot more forgiving and don’t tend to dry out if cooked longer.
I recommend browning the chicken in a skillet before placing it in the crockpot simply for that lovely golden crust, which surprisingly adds a lot of flavor (and texture). However, it isn’t imperative to the recipe and can be skipped if you’re short on time.
Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your crockpot lemon chicken breasts over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or alongside some garlic butter pasta.
The juice from the crockpot made an amazing gravy over the chicken and a pile of mashed potatoes! This is a pretty lemon forward dish, so my youngest daughter passed on the gravy but still had plenty of flavor from the chicken itself. It’s great either way!
More Crockpot Chicken Recipes
- Mississippi Chicken
- Crockpot Sticky Chicken
- Crockpot Mexican Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff
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Crockpot Lemon Chicken
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 3.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 5 breasts
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ cup sliced onion
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 large lemon sliced into rings
- 2 Tablespoons capers
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- While many of our chicken recipes call for pounding the breasts to an even thickness, that is not necessary for this recipe. The thickness of the breast does not play a part because of the long cooking time.
- You will need zest and lemon juice as well as a full lemon for slicing. While you can certainly zest the lemon you are going to slice, you will still need juice. So it’s best to have 2 or 3 lemons. You can realistically use bottled lemon juice, but I would highly, highly recommend using fresh. Especially for a recipe built around lemons!
- If capers aren’t your thing, you can substitute with finely chopped green olives, or simply leave them out all together.
Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts of excess fat.3.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- In a mixing bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and salt. Season both sides of the breasts with some of this mixture. Set remaining seasoning aside for a later step.2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons lemon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes total.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Remove chicken from skillet and place in the crockpot.
- To the brown bits and leftover butter in the skillet, add garlic and sauté for 10-15 seconds.2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, remaining seasoning mixture, and Italian seasoning. Stir or whisk to combine and heat through.1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Pour half of the skillet contents over the chicken in the crockpot. Layer on onions, lemon zest, and lemon slices. Pour remaining skillet contents over the lemons.1/2 cup sliced onion, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest, 1 large lemon
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 6-7 hours).
- Remove lid and add capers. Replace lid and turn off the crockpot. Let sit 5 minutes to warm capers.2 Tablespoons capers
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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