Crockpot Lemon Chicken Recipe – Healthy!

Crockpot lemon chicken is one of those set it and forget it dinners that will blow your mind with flavor and ease! Chicken is slow cooked in a lemony gravy and can be served with a variety of healthy sides. There is no butter or dairy used in this recipe, and it can be made with chicken thighs or chicken breasts!

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

If you love lemon, you are going to love this recipe!

• EASY – When I say easy, I mean EASY. We don’t even sear the chicken prior to placing it in the crockpot. Technically this means we lose out on a little extra flavor, but sometimes I don’t feel like taking the extra 10 minutes to sear chicken prior to placing it in the slow cooker. It dirties up another dish, and the smoke is a pain to deal with.

  So straight into the crockpot it goes!

• VERSATILE – This versatile crockpot chicken thighs recipe can also be made with chicken breasts! As the price of poultry continues to soar, I frequently find myself purchasing boneless skinless chicken thighs. While I don’t love their texture when pan seared, I do love them for the grill and the slow cooker.

  But chicken breasts work just as well!

• HEALTHY – This recipe is healthy! We season the chicken with healthy spices, and we don’t use any butter or dairy! The cornstarch can be substituted for any healthy thickener like rice flour or arrowroot flour.

  And I keep the salt to a minimum so you can make the decision how much sodium you want in the dish!

• FLAVORFUL – Comforting and bursting with citrusy goodness, the star of the show here is the creamy lemon chicken gravy! It not only tastes amazing on the chicken, but it will also leave you wishing you had a piece of crusty bread to sop it up!

How To Make It:

I like to simplify traditional crock pot recipes, so this is pretty much as easy as it gets!

• Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions!

1. Place the chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts) in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with spices. Top them with sliced onion.

2. Pour in chicken broth, salt, and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

3. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours.

4. About half an hour before it is scheduled to be done cooking, transfer about 1/2 a cup of liquid from the crockpot to a bowl. Add the cornstarch to the bowl and mix until fully dissolved. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the crockpot and mix until well combined with the liquid.

5. Sprinkle with capers and continue to cook another half hour until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.

6. Taste test, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve slow cooker lemon chicken over side of choice.

Mediterranean Diet Slow Cooker Recipe

This recipe is mostly Mediterranean diet friendly! The Mediterranean diet encourages whole grains and vegetables at every meal, so I recommend serving this with a healthy grain, like barley, and a roasted vegetable, like broccoli.

To cut back on the processed ingredients, try making your own chicken broth from scratch! The Food Network has a great Chicken Broth Recipe here!

Cornstarch Substitutes:

Corn starch is a powdered starch derived from corn and is frequently made with GMO corn. If you can get your hands on some organic cornstarch, then great! If not, here are a few substitutions that you can make to keep this recipe a little healthier.

• Arrowroot – Arrowroot can be used as a 1:1 swap for cornstarch! It is very similar and should also be made into a slurry prior to adding it to the crockpot.

• Tapioca Starch – Tapioca starch is derived from cassava root and is grain-free and gluten-free. You will need about twice as much as cornstarch, so I recommend starting with 6 tbsp and increasing from there to reach desired consistency.

If you want to learn more about the Mediterranean diet and why it’s been voted the ‘Best Overall Diet’ for 6 years in a row by US News and World Report, then check out my post on What Is The Mediterranean Diet: Foods List, Evidence Based Research.

What To Serve with Crockpot Lemon Chicken:

Technically you could just eat this recipe on its own, but it tastes SO amazing with the sauce poured over a grain and veggie!

• Whole Grains – To keep this recipe healthy, I recommend serving it alongside your favorite whole grain! I used barley, but you can also use brown rice, bulgur, farro, millet or quinoa.

• Roasted Vegetables – Any vegetable that does well when roasted is a great healthy side for this recipe. I served mine with roasted broccoli, but feel free to use cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, zucchini or sweet potato!

• Crunchy Bread – A few slices of toasted baguette would be perfect for sopping up the lemon sauce!

How To Store It:

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To microwave: place it in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir, then microwave in 60 second intervals until cooked through.

To re-heat on the stove: place leftovers in a pan and heat the skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

More Recipes You Will Love:

Check out these other delicious and healthy recipes!

Interested in the Mediterranean diet? Check out my 21-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan here! Take the stress out of meal planning and let me do the hard work for you!