Name: Crockpot Lemon Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 245 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts); 1/2 tbsp garlic powder; 1/2 tbsp onion powder; 1 large onion, peeled and sliced; 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth; 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice of about 2-4 extra large juicy lemons); fresh cracked black pepper; Zest of one lemon; 1/2 tsp table salt, plus more to taste; 4 tbsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp capers

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!

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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!

A wooden bowl filled with slow cooked chicken thighs with lemon slices and fresh cracked black pepper over the top. There is barley in the bowl

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!

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.
Pour in chicken broth, salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 4 hours.
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.
Sprinkle with capers and continue to cook another half hour until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.
Taste test, and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve slow cooker lemon chicken over side of choice.

Raw chicken thighs in a slow cooker seasoned with spices and fresh cracked black pepper

Raw chicken in a slow cooker seasoned and topped with raw onion slices

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.

Whole-Wheat Flour: You can absolutely substitute cornstarch for flour in this recipe. Start with 4 tbsp and make sure you mix it well with the liquid in a bowl prior to adding it to the crockpot!
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 5 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!

Chicken fully cooked in a slow cooker surrounded by lemon gravy 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.

Half of a wooden bowl filled with barley and cooked chicken thighs topped with lemon slices, capers and pepper.

More Recipes You Will Love:

Check out these other delicious and healthy recipes!

Did you make this healthy crockpot chicken recipe? It would mean so much to me if you would rate it below the recipe card and tag me in your creation on Instagram so I can admire your work! @RecipeHippie

Crockpot Lemon Chicken

This super simple healthy crockpot dinner slow cooks chicken in a lemony gravy, and can be served over your choice of side!

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

0 mins

Total Time 4 hrs 5 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Equipment

1 crockpot

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice juice of about 2-4 extra large juicy lemons
fresh cracked black pepper
Zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp table salt, plus more to taste
4 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp capers

Instructions

Place the chicken thighs (or breasts) in the bottom of a slow cooker. Sprinkle all over with onion powder, garlic powder and fresh cracked black pepper. Top them with sliced onion.
Pour in chicken broth, salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. (see instruction below)
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. Add the zest of one lemon to the pot.
Sprinkle with capers and continue to cook another half hour until the gravy has thickened and the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F. Taste test, and season with salt and black pepper as needed. I find that I like about 1/2 a tsp more of salt, but I leave this up to you!
Serve over your side of choice and enjoy!