Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken with butter, garlic and lemon coating tender chicken breasts in a creamy sauce. Even great as a pasta topping!
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken bucks the general rule of thumb I live by with slow cooker chicken recipes. I almost NEVER add chicken breast to a slow cooker. My Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken is one of the only exceptions on the site along with Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken.
This recipe uses chicken breast meat but it would be completely amazing and delicious with chicken thighs. The reason I avoided chicken thighs in this dish was I didn’t want all the extra fat to render because the sauce would’ve been too greasy.
I also wanted to note that even though you see the lemon wedges in the slow cooker before pic, you only use the zest and the juice in the recipe. I just loved how pretty it looked.
Don’t worry, I’ve lowered the cook time to account for the use of breast meat. And if you want to make this Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken instead, add in 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese. Note: shaved Parmesan cheese is different than shredded or grated.
Some ways to use this Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken in other recipes:
- Cut it up and add cooked pasta to the slow cooker to make a creamy lemon pasta.
- Chop the chicken and add to the top of a baked potato with some of the sauce spooned over it.
- If you have leftovers you can use the chicken in salads, it is full of flavor.
Looking for more slow cooker chicken recipes?
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
Tools used in the making of this Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe:
Cast Iron Skillet: If you don’t have a slow cooker with a stovetop friendly insert, this is my most used pan in my kitchen, heavy, keeps heat well and gives the BEST sear ever.
Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Pig Tail Flipper: I use this to flip the chicken breasts easily. I use this tool EVERY time I cook something that requires flipping, it is amazing.
Chicken Base: I almost never buy boxes of broth because I keep the beef, chicken and vegetable version of this Better Than Bouillon.
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 lemons juiced and zested
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chicken base optional, but delicious!
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet add 1 tablespoon of butter to melt on medium high heat.
- Add the kosher salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning to the chicken and add it to the pan.
Cook on each side for 4-6 minutes.
- Add the chicken to your slow cooker.
- Cover with lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and the rest of the butter in pieces (I added the lemons in the before picture just for reference. Don't cook the lemons in the slow cooker).
Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
- In a large measuring cup add the half and half, cornstarch and chicken base and whisk well.
Add the liquid, mix, and cook an additional hour on high.
Can I use milk instead of half and half?
Yes, though I’d recommend mixing 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup water as a substitute. Enjoy!
Hello Sabrina, I’m in Scotland and we don’t have “half and half”. Can you please tell me what it is? Many thanks Anna
It’s actually just half whole milk and half heavy cream. It’s comes prepackaged here in the states but you can easily just combine your own. Hope this helps!
I am going to make this tomorrow and have really large chicken breasts. If I cut them in half do I still cook for 4 hrs?
It may depending on how big they actually are. Check them around the 3 hour mark just to be safe though.
This was amazing. I made it as written. I had some leftover thin spaghetti from the night before. I threw that in at the end and mixed it altogether. The chicken fell right apart! Definitely will make this again and again! Thank you for sharing this superb recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it enough to come back and let me know. Thanks for the 5 star rating, Tracy.
making this tomorrow! how essential is the chicken base? is that like better than bullion? i know it says optional but wondering if i need to run out and buy it!
It just deepens the flavor of the base.
Hi, I am so anxious to make this.. I forgot to get the Better Than Bouillon..CAN I use chicken broth instead? If so, how much? Thank you for sharing 🙂
No, the base just deepens the flavor of the dish. Chicken broth would dilute it. I hope you enjoyed it.