Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies
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This Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Veggies is easy to make, healthy, and provides everything you need for dinner in a single pot. Made with simple ingredients and loved by kids and adults alike, this slow cooker lemon garlic chicken will be a new staple in your dinner rotation!
Table of Contents
It always amazes me when I hear people say they “forgot to eat” on a particularly busy day. This concept is completely foreign to me. I have had busy days. I’ve had days where I’ve had to push back a meal or skip it in favor of scarfing a granola bar down in the car. But I honestly can’t remember a single time where I’ve just “forgotten” to eat. When I’m hungry, my body makes it awfully hard to forget. Those loud, angry stomach gurgles aren’t going to wait.
The term “hangry” has enjoyed a lot of success the past few years, at least partially because it’s a feeling so many people identify with. When I’m hungry I often find myself impatient and short tempered.
I can easily snap at my husband or get upset about things that wouldn’t normally bother me. Hangriness isn’t a state that’s good for anyone–me, my family, or anyone unlucky enough to get between me and the sample ladies at Costco.
My Secret Weapon: Slow Cooker Chicken Dinners
The hangries seem to be at their worst around 4:30, that “witching hour” before dinner time when everyone is hungry, tired, and fussy (and no, I’m not just referring to the kids).
That hour could be the most stressful part of the day were it not for my beloved slow cooker. Let me tell you, there is no better feeling than looking at the clock at 4:30 PM and suddenly remembering dinner is ready and waiting for you in the crock pot. Hallelujah.
This lemon garlic crock pot chicken is a family favorite. The chicken is cooked in the slow cooker along with a slew of vegetables, so by the time the pre-dinner whining kicks in, I’ve got a satisfying meal ready to go.
It has a lovely light and lemony herb flavor that’s not too strong for little tastebuds. And for my mom tastebuds? Well, Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken tastes a lot like victory.
How To Make Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Making lemon chicken in a crock pot requires only a few minutes of prep time and simple ingredients.
- To start, layer quartered potatoes (I prefer red potatoes or Yukon golds), carrots, and onions in the bottom of a slow cooker and season well with salt, pepper, and sliced garlic cloves.
- Place well-seasoned bone in, skin on chicken thighs on top of the potatoes.
- Pour fresh lemon juice over top, followed by several cloves of sliced garlic.
- Sprinkle the chicken with your favorite fresh or dried herbs and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is very tender.
Tips for Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken
- My favorite cut of chicken to use for this recipe is bone-in, skin on chicken thighs or drumsticks. They are tender, juicy, and nearly fail proof.
- To get that lovely crispy, crackly chicken skin, broil the chicken for a few minutes after it’s done slow cooking.
- Originally, I used a few Tablespoons of olive oil in this recipe, but since then I’ve omitted the oil, and it’s been just fine! The chicken cooks in its own delicious juices.
- This recipe is extremely adaptable. I’ve experimented with a few different combinations of seasonings, so feel free to use what you have on hand. The original recipes uses fresh thyme and rosemary, but I’ve also tried and loved dried parsley, basil, and Italian seasoning.
Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. red potatoes (quartered)
- 1 sweet yellow onion (quartered)
- 1 lb. carrots (sliced into 2-3 inch sticks)
- 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cloves garlic (pressed)
- 1 lemon (sliced)
- 3 sprigs rosemary (stems removed, chopped)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Stir in two cloves of garlic and half of the fresh herbs.
- Sprinkle the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper then nestle them in with the potatoes and carrots. Squeeze the lemon juice on top then spread the remaining garlic over the chicken. Place the lemon slices over top.
- Cook on high for four hours or on low for 6-8 hours. When the chicken is finished, remove the sliced lemon, squeezing it out over top of the chicken if you want extra lemony flavor.
- Preheat the broiler and place the chicken thighs on a pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately with the vegetables from the slow cooker.
Notes
- This recipe can be easily adapted based on the ingredients you have on hand. Feel free to use chicken drumsticks or breasts instead of thighs and use dried herbs (Italian seasoning, parsley, basil, or dried rosemary/thyme) instead of fresh.
- Note: If substituting a boneless, skinless cut of chicken, drizzle the vegetables with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the chicken with another Tablespoon of olive oil.
SO. . . when DO the rest of the herbs get added? I saw a number of questions about that step but never saw an answer. ‘So sorry if I missed it.
I made this recipe today and was disappointed that both the nice crispy chicken skin and the vegetables had a bitter lemon flavor. I believe this came from the lemon slices. I even removed the lemon slices after a few hours. I might try it again without the lemon slices to see if that fixes the problem. Also, not to nitpick, but you forgot to mention in the instructions when to add the other half of the herbs. I assumed they were to be sprinkled on the chicken and noted just now that you mention that in your blog post. I am a fellow food blogger so I hope you appreciate the honest feedback. Other than the bitterness, this seems like a good recipe.
I made this yesterday and wow! It was amazing! I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
Hi,
So happy to have found this recipe. I am not a fan of cooking, so I am trying to find easy crock pot recipes. How should I determine if I need to keep in for six to eight hours? Should I do a temperature check?
Thanks!
You can check at six hours and if it’s at 165, it’s good to go. But honestly, it shouldn’t hurt to go the full 8 hours if you’re away from home or unable to check.
May I brown the chicken first in a skillet before I put in crock pot?
Definitely! Browning can be great for adding flavor, but the skin won’t stay crispy while it’s in the crock pot. That’s why I prefer to broil the chicken briefly after it’s cooked.
I travel for work with a crockpot. I LOVE this recipe. We’re staying without an oven this time so I will try it with no skin. Broiling is a must if you have it skin on. We’ll see how it turns out without skin… I have no doubt it will be delicious.
Hi i love your recipe can I use onions, broccoli and cauliflower to lay the chicken on?
The broccoli and cauliflower might get a bit too mushy if they were cooked all day, but you could add them for the last few hours.
I nees low carb veggies can I use brocolli and cauliflower and onion to lay the chicken on instead of potatoes and carrots?
I used parsley flakes and bay leaves instead of thyme. Is that OK?
Just tried this tonight and all I can say is YUMMMM.. Great call on broiling the chicken after cooking turned nice and crispy. Will look forward to having it again tomorrow after it sits overnight. Keep up the great work and looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
This makes me so happy! I’m so glad you liked it and I hope you find many more recipes to enjoy!
Hello,
I don’t have any potatoes on hand. Can I make this without any potatoes using the same cooktime? I do have couscous on hand. Do you cook the couscous together with the chicken or separately just before serving?
Thank you!
You can definitely omit the potatoes. I would cook the couscous separately right before serving.
Hi I made this with sweet potato but when I served it the potato was still quite hard. So were the carrots. It have been cooking on Auto for 8 hours. Any tips? Would some extra chicken stock help? Im new to crock pot cooking.
Hmm…the vegetables definitely should’ve been soft after cooking that long. I’m not familiar with the “auto” setting. My crock pot just has low or high. Is it possible that setting isn’t warm enough?
Tried it last night was amazing thank you for sharing this amazing recipe !
As a bachelor, there’s two things that I appreciate. A slow cooker, and awesome people who share recipes for the slow cooker. Cheers on the awesome recipe.
I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment! So glad you liked the recipe!
What do we do with the second half of the herbs? It only say mix the first half in with the veggies.
I have read that for safety you should never reheat chicken but eat it cold if you have leftovers. Is this a true statement?
I don’t believe that’s true. These are the guidelines I follow for reheating leftovers. https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/holiday_leftovers.html
What if I don’t have a broiler ? Can i bake to get the same texture on the tops of the chicken after they have slow cooked ?
Baking would probably help crisp up the chicken, but I’d be a little more concerned about drying it out. I would just try a really hot oven for a short amount of time.
I made this recipe on lunch and the house smells great. Can’t wait to try it for dinner!
You have one small typo- at the end, I think you meant broileR not broiled.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes 🙂
What will happen if you use frozen chicken?
Technically, the USDA doesn’t recommend using frozen chicken in the slow cooker. I think it would work okay, although the texture if you use skin-on chicken thighs might be off.
I’m trying it with boneless skinless thighs hope it turns out OK. Have you done it with boneless skinless?
I haven’t, but I think it would still work fine. I hope it turned out great for you!
Love this chicken! I have made this twice already and everyone loves it. I use the skinless thighs, I brown them first. I found 5 hours on low is more then enough. Last time did the 7 hours and it was a bit too much. I also add a cup of chicken bouillon. Lately I’m tired of stuff I have tried making like pot roast, turkey,pork, it always comes out tough so now trying new recipes. This is a keeper. I also use the Near East Couscous Couscous with wild mushroom and it’s excellent!! The smell of this cooking for hours is so great, thanks for this recipe.
I’d like to add as above poster said it was bitter but I find that at all in fact I may use a little more lemon especially since I added the chicken bouillom
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It sounds wonderful with the couscous!