Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken is an effortless comfort food that’s not overly heavy. We like using the leftovers to make flavorful tacos or a quick meal served with broccoli and rice.
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Well-seasoned chicken smothered in a creamy sauce always goes over well in my house. It's versatile and can be served over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes for a hearty meal in the colder months, or with a fresh salad and roasted veggies when it's warmer out.
This lemon chicken recipe ranks up there with some of my other Crock Pot chicken recipes like this tasty Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta, Crock Pot Angel Chicken, Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, and Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken.
Why You’ll Love Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken
- Kid-Approved: Adults and kids alike go crazy over this recipe. It quickly joined our regular rotation of yummy chicken Crock Pot recipes.
- Fast and Simple to Make: This set it and forget it Crock Pot lemon chicken only takes 10 minutes of prep and a little stirring towards the end of the cooking time. It’s so easy!
- Versatile: The epic sauce makes this recipe great to serve in different ways. I’ve even spooned the extra sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker over pasta even after the chicken is gone– it’s that good.
Ingredients
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: You can cut these down into halves or thirds if you want, especially if the chicken breasts are large.
- Seasoning: Italian seasoning, onion powder, and dried thyme are what I like to use for this recipe, but you could also add some of your other favorite spices like lemon pepper or even a little paprika.
- Minced Garlic: There’s just something so good about the lemon and garlic mixture in this recipe. If you’re short on time, use garlic from the jar instead of mincing it yourself.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: A single lemon is all you need for the quarter cup of fresh-squeezed juice. You can add a little zest over top before serving too, if you want an extra lemony kick!
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Especially if you’re using salted butter, go with low-sodium chicken broth here. Vegetable broth would also work.
- Butter and Cream Cheese: Using a high-quality butter goes a long way to making the sauce unforgettable for this recipe. Both the butter and cream cheese get cut into cubes and placed over the chicken before it cooks.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream makes the sauce luscious and so divine.
- Fresh Spinach: Chopped spinach added at the end gives this dish a hearty and earthy flavor, plus it's a great way to sneak some leafy greens into your day.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- For a Lighter Version: For a lighter version of the recipe, use half-and-half or coconut cream instead of heavy cream and substitute light cream cheese for regular. Personally, it would break my heart not to use the good stuff, but that’s just me!
- Use Dark Meat: Boneless, skinless thighs also work for this recipe. Be sure to keep an eye on the cooking time, as dark meat requires a bit longer to cook.
- More Veggies: If you have veggies in the fridge you need to use up, carrots, onion, broccoli and cauliflower all work well in this dish. Just steam them beforehand and add in at the end.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Herb Chicken in the Slow Cooker
The slow cooker is going to do most of the work for you with this one!
Step 1: Season the Chicken. Make sure all the sides get some of that amazing mix of Italian seasoning, black pepper, onion powder, and thyme. Because of the salted butter, you won’t need salt in the spice mix here.
Step 2: Make the Cooking Liquid. Whisk the garlic, lemon juice, and chicken broth together, then pour it into the slow cooker.
Step 3: Add the Butter and Cream Cheese. Place the cubes of each evenly over the top of the chicken. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2½-3½ hours.
Step 4: Shred the Chicken. Remove the chicken to a plate and use two forks to shred the chicken while it's still warm.
Step 5: Finish the Sauce. Whisk the heavy cream into the sauce. Then add the shredded chicken and spinach and let it cook for another 30 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy. Garnish with lemon slices if you want an even more beautiful presentation!
Hint: Short on time?
Chicken tenders cook faster than full chicken breasts, so you could use those instead. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the Crock Pot as the cook time will probably be about half as long.
Expert Tips
- The Right Amount of Liquid: Make sure you have enough liquid so the chicken doesn't dry out. If you're using a 6-quart slow cooker, the liquid should be about halfway up the sides of the chicken breasts. If your slow cooker is smaller, the liquid might cover a little bit more of the chicken.
- To Keep the Chicken Moist: Don't leave the chicken sitting in the crockpot on the warm setting for too long after it's done cooking. It will continue to cook and can dry out.
- When Thickening the Sauce: Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools so go slow with adding the cornstarch slurry. If you end up putting too much, a splash of chicken broth can help.
- Storing and Reheating: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 60-second intervals until it is heated through.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe is great for family dinner and lunch leftovers the next day. It is also a big hit at a potluck and is easy to make if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Serve the slow cooker lemon herb chicken over pasta, rice, crockpot mashed potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or crockpot baked potatoes.
- This slow cooker lemon chicken is also really tasty alongside a side of glazed carrots, Ranch potatoes, or crockpot corn on the cob for a well-rounded dinner.
- I’ve also served this chicken cut up into bite-sized pieces over a fresh salad with a side of warm focaccia bread in the slow cooker. Delicious!
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
These are a few of my other favorite chicken dinner recipes to make in the slow cooker.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. Then follow me on Facebook and Pinterest! Share your favorite recipes or ask questions in my Facebook Group.
Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter cubed
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Season chicken with Italian seasoning, black pepper, onion powder, and thyme. Then, place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, add garlic, lemon juice, and chicken broth. Whisk and add to the slow cooker.
- Place the butter and cream cheese on top of the chicken.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2½-3½ hours.
- Remove chicken and shred with two forks.
- Whisk heavy cream into the sauce. Then, add spinach and shredded chicken back into the slow cooker. Mix until coated in sauce. Cook for 30 minutes until the spinach is reduced by half and the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with lemon slices.
Notes
- The Right Amount of Liquid: Make sure you have enough liquid so the chicken doesn't dry out. If you're using a 6-quart slow cooker, the liquid should be about halfway up the sides of the chicken breasts. If your slow cooker is smaller, the liquid might cover a little bit more of the chicken.
- To Keep the Chicken Moist: Don't leave the chicken sitting in the crockpot on the warm setting for too long after it's done cooking. It will continue to cook and can dry out.
- When Thickening the Sauce: Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools so go slow with adding the cornstarch slurry. If you end up putting too much, a splash of chicken broth can help.
- Storing and Reheating: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for 60-second intervals until it is heated through.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Ryan Allen says
This is such a yummy recipe with a light citrus flavor.