Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

Some nights I walk through the door with almost no energy and a kitchen full of hungry people. Slow cooker creamy lemon chicken is what saves me on those nights, because the crock pot does all the work while I handle everything else.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Recipe
• Ingredients For Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
• How To Make Creamy Lemon Chicken In The Slow Cooker
• Storage & Reheating
• Tips And Variations For Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Questions About Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken
• Recipes You May Like
• Conclusion

I made this the first time on a rainy Tuesday in March. Alex had a science project due, Sarah wanted a snack every twenty minutes, and I had nothing planned.

So I dropped chicken thighs into the slow cooker around noon and walked away. By six the whole apartment smelled like lemon and garlic, and honestly? I was shocked at how soft the chicken turned out.

The sauce is plain Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, which keeps things light and a little tangy. Chicken thighs stay juicy for hours, so drying them out is pretty hard to do.

You end up with tender shredded chicken in a bright, creamy lemon sauce that works over rice, pasta, or a pile of greens. Donald says it tastes like something we ordered in. It takes about ten minutes of real hands on time.

When I serve this for friends, I like a cold side next to it. My easy lemon orzo salad is the one I make most often, since the lemon in both dishes lines up and I can throw it together in the morning.

Why You Will Like This Recipe

• Almost no prep. Season, whisk, pour, and close the lid. That is it.
• Hands off cooking. Two to four hours on high, or four to six on low, while you do other things.
• Bright and tangy. Fresh lemon juice and zest keep the sauce from tasting heavy.
• Soft, shreddable chicken. Thighs stay tender even if you run late.
• Lighter sauce. Greek yogurt gives you creaminess and a good hit of protein at 191 calories per half cup serving.
• Real ingredients. Seven things, and most of them are already in your fridge.

Ingredients For Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

Here is everything you need. Simple stuff, nothing strange.

• 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 ½ cups low fat plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh, please)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

A few notes from my own testing.

Use thighs if you can. Breasts work, but they go stringy faster, and I have learned that the hard way twice.

Full fat Greek yogurt splits less than low fat, so grab it if the sauce worries you. Bottled lemon juice will do in a pinch, though the zest is what carries most of the flavor here, and you only get that from a real lemon.

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How To Make Creamy Lemon Chicken In The Slow Cooker

I broke this into short steps so you can follow along while doing three other things at once.

Season The Chicken

Add the chicken thighs to a 6 quart slow cooker in a fairly even layer. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and all of the pepper.

Do not crowd them into a tall pile. Spread out chicken cooks more evenly.

Whisk The Lemon Yogurt Sauce

In a medium bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt until smooth.

Give it a taste. If your lemon is small, add a little more zest.

Coat And Cook

Pour half the sauce over the chicken and toss so every piece is covered. Cover the rest and keep it in the fridge for later.

Put the lid on and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours, or low for 4 to 6 hours. The chicken is ready when it pulls apart with a fork.

I set a timer, because I have walked away and come back three hours later more than once.

Shred And Finish The Sauce

Lift the chicken out and roughly chop or shred it. Strain the liquid in the pot, then pour ½ cup of it back in.

Return the chicken, add the cold reserved yogurt sauce, and toss until everything is coated. Switch the cooker to warm and serve once it heats through.

That last step matters. Stirring the fresh yogurt in at the end is what keeps the sauce smooth and creamy instead of grainy.

Storage & Reheating

Leftovers go into a glass container with a tight lid. They keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, or in the microwave at 50 percent power in short bursts. High heat makes yogurt sauces break, so slow is the way to go.

Add a splash of the reserved cooking liquid or a spoonful of yogurt if it looks dry. I do this every time and it comes back together nicely.

For the freezer, freeze the shredded chicken with the cooking liquid only, up to 2 months. Stir in fresh yogurt sauce after thawing.

The lemon actually gets stronger overnight. Sarah likes day two better than day one, which tells you something.

Tips And Variations For Creamy Lemon Chicken

Want to make this yours? Here is what has worked in my kitchen.

• Add fresh herbs. Chopped dill or parsley stirred in at the end tastes wonderful.
• Make it a little spicy. A pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce wakes it up.
• Serve it three ways. Over rice, tossed with pasta, or piled into pita with cucumber.
• Cut the tang. A teaspoon of honey in the sauce softens the lemon for younger eaters.
• Add vegetables. Baby spinach wilts right in during the last ten minutes.

One thing to watch: do not cook the reserved yogurt sauce. My first attempt went straight into the hot pot and turned into little white specks. Still tasted fine, but it looked sad.

Also skip the low setting if your slow cooker runs hot. Mine does, and 4 hours on low is plenty.

Questions About Slow Cooker Creamy Lemon Chicken

Can You Put Greek Yogurt In A Slow Cooker Without It Curdling?

Yes, with a little care. Half the yogurt goes in at the start and thins out into the cooking liquid, which is why it holds up fine.

The other half stays cold and gets stirred in after cooking, off the heat. Full fat yogurt handles heat better than low fat, and never let the pot boil.

How Long Should Chicken Thighs Cook In A Slow Cooker?

Boneless thighs need 2 to 4 hours on high or 4 to 6 hours on low. Mine are usually done at the 3 hour mark on high.

Check with a fork. If it shreds easily, you are there. Thighs are forgiving, so an extra half hour will not ruin them.

Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead Of Thighs?

You can. Cut the time down to 2 to 3 hours on low and start checking early.

Breasts have less fat, so they dry out quickly. I tried it once when the store was out of thighs, and it was good, just not as juicy.

What Should I Serve With This Recipe?

Rice soaks up the sauce best, and that is our usual weeknight answer. Buttered egg noodles work too.

For something lighter, a green salad or roasted broccoli rounds it out. Warm pita and cucumber slices turn it into a fun build your own dinner, which my kids love.

Recipes You May Like

• Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Chicken With Fluffy Rice if you want the same lemon flavor with the rice already handled.
• Creamy Chicken Piccata With Lemon And Capers for a stovetop night when you have thirty minutes.
• Tender Slow Cooker Chicken And Gravy when you want something cozier and richer.

Conclusion

So here is the whole thing in one breath: season the thighs, whisk the lemon yogurt sauce, cook it low and slow, then shred and stir in the cold sauce at the end.

I love this recipe because it asks so little of me and still tastes like I planned ahead. It has quietly become one of the meals my family requests most.

Give it a try this week and tell me how it goes in the comments. Pin it to your dinner board so you can find it again on one of those nights.