This creamy and tender Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is the perfect no-fuss dinner! This family favorite features juicy chicken breasts and a rich sauce that's packed with flavor.
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I love making this yummy chicken dinner when I'm craving something savory and comforting. The lemon pepper sauce is super creamy, and cooking in the crockpot ensures that the chicken turns out perfect and juicy for a delicious meal every time.
Why This Recipe Works
Like many slow cooker chicken recipes, this slow cooked lemon pepper chicken is hands off and incredibly easy to make! It can be served with your favorite rice or pasta and a veggie side for the ultimate dinner.
With very little prep and no need to babysit the chicken while it cooks, this is the best way to serve a meal the whole family will love come dinnertime.
And if you love the flavor combination of lemon and pepper, try my Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken or this Lemon Herb Chicken Breast with Rice Pilaf!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken Breasts: I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can sub chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
- Cream of Chicken Soup: Creates the base of your creamy lemon pepper sauce.
- Chicken Stock: Helps keep the chicken tender and juicy as it cooks.
- Seasonings: I use a blend of salt and black pepper with some Italian seasoning and garlic.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice will taste best, but feel free to use bottled lemon juice to cut down on prep time.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the sauce a rich consistency.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken and bind everything together to prevent runny sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Step 1: In the bottom of the slow cooker, combine cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, seasonings, and lemon juice.
- Step 2: Add the chicken breasts over top, then cook for 2 to 2.5 hours on low heat.
- Step 3: In a separate small bowl, combine heavy cream and cornstarch and mix into the slow cooker after the 2 hours have gone by.
- Step 4: Cover and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is fully cooked and the sauce is creamy and thickened.
Recipe Tips
- Use a meat thermometer to check that your chicken reaches and internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- This slow-cooked lemon pepper chicken can also be made with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Using fresh garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice results in the best flavor, but jarred garlic and bottled lemon juice can be used for convenience.
- Keep leftover lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Serve with some lemon wedges or lemon zest and fresh chopped parsley or other fresh herbs for a nice presentation and additional flavor.
- This flavorful chicken goes great with white rice, brown rice, or egg noodles!
Recipe FAQ's
Absolutely! As long as you cook the chicken fully and it reaches an internal temp of 165, there's no harm in slow cooking raw chicken. However, if you want some extra flavor, you could quickly sear the chicken in some olive oil or butter for a minute on each side before slow cooking.
I prefer to slow-cook chicken at a low temperature to ensure that it stays tender and the liquid doesn't cook out. This recipe only requires about 3 hours of cooking time on low!
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Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lb Chicken Breast boneless skinless, approximately 4-5 pieces
- 1-10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed, approximately one medium-sized lemon
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In the basin/insert of a six qt slow cooker, add the cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice.
- Use a whisk or spatula to combine. Add the chicken breasts/thighs and coat well.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5-6 hours or high for 2.5-3 hours.
- During the last hour of cooking, mix the heavy cream with the cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps. Add this mixture to the crock pot.
- Bump the slow cooker up to high and cook another hour until the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with steamed rice and your favorite vegetable.
Video
Notes
- Chicken thighs may be substituted for a juicier and flavorful result. Depending on their thickness, cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly as chicken thighs may cook more slowly than chicken breasts.
- Store leftover lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after cooking.
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