Description
This Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe features tender, juicy chicken thighs infused with bright lemon juice, fragrant garlic, and fresh thyme. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal, this dish combines a quick sear for flavor with slow cooking to achieve melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Lemon Garlic Sauce
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry and season evenly with salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side until they develop a golden brown crust to lock in juices.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Place the seared chicken thighs into the slow cooker to prepare for slow cooking.
- Prepare Lemon Garlic Mixture: In a bowl, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, and sprigs of thyme, mixing well to create a flavorful sauce.
- Pour Sauce Over Chicken: Pour the lemon garlic mixture evenly over the chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
- Cook Slowly: Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours until the chicken is tender and infused with the bright lemon-garlic flavors.
- Serve: Remove thyme sprigs and serve the chicken hot alongside your favorite sides for a comforting meal.
Notes
- For best flavor, sear the chicken before slow cooking to create a caramelized crust.
- You can substitute chicken breasts, but thighs remain juicier after slow cooking.
- Use fresh thyme for the most aromatic results; dried thyme can be substituted but reduce quantity to 1 teaspoon.
- Adjust lemon juice to taste for more or less tanginess.
- This recipe can be doubled for larger groups using a bigger slow cooker.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: slow cooker chicken, lemon garlic chicken, easy chicken recipe, slow cooked chicken thighs, healthy chicken dinner
