Melanie Makes

Making everyday eats a bit more interesting

You are here: Home / Recipe / Main Dishes / Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This flavorful, four ingredient Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken takes just five minutes to prepare.  Perfect for the busiest of weeknights or when you simply don't want to put forth a lot of effort to get dinner on the table. #slowcooker #crockpot #chicken #chickenrecipes #lemon #easydinner

This flavorful, four ingredient Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken takes just five minutes to prepare.  Perfect for the busiest of weeknights or when you simply don’t want to put forth a lot of effort to get dinner on the table.

A black plate with a fork and a piece of Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken on a bed of arugula.

Keep in touch!  Subscribe to receive Melanie Makes recipes direct to your inbox.

Original content posted July 2013.  Updated January 2019.

I dare you to find an easier or more flavorful dinner idea than this four ingredient Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken.  And did I mention that everyone that sits at our dining room table gives it two thumbs up?  They have no idea that it took just five minutes of work! 
 
It’s like the perfect storm in the world of recipes.  Easy AND enjoyed by all?  Who knew that was even possible?  Perfect for the busiest of weeknights or when you simply don’t want to put forth a lot of effort to get dinner on the table.

A black serving plate of Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken and two forks.

Lemon is always a great way to brighten the flavor of any dish and this Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken is definitely no exception.  It’s also the key ingredient to my Lemon Arugula Pasta, Slow Cooker Lemon Rosemary Lentil Soup and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Greek Yogurt. 

A trip to the fridge for a couple of lemons, chicken and butter and then an envelope of Italian salad dressing mix – flavor shortcut! – and you’ve got dinner nearly made.  If only all things in life were this easy!

A crockpot insert of Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken.

Obviously, as soon as your slow cooker timer beeps when cooking has finished, you’re ready for meal time!  Or if you want to dress things up, I love adding slices of lemon and some chopped fresh parsley as well as some cracked black pepper.  Totally unnecessary, but it’s always fun to play dress-up with your food! 

TIP:  Do NOT add sliced lemons to your slow cooker insert prior to cooking as they will become insanely bitter and you won’t want to eat the end result.

What Do You Eat Lemon Chicken With?

I love to then serve it on a bed of arugula or on top of Israeli couscous, which is my children’s absolute favorite way to enjoy it.  I’ll admit I also love how the couscous absorbs the cooking liquid and concentrates the flavor even more.

Not only is this Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken a great dinner idea, but it’s also a perfect meal prep solution as well.  Having this delicious chicken on hand in your fridge for the week ahead is a great starting point for a quick salad, sandwich or wrap.

Step by step photos of how to create Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken.

How to Make Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

[1]  Add chicken breasts to slow cooker insert.

TIP:  I like to make this recipe in this slow cooker – it comes in 4, 6 or 8 quart options – or using the slow cooker function of my Instant Pot.  If using your Instant Pot, you’ll want to use the tempered glass lid instead of the top that comes with it and is used for pressure cooking.

[2]  Add butter to slow cooker insert.

TIP:  As the butter will obviously melt, there’s no need to cut it into pieces, just toss it in.

[3]  Juice lemons over chicken.

[4]  Sprinkle Italian salad dressing mix over chicken.  Cover and cook on LOW for four hours.

TIP:  You can purchase a single envelope of the Italian salad dressing mix although if you make this recipe frequently as I do, you’ll find it more budget friendly to purchase a box that includes multiple dressing mix envelopes.

A serving dish of Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken with two forks.

If you’ve tried this Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken or any other recipe on Melanie Makes, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  I love hearing from you and respond to each and every comment! 

You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more delicious recipes.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken | Melanie Makes
Print Recipe
4.37 from 44 votes

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

This flavorful, four ingredient Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken takes just five minutes to prepare.  Perfect for the busiest of weeknights or when you simply don't want to put forth a lot of effort to get dinner on the table.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time4 hrs
Total Time4 hrs 5 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 324kcal
Author: Melanie Bauer | Melanie Makes

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (typically 3-4 chicken breasts)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 0.7 ounce envelope Italian salad dressing mix
  • 2 lemons

Instructions

  • Add chicken breasts to slow cooker insert.
    TIP:  I like to make this recipe in this slow cooker - it comes in 4, 6 or 8 quart options - or using the slow cooker function of my Instant Pot.  If using your Instant Pot, you'll want to use the tempered glass lid instead of the top that comes with it and is used for pressure cooking.
  • Add butter to slow cooker insert.
    TIP:  As the butter will obviously melt, there's no need to cut it into pieces, just toss it in.
  • Juice lemons over chicken.
  • Sprinkle Italian salad dressing mix over chicken. 
    TIP:  You can purchase a single envelope of the Italian salad dressing mix although if you make this recipe frequently as I do, you'll find it more budget friendly to purchase a box that includes multiple dressing mix envelopes.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for four hours.

Notes

TIP:  I like to make this recipe in this slow cooker - it comes in 4, 6 or 8 quart options - or using the slow cooker function of my Instant Pot.  If using your Instant Pot, you'll want to use the tempered glass lid instead of the top that comes with it and is used for pressure cooking.
TIP:  As the butter will obviously melt, there's no need to cut it into pieces, just toss it in.
TIP:  You can purchase a single envelope of the Italian salad dressing mix although if you make this recipe frequently as I do, you'll find it more budget friendly to purchase a box that includes multiple dressing mix envelopes.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 31.4mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Maria says

    If I want to put couscous and some vegetables like peas and carrots in this, how much water would I add? And would I throw all the ingredients in at once?
    Reply

  3. Ashley Powers says

    So I've had this cooking on low for about 2 hours now and the chicken seems done already, would you recommend just putting it on warm for the other 2 hours?
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Ashley - I don't think I've ever had a chicken breast cook completely on low for two hours. I'd let it cook the full time on low.
      Reply

  4. Kaylee says

    Just threw everything into the crockpot an hour ago! It smells soooo amazing right now. Thank you for this simple recipe! Any seasonings you could suggest to me to add more flavor?
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hope you enjoyed it, Kaylee! I've never needed more seasoning than that called for in the recipe.
      Reply

  8. Jennifer says

    Thanks for this great recipe! I’m wondering if you’ve ever added vegetables like broccoli into the pot to cook with the chicken? Wondering if that would work to have an entire meal ready sides and all! Thank you!
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Jennifer - I've never added vegetables as I think they'd be quite soggy from sitting in the cooking liquid that's created while the chicken is cooking. If you don't mind the texture, you definitely could give it a try though!
      Reply

  10. Shannon says

    Is there a substitute I can use for the salad dressing mix? I want to make this tomorrow for dinner, but I’m shopping at Trader Joe’s and I’m gonna guess they don’t have that ingredient ;) Thank you!!
    Reply

  20. D says

    I saw where some people were asking about using frozen chicken in the slow cooker. I learned the hard way not to put frozen chicken in a slow cooker. I did some research and it is not recommended to put frozen meat in a slow cooker, as it holds it at a temperature as it begins to thaw for too long a time that allows bacteria to grow, and you can get sick. You might do want to re-check this, but that is what I found.
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, D - You're right, although many people do put frozen chicken in their slow cooker - myself included - there are warnings against doing so.
      Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Gretchen - It's an entire packet of dressing mix - the ounce measurement is how much is in the envelope. Hope that helps!
      Reply

  24. Eric Graffeo says

    Hi Melanie, I made this last weekend and surprisingly the chicken came out a bit dry. I added all of the ingredients as you suggested (except I replaced butter with Earth Balance). Cooked on low for 4 hours. Do you have thoughts on what I might have done wrong? Do you think the Earth Balance is the problem? I was just trying to make it as healthy as possible!
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hey, Eric - Interesting! I've never had dry chicken with this recipe and the majority of the time I don't even use the butter in the recipe so I don't think your substitute would cause the problem. Feel free to e-mail me and I can help you troubleshoot!
      Reply

      • Elodie says

        I had the same problem with the dry chicken. I was wondering if I could cut down the time in the slow cooker a bit to prevent the dryness.
        Reply

        • Melanie says

          Hi, Elodie - With the chicken sitting in cooking liquid and butter, I'm not sure how it has become dry? You could fiddle with the cooking time to see if that helps as your slow cooker might be running hot. Hope that helps!
          Reply

  25. Jen says

    Hi Melanie, How much time does this need to cook if I would like to half the recipe? I currently have two 8-oz. chicken breasts on hand.
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Jen - Time will likely be the same! I typically double the recipe using the same time, so I'm guessing it would be the same for half! :)
      Reply

  26. Mayra says

    This chicken is THE best chicken I have ever had! It was so yummy I was thinking of making it again the next day...this is a definite go to recipe!
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Thank you so much for your kind words, Mayra - it's one of my favorites as well. Thrilled you took the time to let me know. :)
      Reply

  27. Kenzie says

    This recipe sounds awessome! Do you put the chicken in raw and defrosted? I'm a little new to crockpotting, haha.
    Reply

  28. Jordyn says

    Sounds amazing! If my slow cooker only has a HIGH setting for 4 hours, do I just use the LOW setting (8 hrs) and take it out early?
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Jordyn - I'm thinking that what you are saying would work. You definitely would only want to cook it for four hours on low, not eight.
      Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hi, Mayra - It'll likely still be the same time as I typically double this recipe for our family of six in the hopes that we have leftovers! The same time has never failed me!
      Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hey, Natasha - You could start with frozen and just cook it for about 5 hours and you should be good!
      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Featured On BuzzFeed, The kitchn, MSN, Redbook, HuffPost, Food Network, and More