Crockpot Chicken Thighs with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce – If you are looking for an easy but delicious crock pot dinner idea, then this crockpot chicken thighs recipe is for you! The chicken thighs cook up tender and juicy in a buttery lemon garlic sauce. This chicken recipe is very easy to make in the crock pot and the flavor is outstanding. We guarantee your family will love this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe and put it on the family favorite rotation list! Serve the chicken thighs over a bed of cauliflower rice (ideal for keto or low carb diet) or rice with a salad and dinner is done. Hint, if you make rice (or cauliflower rice) in the Instant Pot, this crockpot chicken dinner gets crazy easy.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the Crock-Pot Butter Chicken Thighs
- 6-8 boneless chicken thighs, skinless or with skin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes, or Cayenne (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 stick butter, diced
- Zest of half a lemon
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices, for garnish
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
How To Make Chicken in the Crockpot
This crockpot chicken thighs recipe is SUPER easy to make. Simply place the chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Combine 1/3 cup chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest. Pour the broth over the chicken. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red chili pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Top chicken with fresh minced garlic and diced butter. Cook on High for 3-4 hours.
Once the chicken thighs are cooked, serve the chicken over white rice, pasta, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, zucchini noodles, or egg noodles.
If you want a thinner sauce, add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water or chicken broth to the soup mixture.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Recipe tips for the crockpot chicken thighs recipe
This chicken thighs recipe in the slow cooker is very accommodating and you can customize it to your taste. The chicken thighs is super quick to prep and the delicious garlic lemon butter herb sauce is to die for! Here are a few tips to make it even better!
- Try cooking the chicken over a bed of chunky cauliflower florets. This instantly turns the crockpot chicken thighs recipe into a one-pot dinner, and the cauliflower side is packed with flavor since it will soak up the fat and juices from the chicken thighs. If you’re not on a Keto or low carb diet, cook the crockpot chicken thighs over a bed of baby or new potatoes instead.
- If you want to give your crockpot chicken thighs dinner a zesty touch to brighten the flavor, add a dash of fresh lemon juice at the end of cooking.
- Make sure to use skinless chicken thighs. Chicken skin contains fat that will make the crockpot dish too greasy, especially when we use butter in the sauce. If you’re not fond of chicken thighs, go for skinless chicken breasts instead–They are lean and shred easily after being slow-cooked!
- Shredding chicken meat is also a great option. Simply remove the cooked chicken thighs from the crockpot and shred on a cutting board after removing the bone. Add chicken back to the crockpot and mix with the sauce to combine and reheat quickly before serving the crockpot chicken.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1. To make this crockpot chicken thighs recipe: Place chicken thighs at the bottom of your slow cooker. Combine 1/3 cup chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest, and pour over chicken thighs. In a small bowl, combine Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red chili pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken thighs. Top with fresh minced garlic and diced butter.
2. Cover the crockpot and cook the chicken thighs for 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW.
3. Sprinkle your crockpot chicken thighs dinner with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon slices. Serve hot with cauliflower rice, spiralized zucchini noodles, rice, pasta or quinoa. Enjoy! ❤️
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
What to serve with the crockpot chicken thighs?
As said above, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles are a great and healthy option, especially for those on low-carb/keto diets. This slow cooker chicken thighs recipe is also awesome on top of regular pasta or rice of course!
How and how long to keep the crockpot chicken thighs leftover?
This crockpot chicken thigh keeps for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove, adding one tablespoon of water to loosen the sauce. Freeze the crockpot thighs chicken for up to 3 months. We also love to toss the shredded chicken leftovers with a crisp salad.
What other readers say about this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe
“I used breasts & browned them (seasoned with s&p and oregano); added a can of chickpeas & bag of frozen cauliflower under chicken. My guys had theirs over steamed rice & went back for seconds AND thirds. Super yummy!” – Jenni
“This one was a big success in our house! My kids rolled their eyes at me when I said I was making chicken in the crockpot- but everyone liked it. We served it with leftover Mexican rice and steamed broccoli. Great and easy meal.” – Kelly
“I’ve made this time and time again! Every time it turns out absolutely delicious and flavorful! Great recipe. Goes well served on a bed on steamed white rice. 😋 YUM” – Reyna
“I made this with organic chicken breasts, delicious would definitely make it again. I did not use the lemon zest, just lemon juice.” – Brenda
More crockpot chicken recipes you might like
- CrockPot Tuscan Garlic Chicken With Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup with Spinach Potato
- Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken Alfredo with Broccoli
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Leave a Reply
Kaylan
2021-09-21 19:38:11
Just made this for my husband and 9 and 8 year olds. And everyone loved it! Not too spicy, very juicy. We had it with roasted cauliflower and rice. And made enough for hubby to bring leftovers to work for lunch the next day. So good!
Krista
2021-09-07 14:29:05
I'm cooking it right now but I'm just wondering if anybody ever made this with rice already in the crock-pot. I put rice down on the bottom then follow the recipe I hope it will be good!
Emily
2021-08-22 18:39:39
Delicious! I ended up leaving out the paprika and hot pepper flakes because of spice sensitive kids, and I didn't miss the heat. Will definitely try with spice in the future. I added some of the extra sauce to our rice/quinoa blend and it was terrific!
Deborah
2021-07-29 23:07:34
This was delicious. I wish I'd thought to use the liquid for my orzo but will next time. This one is a keeper.
Lauren
2021-06-30 19:05:08
Loved this recipe! I had frozen skin-on chicken thighs on hand so found this recipe to use them up! Turned out super tender and falling off the bone–YUM! Since there was so much broth in the pot, I ladled it out and used it as my cooking liquid for orzo. Got all the lovely flavors throughout the whole dish! My ultra-picky husband loved it too!
Carol Custer
2021-06-06 18:33:37
This was delicious! I made it with thighs and will try breasts next time! Really easy and yummy!
Laurel
2021-06-04 19:16:29
Nice and tender, smells great and looked just like the picture. I love it when that happens. Great for a change from my boring chicken and thanks for the share.
Christine H.
2021-05-31 22:43:23
This chicken was great. I am making it again this week! I put it in salad or just eat it up with cauliflower rice. YUM! I omitted the red pepper flakes and used fresh ginger instead and instead of Italian seasoning I used a Mediterranean Spiced Sea salt because it's my favorite. I also only had smoked paprika and it was nice! Thank you! Love this chicken!
Irene Flores
2021-05-10 15:08:12
Did not use garlic or onion powder. Used Cayenne pepper instead of flakes. Doubled rest of recipe ingredients “ except for butter.” Used 1/2 stick of butter. Was delicious. Cooked fast in Crock pot. Done in 2.5 - 3 hours. Served with angel hair pasta, grilled veggies, salad & garlic bread.
Andrea
2021-05-03 23:54:51
I followed the recipe as written, but I was not a fan. I thought the seasoning was way too overpowering. I won't make it again. Glad I tried it though.
Stephanie
2021-04-24 21:24:01
Considering the ingredients and after reading the other reviews, I was hoping this would be a keeper. It smelled amazing while cooking but when I sampled the end product, there wasn’t much flavor. I followed the recipe as written. Won’t be keeping this one.
Adam
2021-04-24 12:35:36
This recipe is amazing. Lose the pepper flakes and lemon zest. Use lemon juice and extra cup of chicken broth. Put over rice with whole green beans and it's amazing. At least a once a weeker for us now.
Janie
2021-04-22 22:46:43
This is weirdly blah. Considering the ingredients I hoped for wow. I even added less butter, more lemon zest, more Italian seasoning, and a touch more crushed red pepper. I tried thickening up the sauce after the chicken was cooked and it was too fatty to work. I toasted some cous cous, put the chicken on top with some fresh green beans and put some sauce on top. Just blah. Not a hit.
Aspen
2021-03-17 17:57:16
This was delicious! A bit too spicy for me, but overall very good. The chicken was incredibly tender and shredded very easily. Made chicken quesadillas with the leftovers which was also super good!
Marine
2021-03-10 00:15:26
Wow, this was honestly just delicious! It was a hit with the entire family including kids (they didn’t mind the spice) :) thank you for this awesome recipe!
Brenda
2021-03-09 08:49:02
Was easy recipe but was not impressed. The lemon broke down the chicken so much, it was mushy.
Ty
2021-03-04 23:48:16
Quick, easy weeknight meal that family ate without complaint. Thew some water in a pot, added a chicken bouillon cube, frozen skinless thighs, dumped ingredients over it, less butter needed, adjust lemon to taste, no additional salt needed as bouillon cube and butter was adequate. Since I had too much water, I let summer with the top partially off and it reduced to a delicious broth that I poured over a bed of rice with frozen mixed veggies in. Took all of 10 min to get this (almost) one pot meal going and it can be ready as fast you want it to be. Cooked on stove top and it was done in ~20 min, but I turned it low and let it reduce for the "gravy"..Cant get much easier. Thanks and its a keeper!
Kellie
2021-03-04 22:36:20
Made this tonight....was not impressed no flavor. Only good part was chicken was moist.
Jenna
2021-02-13 22:04:05
Made this after our daughter-in-law shared the recipe, it's delicious. I served it with oven baked potatoes and green beans but it would go great over rice!
Keri
2021-02-12 16:32:02
This was a great recipe that we will definitely be making again. Thank you!!
Phoebe
2021-02-07 17:13:50
This is such a winner and if one chooses,can use other seasoning,re:curry powder,European mixed,extra tarragon,etc.etc.
Paula
2021-02-07 15:55:50
Was really good, but next time less butter, more lemon, may try wih campbells lemon chicken soup, had with roasted broccoli
Regulo
2021-02-04 18:36:46
I love this recipe! Its quick and easy. I spiced mine up but adding a bit more of the red chili pepper flakes and paired it with white rice! So good.
Michael
2021-01-25 18:40:13
I’m a vegetarian but made this for family and they really liked it! Super easy to make - followed recipe and will be making it again
amcken3
2021-01-15 21:12:13
WOW. 5 DIAMOND quality recipe, I kid you not. I am not even a huge chicken fan. INCREDIBLE! This will be a staple for me! I am shocked how easy it is to make and its divine! THANK YOU!!!!!
Kristen
2021-01-14 10:23:08
Just put this in the crockpot and can't wait. I made some modifications: seared the chicken in leftover bacon fat, sliced half a white onion and sauteed in the chicken/bacon juices, added 1/3 cup white wine to the lemon juice and chicken broth, deglazed the pan after the onions cooked, poured it all into the crockpot on top of 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig of rosemary and 3 sprigs of thyme. I didn't have paprika, so omitted it. Will let you know how it turns out!!
Susan
2021-01-13 09:56:03
I made this last night, exactly how the recipe said, and boy was it amazing. My boyfriend couldn’t stop talking about it. We loved the flavor with the little kick! I served it with yellow rice, putting some of the sauce from the crockpot over the rice! It was fantastic! Thank you!
Lorena
2021-01-06 06:48:23
Simply delicious
Alex
2021-01-05 12:23:08
Made it for the third time today, little tweaks and changes each time but this is a fantastic recipe and the flavor is wonderful. More lemon less butter has been my main change. Tonight having it with green beans cooked in pot with the chicken and brown rice. Thanks a million
Q
2020-12-16 17:50:13
Made this recipe and loved it! Didn't have Italian seasoning so didn't add that. For some reason there's a bitter after taste to it. Any suggestions?
Wendy
2020-12-14 19:43:58
I Loved it! So easy and delicious. I made a few alterations though, I added about 1/3 cup of white white and I placed 2 cleaned halves of a spaghetti squash on top of the chicken and let it cook the whole time with them. Then I scraped out the squash and spooned the sauce over it and then added the chicken. Scrumptious. Thank you!
Cheryl
2020-12-13 19:45:10
This recipe was simply delicious. The chicken melted in my mouth. So lemony and savory! So yummmy! It’s in the rotation. Paired with jasmine rice tasty,tasty.
Pamela`
2020-12-12 11:01:18
I make almost all your recipes and even share them on my FB page for others. THey've all been delicious. This one was too lemon-y for my husband and I thought it was just so-so. Looking forward to the next one! Thank you.
Barbara Berry
2020-12-12 08:02:38
I made this on top of the stove with skin on bone in thighs. I also added spinach to avoid having to use another pan. I will make it again. We loved it.
Natalia
2020-12-11 14:24:12
Hello, can I make it in a normal pan?
Pam
2020-12-02 18:52:37
This was fantastic! Made it with boneless skinless thighs! Meat was so yummy! Just fell apart! Served with cauliflower rice and the juices over all! So good!
Jvfndal@sbcglobal.net
2020-12-01 22:46:08
The recipe is super easy and most cooks will have these items around the pantry. That bring said, I thought this dish was really boring. It's easy but boring. Oh well, on to the next one. Happy cooking y'all.
Robyn
2020-11-25 19:59:26
This was seriously SO good! I added more lemon zest and lemon juice (cause we love lemon) and browned the thighs before adding to crock pot. The red pepper flakes gave it a nice warm flavour. Big hit!! Thank you!
Noel
2020-11-18 19:37:14
This was delicious! I cooked this in my cast iron skillet instead of crock pot and used breat meat sliced. Added all the seasoning with the raw chicken and seared in skillet. Added an onion, didn't have onion powder and garlic. Then the liquids and simmered until done. Probably used 1 cup of chick broth. Very tasty,will make again.
TJ
2020-11-14 20:19:12
Oh my. This was so good! I made it tonight for the first time and I say first time because I will definitely make it again. The only thing I did different was after mixing the herbs together, I put them directly on the chicken thighs and let them sit overnight. My house smelled sooo good all day while it was cooking. Thank you for sharing!
Olana
2020-11-14 17:09:09
If I use the thighs with bone and skin, will the skin come out good?
Laura
2020-11-13 15:35:12
This was a knockout recipe. Love the lemon! We will using this again and again.
Tina Veyna
2020-11-13 15:11:09
Looking forward to it
Herb
2020-11-10 14:08:07
Since I just got a Crock-Pot, I'll have to try it!
Raylene
2020-11-07 17:45:47
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow for dinner. I’m hoping it comes out tender and delicious. Wish me luck!! 😊
Halina
2020-11-06 08:10:52
It tasted amazing! Highly Recommend it. I made this recipe with chicken breast and I seared the chicken before, next I followed the recipe.
Julie
2020-11-04 00:07:51
This recipe was sooooo yummy! I served it over cauliflower rice and the juices that come from it are so tasty, I used chicken thighs with skin on and bone in and the cauliflower rice was stir fry from costco but I ate like 4 out of the 7 or 8 peices that I made. I'm making it tomorrow and I'm so excited
