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    Home » Recipes » Meal Recipes

    Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

    Published: Sep 10, 2019 · Modified: Oct 2, 2020 by Sandi Gaertner · 10 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    a pinterest collage of the slow cooker lemon chicken

    If you love a moist, juicy chicken that is bursting with flavor and is super easy to make, wait until you try this delicious gluten free Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken recipe!! Even your pickiest eater will love this easy slow cooker chicken recipe! This recipe is naturally gluten free, paleo, dairy-free, Whole30, and keto!

    a platter with a whole slow cooked lemon chicken
    Jump to:
    • Why you will love this recipe:
    • Ingredients you need:
    • Recipe step by step directions:
    • Tips and Recipe FAQ:
    • More Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipes:
    • Side Dishes to Serve:
    • Recipe
    • Community

    Fall is here and as the weather cools, I love to pull out my slow cooker so I can slowly cook our dinner all day. Flavors mesh together slowly, and penetrate the chicken in a scrumptious way! This healthy chicken dinner is always popular!

    This chicken can feed a family of four, plus provide some leftovers...or it will feed one growing hungry teen boy :-). I am kidding but wow, a teen boy can sure pack away the food! This chicken dinner is a great budget recipe.

    Top Tip: When the chicken is done, you can boil the bones with water, salt/pepper, vegetables and make a chicken bone broth that can be used to make a homemade soup. You get two for one this way!

    Why you will love this recipe:

    You are going to love this crock pot lemon chicken recipe because it is so easy to make. directions to show you how to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker.

    This is what I call a dump and go recipe, meaning you put all of the ingredients into your slow cooker at once, cover, and turn it on. There are no pre-cooking steps needed!

    Ingredients you need:

    • A whole chicken - I try to aim for 3 pounds but if your slow cooker is small, it is okay to make a smaller chicken.
    • Lemons - you will need fresh lemons so you have slices to insert under the skin.
    • Fresh herbs like thyme and parsley.
    • Garlic - you can mince garlic cloves or use jarred minced garlic.
    • Olive oil - you can also use butter if you like a buttery chicken.

    This slow cooker recipe has all of the good stuff, fresh herbs, juicy lemon...and it tastes incredible. If you love using fresh herbs in your cooking, why not try growing fresh herbs in your kitchen? 

    Recipe step by step directions:

    There are only three simple steps to make this gluten free slow cooker chicken recipe.

    a small bowl of herbs, garlic, and oil

    Step 1: Add your chopped herbs, minced garlic, and olive oil to a small bowl and mix.

    a raw chicken with seasoning stuffed under the skin

    Step 2: Peel up the skin and use a spoon to pour some of the herb mix under the skin. Spread it around. This delicious flavor is going to slow cook right into your chicken! Rub the extra seasoning on the outside of the chicken.

    Step 3: Insert the lemon slices under the skin over the herb seasoning.

    a seasoned raw chicken in a slow cooker

    Step 4: Cover and turn it on high to cook for 4-5 hours and low to cook for 6-7 hours. That is it! It is a very popular dump recipe!

    Tips and Recipe FAQ:

    Can you cook a frozen chicken in the slow cooker?

    You can cook a frozen chicken in the slow cooker, but it is going to take an EXTRA 4-6 hours to cook your chicken. In my recipe, it will be harder because I season the chicken under the skin so that the flavors seep into the meat. This can't happen if your chicken is frozen.

    Is it dangerous to cook chicken in a slow cooker?

    It is not dangerous to cook chicken in a slow cooker. When the chicken is done, it is very important to check the internal temperature before eating. You want to make sure your chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

    Should you flip the chicken when it is cooking in the slow cooker?

    Nope, leave the chicken and try to resist the temptation of opening the lid. Your chicken will cook better if let to cook undisturbed.

    How do you prevent the chicken from drying out?

    When cooking a whole chicken in the slow cooker, it will release a lot of moisture. This will prevent your chicken from drying out.

    More Gluten Free Slow Cooker Recipes:

    If you are into easy recipes, here are more delicious easy  5 ingredient slow cooker recipes:

    • 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
    • Easy 5 Ingredient Crock Pot Roast

    While you are here, you may want to check out all of my delicious Gluten Free Chicken recipes on the blog. They are kid-approved and super easy to make.

    Side Dishes to Serve:

    • Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese
    • Brown Sugar Carrots
    • Funeral Potatoes with Hatch Chiles

    Recipe

    Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

    Sandi Gaertner
    A slow cooker lemon chicken that is tender and juicy!
    5 from 3 votes
    dairy free allergen icon
    an egg free allergen icon
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 10 mins
    Course Gluten Free Dinner Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 301 kcal

    Equipment

    • Slow cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 whole chicken * see note
    • 1 lemon
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
    • 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Remove the chicken from the packaging and put onto a large plate.
    • Peel up the skin under the chicken breasts.
    • Slice lemon in thin round slices.
    • In a bowl, combine the minced garlic, chopped herbs, and olive oil. Stir to mix.
    • With a spoon, pour the herb blend under the skin in the chicken breasts. Make sure to get way deep under the skin so the flavors will slow cook into the chicken.
    • Insert the lemon slices under the skin and pull the skin back over them.
    • Rub the extra herb mixture all over the outside of the skin along the chicken breast, legs, thighs, and wings.
    • Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
    • Optional: add vegetables to the slow cooker around the chicken.
    • Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low temperature for 6-7 hours, or high temperature for 4 hours. Check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should read 165 F degrees.
    • Serve hot.

    Notes

    1. If there are giblets, remove them from their paper wrap and put them in the slow cooker.
    2. You can substitute butter for the olive oil if you are not dairy-free.
    3. The chicken will be very tender and may fall apart easily when you try to lift it from the slow cooker. Be careful of the hot juices. 
    4. This chicken will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 24gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 477mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 194IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

    Nutrition Disclaimer

    Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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    If you love the recipes you are finding on my blog, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free gluten free strawberry desserts e-cookbook!)

    This was guest posted by me on A Day In CandiLand back in 2019.

    « Gluten Free Butternut Squash Bread {Hidden Veggies!}
    Gluten Free Orange Cake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Meagen

      October 07, 2020 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      This came out so well! We loved it and I love that the slow cooker does all the work for me! We will make this one again I'm sure, very yummy!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2020 at 7:19 pm

        I am so glad you liked it Meagen!

        Reply
    2. Lauren Kleiman

      October 07, 2020 at 8:55 am

      5 stars
      I love that you put the seasoning under the skin giving the chicken that extra flavor that makes it so good.

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        October 07, 2020 at 7:19 pm

        Thank you so much Lauren.

        Reply
    3. Amanda Kanashiro

      September 10, 2019 at 7:33 pm

      This sounds so good! I love lemon and chicken, I'm gonna have to head over and get the recipe!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        September 11, 2019 at 3:44 pm

        You will love how easy it is...perfect for those busy school nights!

        Reply
    4. Ashley

      September 10, 2019 at 3:37 pm

      This has all of the info I was looking for! I will definitely make lemon chicken again. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        September 11, 2019 at 3:44 pm

        I am so glad you liked it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Suzy

      September 10, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      Love how easy this sounds to make! Hoping over and checking this out!

      Reply
      • Sandi Gaertner

        September 11, 2019 at 3:44 pm

        Thank you, enjoy Suzy 🙂

        Reply

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