Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken is one of our favorite easy slow cooker recipes. Pair fresh lemon and garlic with your favorite fresh herbs, and the combination is always delicious. It’s perfect for when the weather warms up and you don’t want to turn on the oven. Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken is adapted from my popular recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken. Both recipes are so easy to make, and the chicken in incredibly juicy and flavorful.
To make lemon garlic chicken in the slow cooker, start by slicing fresh lemons and garlic and laying them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add any fresh herbs that sound good. I used fresh rosemary, but fresh thyme would be wonderful as well.
When cooking a whole chicken, start by making sure you have removed any extra bits and pieces from inside the chicken. Sometimes the extra pieces, like the neck and such, are in a bag and sometimes they are not. Just make sure you have completely cleaned out the chicken.
Rinse the chicken well and pat it dry with paper towels. Season the chicken inside and out. I like to use an all-purpose steak seasoning because it has so many great chunky spices. Fill the chicken cavity with a quartered lemon, more fresh herbs, and a garlic head cut in half.
Cover the chicken with additional lemon slices and herbs.
Cook on high for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees. Let chicken rest before carving. Strain juices and serve over chicken.
- 4 lemons
- 2-3 heads of garlic
- 1 whole chicken 4 to 5 pounds
- Fresh rosemary or any fresh herbs
- All-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper
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Cut garlic heads and lemons in half and lay in bottom of slow cooker.
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Cut the bottoms off the lemons so they lay flat.
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Add a sprig of rosemary, or any herbs.
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Remove insides from chicken, rinse chicken and pat dry.
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Season chicken well, inside and out, with all-purpose steak seasoning or salt and pepper.
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Lay chicken on top of garlic and lemon slices and stuff the chicken with a garlic head cut in half, and a lemon cut in quarters.
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Cover top of chicken with additional lemon slices and rosemary.
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Turn slow cooker to high, and cook for about 4 hours, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
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Slow cooker cooking times vary.
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Important: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
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When chicken has reached 165, turn off slow cooker and let chicken rest for about 15 minutes.
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Remove from slow cooker, carve and serve.
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Liquid from slow cooker can be strained and served over chicken.
Recipe note: The fresh herbs will cook down in the slow cooker. I used more fresh rosemary on top of the cooked chicken in the last picture.
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Crystal
May 25, 2013 at 7:25 amYum! I’m always looking for crockpot recipes, can’t wait to try this chicken!
Melissa
May 28, 2013 at 9:55 amThanks Crystal! Let me know when you do! xo
The lovely one
May 25, 2013 at 9:45 amLooks yummy! I’ll have to try it out!
Des @ Life's Ambroisa
May 28, 2013 at 1:28 pmThis looks heavenly. I adore roasted chicken but never thought to try it in the slow cooker. I imagine the garlic is also delicious after being cooked with the chicken, I’d serve that right on top 🙂
Mackenzie
May 29, 2013 at 12:06 pmLooks great Melissa; I’m always looking for great crockpot recipes for chicken! Thanks!
Sally
May 31, 2013 at 2:32 amDoes food cooked in a slow cooker not have to be covered with liquid? How does the chicken cook with no liquid to begin with in the pan?
Thanks
Melissa
May 31, 2013 at 8:50 amYou need only a very small amount of liquid in a slow cooker. Liquid does not evaporate in a slow cooker, so if you fill it to the top, you are essentially just boiling/simmering your meat all day and it will not be very flavorful or tender.
In this case, the chicken has all the liquid you need already inside. You don’t need to add any additional liquid.
Thanks for a great question!
Jennifer
September 5, 2013 at 12:15 amI was wondering the same thing. Thanks for the response!
Chelsea
February 26, 2014 at 10:52 amMy crockpot is too small for the chicken I’m cooking tonight and want to try your recipe. Would I need to add a bit of liquid to my pan to cook it in the oven? I’m hoping to cook it at 350 for 2.5 hrs.
Melissa
February 26, 2014 at 11:49 amHi Chelsea!
It will be great in the oven! I reccomend 425 for about an hour, use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. You will get a nice crispy skin on the chicken. No need to add any liquid to your roasting pan, but you should rub the bird with a little melted butter or olive oil before roasting. You can also drizzle that on the garlic and lemons in the pan. Let me know how it turns out!
Melissa:0)
Chelsea
February 27, 2014 at 5:25 pmIt turned out fabulous! Added a touch of water to the base of the pan, and ended up cooking it at 350 for 3.5-4 hrs. It was absolutely delicious – so flavorful and tender! Thanks for the recipe!!
Eric Roberts
April 6, 2014 at 10:03 amI was also wondering this. Thanks!
Chelsea
December 2, 2016 at 8:41 amI’ve made this numerous times, it doesn’t have to have liquid!
Jocelyn
May 31, 2013 at 9:41 pmMmmm, this looks fantastic!! Thank you for sharing!
Ginger@gingersnapcrafts.com
May 31, 2013 at 9:43 pmThat looks so yummmmy! Your pictures are amazing, too! 🙂
Patricia
June 1, 2013 at 5:19 pmThis was great. Thank you very much
Melissa
June 2, 2013 at 6:55 amThat’s awesome Patricia! Thanks for commenting!
Selene
June 2, 2013 at 7:34 amYippee it’s all in and cooking xx
Barbara Jo M
June 5, 2013 at 2:48 pmDid you skin your bird before putting in the crockpot?
Melissa
June 6, 2013 at 6:51 amHi Barbara!
No, it’s easier to remove after cooking. Plus it keeps the chicken moist during the cooking process. Thanks for asking!
Carla
February 26, 2015 at 4:35 amI was just looking for the answer to this question! Thanks for asking 🙂 I am trying this tonight!
Heather
June 7, 2013 at 8:30 amThis looks delicious! Do you think I could double the time and cook it on low so it can cook while I’m at work?
Melissa
June 7, 2013 at 9:23 amHi Heather!
I haven’t had great success cooking mine on low, it had either been too dry or has completely fallen apart in the slow cooker.
I just tried one again recently since I get this question a lot. That being said, slow cookers really vary in cooking times. It might just not work well with mine. If you try it on high, let us know!
joyce
June 16, 2013 at 1:34 pmHow come you left the peel on the garlic?
Melissa
June 18, 2013 at 9:44 amHi Joyce!
I leave the peel on for simplicity sake. It keeps the cloves together while cooking.
Jenna
June 18, 2013 at 12:13 pmHello! Would it be possible to substitute the whole chicken for chicken breasts?
Melissa
June 19, 2013 at 1:37 pmYes, 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts work as well!
Thanks for the question!
Mike
June 22, 2013 at 2:56 pmI decided to give the slow cooker a try for roasting the chicken, but I followed my normal roasting procedures, by putting the bird in a brine the day before and then rubbing it with butter before seasoning for cooking, turned out amazing and doesn’t heat up your house.
Wendy
June 26, 2013 at 2:51 pmDoesn’t the skin get funky when you cook a whole chicken in the crockpot? It does for me. I end up skinning the chicken every time. It makes it flavorful because more of the season is in direct contact with the meat, and it’s WAY less fat. But it’s also a pain in the rear to do it. How did you get yours to brown like that?
Melissa
June 28, 2013 at 10:28 amThe skin comes off easily after cooking! It’s similar to buying a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.
Some parts brown just a bit, especially the highest parts. Try patting it dry really well before cooking.
Stacey
June 26, 2013 at 7:07 pmHi, could I throw some red potatoes in to cook with the chicken?
Melissa
June 28, 2013 at 10:34 amI haven’t tried it, and suspect they might over cook. Please let us know if you try it!
Robin
June 27, 2013 at 8:11 amThis looks delicious, was wondering if you could use boneless skinless breasts instead of the whole chicken, and if you do would you then have to add a little liquid ? Would this also alter the cooking temp and time ?
Melissa
June 28, 2013 at 10:24 amYes, it would change the recipe. You can sub bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts though and keep everything else the same!
Lorraine
July 26, 2013 at 4:28 amHi Melissa, I’m a fitness freak and I am inviting a fellow fitness freak to come over and eat, so we have to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. How would you suggest modifying the recipe?? Thanks in advance!
Melissa
July 27, 2013 at 11:46 amHi Lorraine! Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are not ideal for the slow cooker since they are so lean. If you are going to use them, I would just lay them on top of the foil balls and cook the same way as the whole chicken. Then shred and mix the juices back into the meat. Let us know how it turns out!
Lorraine
July 27, 2013 at 5:40 pmHi Melissa
Thanks so much for the reply. I think I’ll do what you say and see how it goes! I’ll let you know what happens 😀
Katina
July 8, 2013 at 7:55 amCan you use a frozen chicken or does it need to be thawed out?
Melissa
July 10, 2013 at 2:34 pmI would recommend using thawed chicken, or fresh! Thanks for commenting:0)
T.Jordan
July 15, 2013 at 6:42 pmIf I use chicken breasts, should I add a little chicken broth to the crockpot?
Melissa
July 22, 2013 at 7:51 amIf you are using bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, there is no need to adapt the recipe. Thanks for checking in!
Anita
July 16, 2013 at 1:11 pmThis looks really good! What would you serve it with, any suggestions?
Melissa
July 16, 2013 at 5:20 pmThanks Anita!
I love brown rice and a side of veggies with my chicken. You could also do a simple salad!
Trista
July 19, 2013 at 2:15 pmSo, Ive got one of those medium sized crock pots, my chicken barely fit before the garlic and lemon, so I cut it up.
Its in now, and I cant wait to see how it came out! So simple! Im glad I stumbled across this! I was in the market for new recipes!
Courtney
July 21, 2013 at 8:04 pmTried this tonight and it was delicious!! So moist and tastey! I did pop it in the oven at 400 for 15 min at the end to get it a bit crispy on the outside through
Amy
August 5, 2013 at 6:37 amTrying this right now 🙂 I’m also trying it on low for around 8 hrs. I did add another head of garlic cause the ones I bought were really small. I already smell the garlic. I don’t mind the chicken falling apart and plan to make gravy out of the liquid. I love chicken crock pot recipes
Lauren
May 10, 2015 at 12:40 pmDid 8 hours on low work out well for you?
Jillian
August 17, 2013 at 7:40 amI pinned this forever ago and finally made it the other night. I wish I had tried it sooner- this was AWESOME! I work long days, so it was on low for nine hours before my boyfriend turned it down to “keep warm” for another two. It literally fell off the bones. No carving needed! We put it back in the juice before serving and it really was amazing. Plus the fact that it took all of five minutes to prep in the morning was a double bonus. Thank you!
kim
September 10, 2013 at 5:02 pmi followed the instructions as listed but i did want to add just liquid, just to make myself feel better about it. I poured maybe 1/4 bottle of white wine (i used pinot grigio) in the bottom of the crockpot. it was amazing! The juices at the end were very close to a lemon, garlic white wine sauce for pasta. In the future,i might repeat what i did and serve with angel hair with the liquid…maybe done peas mixed in!!
Melissa
September 11, 2013 at 11:49 amWow! Sounds so good! Thank you for sharing! :0)
Becca
December 26, 2013 at 1:34 pmcould also use chicken broth or stock instead of wine for the people who aren’t used to cooking with wine or any type of alcohol. but could also suggest a wheat beer if you like those kinds of flavor.
Jenny
October 5, 2013 at 4:52 pmMade this this week! It was great! I linked to your recipe on my blog too. 🙂 Thanks!
Mary
October 7, 2013 at 9:58 amI made this last week and it was fantastic! About an hour or so before it was done I threw some roughly chopped red potatoes. Next time I’ll put more garlic cloves in the crockpot..
Christine
October 15, 2013 at 5:24 amI am making this today!! It looks so delicious!!!! My tummy is growling right now. Can’t wait!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
October 28, 2013 at 9:27 pmI love how easy this is!
Susan
December 30, 2013 at 9:51 amI make this about once a week. Comes out perfect every time. Then I use the carcass/lemons/garlic/thyme to make stock for later use. Thanks for sharing this perfect recipe!
arrhur
January 14, 2014 at 3:57 amI was wondering, I’m thinking of making this tonight can I brine it in orange juice before or would that be doing too much
Melissa
January 28, 2014 at 9:33 amI haven’t tried it, but would love to hear how it goes.
Carla
February 26, 2015 at 4:41 amI would make the stock and then cook rice or pasta in it as a side the next time for my chicken! Toss in some roasted asparagus or broccoli…..YUM!
Holly
January 18, 2014 at 6:18 pmI’m so bummed – we made this tonight but it is almost on hour #5 and it’s only at like 135-140. Any idea why? (I don’t use my slow cooker often so I’m totally clueless! Would having a liner affect it at all?) or any tips?
Melissa
January 28, 2014 at 9:29 amOh no, slow cookers do vary. Have you been taking the lid off? That slows the cooking time by a lot. Just a thought. I hope it worked out for you!
Clare
January 20, 2014 at 12:02 pmOh. Wow!!!! This. Was. Awesome. I have a cold at the moment, and my personal trainer recommended lemon and garlic to help me. And this recipe was just amazing. Anything that can tempt my appetite at the moment is welcome, because I’m badly off my food, and this just smelt and tasted wonderful. I had been going to try some more roasts in my slow-cooker, but hadn’t quite got round to it. Made chicken stock in it last night, and put this in at lunchtime today to be ready for dinner.
Bien
February 3, 2014 at 10:45 amMade it last night, tasty but too lemony bitter, maybe cut down to 2 lemons? The chicken was little dry .. Could it have been overcooked ? I know different cookers temp vary as I cooked on high for 4 1/2 hrs as the meat did not look cooked thro at 4 hr (didn’t have a meat thermometer). Peaked 1-2 times but lid was kept on. Any suggestions? Thanks.
Melissa
March 23, 2014 at 4:17 pmDefinitely adjust to what works for you! A meat thermometer would be a great tool to pick up. They even carry them at the grocery store and they are very inexpensive. You will always know when your meat is done perfectly!
husin
February 21, 2014 at 1:26 pmOh wow
Jill
March 1, 2014 at 6:49 pmThis looks amazing! I was wondering if you could give me advice on how to add red pepper strips and red potatoes? Should I cook those completely separate and just add to individual plates or throw it all in together to cook in the crock pot?
Gary bowles
March 16, 2014 at 11:41 amThis recipe looks great I just started it with fresh lemons and crushed rosemary couldn’t get fresh rosemary mrs. Dash salt free original blend and grill mates chicken rub let u you know how it turns out in about 4 4.5 hours.
Dina
April 8, 2014 at 9:42 amI FINALLY made this recipe and it was amazing. My husband wolfed it down so quickly! Instead of steak seasoning, I used Adobo seasoning and black pepper. PERFECTION!
Melissa
April 9, 2014 at 10:13 amThat’s so great! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie
April 26, 2014 at 5:59 amI made this recipe and it turned out very good. With the leftovers I made chicken salad that was FANTASTIC! I will never make my chicken salad any other way now! Thanks for a great recipe!
maria
July 29, 2014 at 7:11 amThis turned out well, I didn’t have a whole chicken so I used 2 frozen boneless turkey breast. I seasoned it with rosemary , thyme and fresh black pepper. Thanks!
Autumn
August 12, 2014 at 6:24 amWould you recommend adding onion? I only have one head of garlic so I was thinking about breaking that up and throwing it in the bottom with some onion and stuffing an onion in the chicken instead. I really want to make this but don’t want to take a trip to the store;)
Melissa
August 13, 2014 at 5:35 pmI think that would work just fine!
Barbara Good
November 9, 2014 at 7:26 pmI made this a couple of weeks back and thought it was delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Melissa
November 10, 2014 at 12:50 pmThanks for letting me know:0)
Sara
December 20, 2014 at 1:28 pmI just put mine in the crock pot and I’m excited/nervous! The recipe seems so easy but I just want my chicken to be perfect! Will post afterthoughts!
Amy @ Elephant Eats
January 6, 2015 at 6:36 amThis may be a stupid question, but do you put the chicken in straight out of the fridge? Or let it warm to room temp? Thank you!!!
Melissa
January 17, 2015 at 4:43 pmHi Amy!
If you have time, you can let the chill come off of it before cooking, but it’s not necessary. Thanks for the question!
Sue H
February 19, 2015 at 10:29 amMade this last night and it was delicious! The recipe seemed so simple that I wan’t expecting much, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
I’ve read all the previous comments and will likely make some adaptations, adding another head of garlic (love those bulbs) and new potatoes, and perhaps finishing off in the oven for 15 mins to crisp up the skin.
My family unanimously said that this recipe is a keeper! Thanks, Melissa!!
Melissa
February 19, 2015 at 7:56 pmThat’s great! Thank you, Sue!
Jen
February 24, 2015 at 3:35 pmThis recipe is amazing! It is fall off the bone delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, its a keeper 🙂
Margie M.
February 26, 2015 at 8:20 amRegarding the Lemon Garlic Chicken, Crock-Pot recommends not filling the pot to more that 2/3 full, yet the chicken in you picture comes up to the top. Is that a proble? My cooker is 5 quarts.
Thanks, Margie
Alicia
March 2, 2015 at 4:46 pmBought a 4.5lb organic chicken , followed this pretty much exact and went to 5hrs. Probably could have done 4.5 but I have never cooked a whole chicken in my life! Worried it wasn’t cooked so ran out for meat thermometer — was well over 175 🙂 tastes great! And kept my oven open to cook the sides !! Thanks!
Diane
March 14, 2015 at 2:06 pmI am going to make this in the crock pot, then take to a mom friend having health problems. How would you recommending the family reheat in the oven as I have to deliver ahead of dinner time and it won’t be “straight-from-the-oven”?
Allie
March 25, 2015 at 10:47 amSilly question I’m sure. But all your pictures show it not covered with the crockpot lid. Do you cook it without the lid on?
Melissa
March 25, 2015 at 12:03 pmGood question! I can see how that would be confusing! Yes, keep the lid on while cooking. Thanks:0)
Mike
April 3, 2015 at 3:03 amPlease DON’T wash your chicken, if you wash you are just spreading salmonella around your kitchen!
Here in the UK this advice has been recommended for ages.
Lauren
April 8, 2015 at 5:11 pmThis looks delicious! 🙂 Do you leave the skin on for cooking?
Melissa
April 9, 2015 at 11:21 amYes, and once it’s done cooking it comes off easily if you prefer. Happy cooking!
Sarah Milewski
April 10, 2015 at 6:55 amHi I am trying this out for sunday dinner this weekend! What do you recommend as sides? I am doing a no potato and past diet so I need healthier alternative! 🙂
Melissa
April 15, 2015 at 10:59 amI think roasted broccoli would be delicious on the side!
Linda
April 13, 2015 at 3:05 pmDisappointing! I followed the recipe exactly and it tasted like boiled chicken with lemon juice on it.
Melissa
April 15, 2015 at 10:57 amI’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback.
Toni
May 13, 2015 at 12:00 pmMelissa,
I have a couple of questions. I think what I have is a slow cooker not a crock pot? It is rectangle, Non-stick and removes from the base in one unit with a glass lid that can be flipped over and used as a base on the table. It only has settings such as LOW MED HIGH. Also I usually only purchase boneless meat. I was curious if you think it would be possible to layer items and cook a meal for one in the one unit. Example: Prepare and wrap in foil packets, a Yam, the seasoned Boneless Chicken breasts. Do you think that would work and put the lemon, garlic seasons in each packets? So if so, put what in the bottom of the pan , what on top and cook on what temp and how long?
Eva
June 2, 2015 at 5:38 amI made this last night and it turned out bitter and I know it’s due to the lemon skin. I only used one lemon. I don’t see from the comments that anyone is having this problem. The chicken was very tender and juicy despite that but we couldn’t eat it because it was just way too bitter and overpowering. Could having the chicken sit in the slow cooker all day have anything to do with it?
Heather
June 17, 2015 at 4:49 pmIt looks like your chicken is breast side up, is this correct? I’m cooking this and a lot of websites say breast side down for the slow cooker. Any thoughts?
Melissa
July 22, 2015 at 12:44 pmI haven’t tried it breast side down, but I have seen that recommendation as well. I say go for it!
Jade Hampton
June 25, 2015 at 6:37 pmwant to try this but curious if I can use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken. Would that work?
Melissa
July 22, 2015 at 12:41 pmI don’t see why not. Just check the temperature to make sure they are safely cooked!
Patty
July 19, 2015 at 6:07 pmI have never cooked a whole chicken before, much less in the crock pot. This is absolutely wonderful! The 4 hours was probably a bit too long, the temp on the chicken was WAY over 165 but it came out fantastic. I saved the garlic and put it in a little container. It’s lovely on bread! I will definitely do this again. Oh and I did steamed broccoli for a side. Perfect with the lemon gravy on it!
Melissa
July 22, 2015 at 12:29 pmSounds great!
Steve Harper
March 11, 2018 at 10:21 amYou don’t specify the temperature as °C or°F. I’m trying your recipe, now as I write. My Bird has reach 178°F after 4hrs, so I assume you are using the °F scale and that is sufficiently cooked?? 🤞🤞 Otherwise, I may be visiting the A & E department!!!
It smells amazing, hopefully it tastes as good!!! 👍👍
Lara Chef
April 23, 2018 at 1:43 pmHello, I’m a fan of your work and whenever I can I’m here reading each new post. Congratulations on the great work you have been doing on the blog. Kisses
Melissa
April 24, 2018 at 11:48 amAwesome! Thank you so much!