This Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken is a little sweet, a little tangy and perfect over rice or noodles! It’s an easy crockpot meal for those busy days!
See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.
You’ll also love these Easy Crockpot Chicken Breast Recipes!
Table of Contents
To be totally honest, I didn’t think I liked lemon chicken until I stumbled across the recipe for this Baked Honey Lemon Chicken in one of my Grandma’s old recipe books.
It sounded interesting, so I thought I’d give it a try and I became obsessed.
It is the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and savory and I think it’s even better than what I’ve had in restaurants! (And in case you’re looking for more honey lemon love, it is what inspired this Honey Lemon Chicken and Potato Skillet!)
Clearly, it was time for a revisit and a new twist: a slow cooker twist. It was destined to happen!
We love our slow cooker for easy meals on busy days! Some of our other favorites are this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken, Crockpot Lasagna, and Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken.
Crockpot Lemon Chicken ingredients and substitutions:
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because that is usually what we have on hand. You can easily swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs!
- Corn Starch: Coating the chicken in corn starch before browning gives them a little bit of a crust that adds great texture! You can skip this part if you are in a hurry.
- Oil: I use canola oil for all of my recipes, because it has a ton of good fats and a high smoke point. You can use another oil with a high smoke point as well.
- Honey: you will use clear honey (for this recipe), and not creamed. It adds the perfect sweetness to balance the lemon!
- Chicken Broth: I always use low sodium chicken broth and then adjust the salt as needed. If you aren’t using low sodium chicken broth, you may want to omit the salt.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: fresh is best! Opt for fresh lemons whenever possible for the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce: opt for low sodium soy sauce, or omit the salt.
Tips and Tricks for Making this Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken:
- The great thing about cooking chicken in the slow cooker is that it doesn’t cook too long, and so the sauce can hold onto a lot of its flavor. If you find that the flavors have dulled after cooking for several hours, try adding some fresh lemon zest to brighten it up before serving.
- We love this Honey Lemon Chicken served over rice best, but it’s also great over noodles or mashed potatoes, or just with a side of steamed or roasted vegetables! The options are endless.
- Don’t have a slow cooker? You can absolutely cook this up in a large pot on the stove top in a fraction of the time. It will be just as good!
- Taste the sauce after cooking to adjust the seasonings. If you think it needs a little more oomph, add a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest!
Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken Recipe + VIDEO
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
For dredging
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3)
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
For the honey lemon sauce
- ½ cup liquid honey
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon – zest before juicing!)
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into ½ to ¾ inch cubes. Place in a large zip top bag and add 3 tablespoons corn starch.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and wait until hot. Add chicken to the pan, allowing space between each piece, and cook until lightly browned. You may have to do this in two batches.
- Place chicken in a 2.5-4 quart slow cooker.
- Stir together honey, broth, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons corn starch with a whisk until combined. Pour over chicken in slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1½ to 2 hours.
- Taste and adjust seasonings and sweetness and add lemon zest for an extra punch of lemon flavor if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Liane says
What’s the cook time if I cook in stovetop in pot?
Ashley Fehr says
It depends on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, but I would simmer on medium low for 15 minutes and then check the internal temperature and adjust as needed.
Matthew Tusa says
yeah bookmaking this wasn’t a bad conclusion outstanding post! .
Seana says
I made this recipe exactly and it turned out prefect! I had a bigger slow cooker so I think it cooked a bit faster, but you just have to keep an eye on your chicken. The taste is phenomenal and I am now going to make it for my lemon and chicken loving 1 year old!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Seana!
Brooke says
Could I use flour in place of cornstarch here? I would like to make this tonight and I like having that crust but I have no cornstarch on hand.
The Recipe Rebel says
I haven’t tried it, but you probably could.
Amanda C says
Followed the recipe to a tee but doubled and it came out burnt and very very thick. At the price of groceries these days I’m not a happy camper.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble, Amanda. Not sure how it could burn but maybe we can troubleshoot it. What size slow cooker did you use? Did you cook it on high or low? Which part was burnt, the chicken or the sauce? Does you slow cooker normally run hot (meaning do you find recipes cook faster?).
Marli says
What is liquid honey? Can you use regular honey?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Marli, it’s also known as raw honey. You hsould be able to , yes. Enjoy!
Emily says
Hello, I am dying to try this recipe but I do not have a smaller crockpot just a 6qt. Will this effect the recipe?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Emily! Yes it would affect the timing. I think it would cook faster. Enjoy!
Stacy Taggs says
Haven’t tasted yet, but mine looks NOTHING like your photo, why is my sauce so light?? Yours is dark 🤔
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Stacy! I have no idea, it would be hard for me to say without being in the kitchen with you. Only thing that comes to mind is the kind of honey that was used.
Courtney says
Made this recipe and it turned out great. I did double batch the sauce because my husband and I like more sauce. The chicken was very good and tender and the sauce was sweet but not overly so. This is definitely something we will make again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Courtney! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lacy says
Tried this recipe! Loved the chicken, however the sauce turned into a jelly kind of texture. What did I do wrong? Besides that, it still tasted good. I just wanted a saucy kind of sauce not a jelly style sauce.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Lacy. I have no idea why the sauce would congeal.
Chloe says
I followed this recipe to a T, while the chicken was nice and tender from cooking in the crockpot, I did not enjoy the taste. Will not be making this again.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear this recipe wasn’t to your taste, Chloe. The amounts have worked well for myself (and others) but I know we all have different taste.
Joyce says
I don’t wanna cook the chicken before hand. That defeats the whole purpose of using the crockpot. Have you tried it without cooking it before hand?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Joyce, I have not. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!