Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Chicken (Printer-Friendly)

Tender lemon-scented chicken and fluffy rice cooked with garlic, herbs, and peas for an easy one-pot dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 1 cup frozen peas

→ Grains

06 - 1½ cups long grain white rice, rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

→ Herbs & Spices

09 - 2 tsp dried Italian herbs (or a mix of thyme, oregano, rosemary)
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - ½ tsp black pepper
12 - ½ tsp paprika

→ Other

13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs for 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden. This step is optional but develops a deeper, richer flavor.
02 - Spread the rinsed rice evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with the diced onion, minced garlic, and diced carrots in an even layer.
03 - Place the seared chicken thighs on top of the vegetable and rice layer, skin side up.
04 - Sprinkle the dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and paprika evenly over the chicken thighs.
05 - Pour the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest evenly over all the ingredients in the slow cooker.
06 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F) and the rice is tender.
07 - Stir in the frozen peas during the last 20 minutes of cooking so they heat through without becoming mushy.
08 - Gently fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve directly from the slow cooker.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It is a true one pot meal with no side dishes required and almost zero hands on effort after the first ten minutes.
  • The lemon and herb combination makes it taste like something you would order at a cozy neighborhood bistro.
02 -
  • If you lift the slow cooker lid more than once or twice you will add at least thirty minutes to the cook time because all the trapped steam escapes.
  • Do not skip rinsing the rice or you will end up with a gummy sticky layer at the bottom that nobody wants to eat.
03 -
  • The searing step takes ten extra minutes but creates a fond in the pan that translates into noticeably deeper flavor throughout the whole dish.
  • Roll the lemon firmly on the counter before juicing to break down the inner membranes and you will get nearly twice as much juice.

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