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Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs

Crock Pot Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs deliver tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken thighs in a golden butter sauce with bright lemon flavor. Slow-cooked with garlic, thyme, rosemary, and paprika, then optionally broiled to crisp the skin.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 4 tbsp butter sliced
  • 6 garlic minced
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice about 1/4 cup
  • 1 lemon zest zest of 1 lemon
Seasoning and sauce
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 0.5 tsp paprika
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 fresh parsley for garnish
  • 1 lemon slices for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and start the slow cooker
  1. Season the bone-in skin-on chicken thighs evenly with paprika, salt, and black pepper, then place them in the slow cooker.
  2. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice over the chicken, then add the lemon zest and minced garlic so they distribute across the surface.
Add herbs and butter
  1. Sprinkle the dried thyme and dried rosemary over everything to season the sauce as it cooks.
  2. Lay the butter slices on top so they melt into a golden lemon-garlic butter sauce during cooking.
Cook until tender
  1. Cook on low for 5–6 hours, or on high for 2.5–3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and very tender.
Optional skin crisp and serve
  1. For a crispier skin, broil the chicken for 3–4 minutes, keeping a close watch for browning.
  2. Spoon the butter sauce over the chicken and serve garnished with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

Notes

For the best flavor, keep chicken pieces mostly in one layer so the butter sauce can coat them evenly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave with a splash of sauce. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the slow-cooked thighs. For a lighter option, use a reduced-fat butter substitute and trim excess skin fat before serving.