Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs are tender and tangy, I love these over rice.
I’ve made these Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs three times this last week. They are amazing! In the past when I have made chicken thighs either on the barbecue or in the oven, they don’t get as tender as I want them before they start browning. So I created this slow cooker lemon pepper chicken thigh recipe.
I start with making a homemade sauce, the sauce is similar to a homemade salad dressing. I do the mixing of the sauce right at the bottom of my slow cooker.
Then I place the chicken thighs into the sauce and swished them around to coat them in the sauce.
Cook for 4 hours on HIGH in the slow cooker and then placed on a cookie sheet and placed under the broiler in the oven for about 10 minutes or until browned.
Perfectly tender and crispy! And the sauce is perfectly tangy to boot.
Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker – 4 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 1 very large lemon
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 2½ lbs. chicken thighs bone-in, skin left on- just enough thighs to cover the bottom of the slow cooker.
Instructions:
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker and stir. Add the chicken thighs into the sauce one at a time skin down and swish around in the sauce, then flip the thigh skin up, do this with all the thighs. (There will be just enough sauce to coat the chicken)
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- After cooking time is done, preheat the oven to broil (500 degrees).
- Cover a baking sheet with foil. Using tongs remove the chicken thighs from the slow cooker onto the baking sheet.
- Place the chicken into the oven on top rack (My top rack was 2 levels down). Broil the chicken thighs for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them, so they won’t burn.
- If you want to use the sauce from the slow cooker (it’s fantastic!) Blot the sauce with a paper towel to remove the grease.
- Serve and enjoy!
This looks good but before making it, I have to ask why add the olive oil? To me it is adding fat (yes it is a healthier fat) that simply is not necessary. As someone who has to limit fats of all kinds in my diet for medical reasons I just don’t see the need for it, especially since thighs with the skin on them (I would remove the skin even) already have a lot of natural fat anyway. The olive oil just does not seem necessary to me.
It a dressing marinade. You can try leaving it out.
What does broil mean please? I’m English
Put in the oven under the heating element on the highest heat, in the UK, I read that it’s called grilling?
Was very very yummy! Might add more lemon or lemon zest next time too
Can you do this with skinless boneless breast?
Might get over cooked so you would possibly cook a little less.
Looks amazing and can’t wait to try tonight! My broiler is broken though and I’m wondering if it would be possible to pan fry them once they’re finished in the slow cooker to brown them? Thanks!
I think that would work fine!
I rarely leave comments but this recipe was DELICIOUS my husband and I LOVED it … this will definitely become a staple in our home!!