Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken


2 Comments


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Lemonade Chicken is a fun and flavorful way to switch up your slow cooker routine. With its sweet-tangy sauce and no-fuss prep, it’s a refreshing change from the usual.

A plate of lemonade chicken in front of a slow cooker.
Save Recipe
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Key Ingredients

Nothing fancy here—just a few everyday ingredients that pack in big flavor.

  • Lemonade Concentrate – a unique ingredient that adds tang and sweetness.
  • Chicken Breasts – A lean, tender base that soaks up all the flavor as it cooks.
  • Ketchup & Brown Sugar – Add richness.
  • Soy Sauce – Brings balance and Asian flavor.
  • Cornstarch – Helps thicken the sauce.
Lemonade chicken in a slow cooker.

How to Make Lemonade Chicken

  1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker.
  2. Mix together the sauce ingredients, including the cornstarch, and pour over the chicken.
  3. Let it cook low and slow until tender and flavorful.
  4. Give it a stir before serving and add a sprinkle of fresh herbs, if you’d like.
Closeup of chicken with lemonade sauce.

Sarah’s Tips & Variations

Instead of serving the chicken breasts whole, you can shred them into the sauce.

Make spicy lemon chicken by adding a diced jalapeno.

Vegetables that pair well with the sauce and chicken are bell peppers, onions, and carrots. You can also add a can of diced pineapple.

You can substitute the lemonade concentrate by mixing 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Sliced chicken with lemon sauce and a side of white rice on a plate.

How to Serve:

You will want to serve this chicken with a hearty starch like steamed rice, fried rice or mashed potatoes. The flavor of the chicken is similar to sweet and sour chicken, so think of sides that go well with that!

Drizzle the lemonade sauce over the chicken. Garnishes that add great flavor are toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

Add other sides such as honey garlic carrots or green bean casserole.

Lemonade chicken in a slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Sweet and tangy Lemonade Chicken made in the slow cooker with a citrusy sauce that’s perfect over rice. Easy to prep and full of flavor!

Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2-3 breasts
  • ½ cup lemonade concentrate, thawed
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. red chili flakes
  • cup ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • parsley, optional garnish

Instructions 

  • In the slow cooker, stir together the lemonade concentrate, seasonings, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and cornstarch.
  • Add the chicken to the slow cooker and spoon some of the sauce over the top.
  • Cook on low for 5–6 hours, then stir the sauce and garnish with parsley before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 634mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

Other Chicken Recipes We Love

Crockpot Chicken Piccata and Crockpot Tuscan Chicken are flavorful options perfect for a cozy dinner. Try my Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs for an economical, delicious dinner.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken and Gravy offer bright or savory sauces that pair well with simple sides.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Potatoes and Slow Cooker Chicken Tenders are easy, no-fuss meals the whole family will love.

Other recipes you may like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. Jo says:

    Hi. Is there an alternative to lemonade concentrate? This sounds lovely but I dont think we can get that ingredient here

    1. Sarah Olson says:

      Try replacing the lemonade concentrate with a mix of 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and 3 tablespoons of sugar for a similar sweet-tart flavor.I added this to the post. Thank you!