Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Chicken (Printable version)
Bright lemon and aromatic herbs slow-cooked with tender chicken and fluffy rice for an easy, gluten-free one-pot dinner.
# What you 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
→ Others
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
# How To:
01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly golden. This step is optional but builds a deeper flavor foundation.
02 - Spread the rinsed rice evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer diced onion, minced garlic, and diced carrots on top of the rice.
03 - Place the seared chicken thighs over the vegetable and rice layer in the slow cooker.
04 - Sprinkle 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 and the rice is fully 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 and garnish with freshly chopped parsley before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The rice absorbs all the lemon herb broth and becomes almost risotto like without any stirring.
- It practically cooks itself which means you can go live your life while dinner handles itself.
02 -
- If you skip rinsing the rice you will get a sticky clumped layer at the bottom that no amount of fluffing can fix.
- Opening the lid even once during cooking releases enough steam to extend the time by roughly twenty minutes so plan accordingly.
03 -
- Searing the chicken is the one extra step that transforms this from good to memorable so never skip it when you have the time.
- Taste the broth before you pour it in and adjust the salt because every brand of chicken broth has a different sodium level.