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Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken turns a whole chicken into the most tender, fall-apart dinner with zesty lemon pepper flavor in every bite, and the slow cooker does all the work. I throw it in before a busy weeknight, and we come home to a house that smells incredible and a juicy chicken ready to carve. It is as easy as our slow cooker lemon chicken thighs.
Just rub a whole chicken with lemon pepper and butter, then let the slow cooker make it impossibly tender and juicy.
Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 6 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 425kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Zesty lemon pepper, buttery and fall-apart tender
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, set and forget, like our honey garlic chicken
Quick Answer
Mix lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Loosen the skin on a whole chicken and rub the seasoning both under and over the skin, then tuck pats of butter under the skin. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 5 to 7 hours, until it reaches 165 degrees, for juicy, tender lemon pepper chicken.
Jump to:
- Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Chicken Recipes
- Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The slow cooker keeps it juicy. Cooking low and slow with butter tucked under the skin makes a whole chicken impossibly tender and moist.
- Just five simple ingredients. A whole chicken, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and butter are all you need for big flavor.
- Seasoning goes under the skin. Rubbing the blend directly on the meat flavors the chicken all the way through, not just the surface.
- No oven required. The slow cooker frees up your oven and keeps the kitchen cool, even on the hottest days.
- It is fall-off-the-bone tender. Hours of gentle cooking make the meat so tender it practically carves itself.
- It feeds the family with leftovers. One whole chicken makes dinner plus plenty of extra meat for soups, salads, and sandwiches.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The slow cooker makes the most tender, juicy whole chicken with almost no hands-on effort.
- Lemon pepper, garlic, and butter rubbed under the skin season the meat all the way through.
- It is a hands-off dinner that practically cooks itself, like our slow cooker lemon chicken thighs.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need for this juicy slow cooker lemon pepper chicken. Just five simple ingredients.
- Whole Chicken: a 3 to 5 pound bird works perfectly. The slow cooker keeps even a large chicken tender and juicy.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: the star of the show, bright, zesty, and peppery, it flavors both the skin and the meat.
- Garlic Powder: adds savory depth that rounds out the tangy lemon pepper.
- Onion Powder: a little sweetness and a savory backbone for the seasoning blend.
- Butter: tucked under the skin, it bastes the meat and keeps the chicken moist as it slow cooks.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This lemon pepper chicken is easy to switch up.
- Add fresh lemon: tuck lemon halves and fresh herbs in the cavity for extra brightness.
- Crisp the skin: broil the cooked chicken for a few minutes for golden, crispy skin.
- Make gravy: thicken the flavorful drippings into a quick lemon pepper gravy.
- Add veggies: nestle potatoes and carrots around the chicken to cook right in the juices.
- Use thighs or breasts: the same seasoning is wonderful on our slow cooker chicken thighs.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Stir the lemon pepper seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder together in a small bowl.
- Gently loosen the skin on the whole chicken and rub the seasoning blend both under the skin and all over the outside.
- Tuck pats of butter under the skin, place the chicken in the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 5 to 7 hours, until it reaches 165 degrees.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pat the chicken dry first so the seasoning sticks to the skin instead of sliding off.
- Loosen the skin gently with your fingers so you can season the meat directly underneath.
- Skip the liquid; a whole chicken releases plenty of its own juices as it slow cooks.
- Use a thermometer; 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh means it is done.
- Broil for crispy skin by moving the cooked chicken to a baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Save the drippings to spoon over the meat or turn into a quick lemon pepper gravy.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Slow cooker lemon pepper chicken is a complete comfort dinner. Carve it up and spoon the buttery, lemony drippings right over the meat.
Round out the plate with fluffy dinner rolls and creamy mashed sweet potatoes, or a crisp green salad, for an easy weeknight feast the whole family loves.
Leftovers are gold. Shred the extra chicken for soups, salads, tacos, or sandwiches, just like our baked chicken. The meat freezes beautifully for quick future meals, too.
Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken FAQs
A 3 to 5 pound whole chicken takes about 6 to 8 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high. The exact time depends on the size of the bird and your slow cooker. Always cook until a thermometer reads 165 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.
No. A whole chicken releases plenty of its own juices as it cooks, so there is no need to add liquid. Extra water would only dilute the flavor. The butter under the skin keeps the meat moist and bastes it as it cooks.
Slow cookers cook with moist heat, so the skin stays soft. For crispy, golden skin, transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and broil it for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely so it does not burn.
Yes. Gently loosen the skin with your fingers and rub the lemon pepper blend directly onto the meat, then tuck butter under there too. This seasons the chicken all the way through instead of just on the surface.
Shredded slow cooker lemon pepper chicken is perfect for soups, salads, tacos, wraps, and sandwiches. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze it for up to three months for quick future meals.
It is not recommended. A frozen whole chicken spends too long in the unsafe temperature zone in a slow cooker, which is a food safety risk. Thaw the chicken completely in the fridge before seasoning and cooking.
Love easy chicken dinners? Try our saucy honey garlic chicken next for another weeknight winner.
Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3-5 pounds
- 2 Tbls lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
Instructions
- Mix the dried spices together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cut the butter into small chunks and set aside.
- Place chicken on plate or chicken safe cutting board. Release the skin from the meat by running you hand under the skin.
- Coat under the skin and outside with the dried seasoning mixture.
- Place the butter under the skin of the chicken.
- Place in crock pot on slow setting 6-8 hours and high setting 5-7 hours.
- Make sure to check with a thermometer, needs to be at least 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Maureen,
I am going to try this recipe and want to use breasts as well. I noticed you mentioned you were going to use them , too. How did they come out? What did you do differently? Would love to hear from you
Gretchen
I am now officially starving! Thanks for sharing this yummylicious recipe at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
This looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing with Wednesday’s Adorned Link Party. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above
http://www.adornedfromabove.com
This looks awesome, Dana! I’m glad you included the photos of how to put the spices and butter underneath the skin–that really helps! Pinning it now since it looks like a really inexpensive but tasty meal!
This looks delicious and my mouth is watering! I literally just took a few chicken breasts out of the freezer and was hoping to find a great crockpot meal to use them in. Lemon pepper chicken is a favorite in our house. I may have to experiment a little as I won’t be using a whole chicken, but looks great!
Dana, I am just popping over from the Memories by the Mile Link Party. Your slow cooker chicken looks flavorful and appetizing! I want some NOW!! Great recipe you shared. I have pinned, liked and tweeted, and g+-ed. I would love it if you would drop by my site at http://www.kneadedcreations.com for a short visit! I will look forward to seeing you there! Deb @ Kneaded Creations.
I love lemon pepper chicken but rarely make it! Thanks for the reminder, it’s going on our menu for next week! Loving your blog! You have so many fabulous ideas!
This looks amazing, always on the lookout for new slow cooker recipes! Stopping by from Foodie Friday.