Slow Cooker Rosemary Lemon Chicken Thighs

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Enjoy the most flavorful chicken thighs you’ve ever had with this slow cooker rosemary lemon chicken thighs recipe. This slow cooker meal will help ease the time involved with prep for mealtime with the family.

These chicken thighs will be cooked to perfection in your slow cooker within 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. I love that I can opt to cook these chicken thighs faster if I didn’t wake up earlier enough to run the slow cooker for six hours. Using the slow cooker to prepare meals for your family will save you a lot of time and allow for more quality mealtime conversations.

Can you put raw chicken in slow cooker?

Yes, you can put raw chicken in your slow cooker. The key to cooking raw chicken in a slow cooker is to follow the time listed in the recipe. You’ll find that this slow cooker rosemary lemon chicken thighs recipe will need to be cooked for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low to ensure your chicken is cooked to the appropriate internal temperature.  This was for chicken which wasn’t frozen.  More time would need to be needed if frozen.

Do I need to brown chicken thighs before slow cooking?

It’s not required to brown chicken before slow cooking, however, I do recommend following my first step in the recipe card below. I always brown my chicken in a skillet before placing it into the slow cooker.

This step only takes a few moments of your time and ensures that the raw chicken will retain the best moisture in your slow cooker and, in most cases, reduce the cooking time for your slow cooker chicken recipes.

Is it better to slow cook on low or high?

The only difference between using the low or high setting on a slow cooker is the amount of time it takes for your slow cooker to reach a simmer. It will take longer to get your slow cooker to the simmering point to cook your slow cooker rosemary lemon chicken thighs when you opt to slow cook on the low setting.

I included the time for both low and high settings in your slow cooker so that you can decide how much time you have before mealtime arrives. This will ensure you can cook this delicious slow cooker rosemary lemon chicken thighs in time for dinner tonight.

You can use bone-in thighs or boneless thighs for this slow cooker chicken thighs recipe. I have bone-in chicken thighs listed as the ingredient but you’re more than welcome to opt for the boneless chicken thighs. Either option is satisfactory with my rosemary lemon chicken thighs recipe in the slow cooker. I think bone thighs is full of flavor.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Lemon Chicken Thighs

If you’re ready to whip up this delicious meal then gather the ingredients below and start the process to make these slow cooker chicken thighs today.

Ingredients: 

• 2 T unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• Sea salt to taste, pepper is optional
• ½ C chicken broth
• 3-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• ½ medium white onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped into chunks
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large lemon, sliced
• 3 T fresh rosemary leaves, crushed
• 2 T fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Melt one tablespoon butter (or heat olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and transfer four of them to the skillet. Brown chicken, approximately 3 minutes per side, and transfer to a platter.
2. Repeat process with remaining butter (or olive oil) and chicken thighs. Once browned, transfer remaining chicken thighs to the platter with the first batch.
3. Deglaze skillet by adding the chicken broth and gently scraping the bottom with a spatula to incorporate the flavorful brown bits into the liquid. Remove from heat and reserve the deglazing liquid. Set aside.
4. Add garlic, onion, carrots, and potatoes to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker crock and arrange the browned chicken thighs on top. Spread 2/3 of the lemon slices over the chicken and pour the chicken broth from the skillet on top. Sprinkle with the crushed rosemary leaves and season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
5. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. When cook time is complete, discard lemon slices and serve immediately with chopped fresh parsley and the remaining (uncooked) lemon slices cut into small wedges for garnish.

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