Name: Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Juice of 2 lemons; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons capers, drained; 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed; 3 cups instant brown rice

This slow cooker lemon chicken recipe is loosely based on chicken piccata, a classic Italian recipe made with sauteed chicken in a rich lemon sauce. I love the pop of flavor the salty capers add, but swap them for olive or leave them out entirely if you prefer.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken from Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook

Have you heard the news? I wrote another cookbook!

My newest book, Healthy Meal Prep Slow Cooker Cookbook, is coming out in a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited.

I definitely was NOT planning to write another book so soon. They’re so much work and I already have plenty on my plate trying to juggle this blog with my day job and also trying to have a life. But when my publisher approached me with the topic, I just couldn’t say no. I NEEDED to write this book, because I needed this book in my life. And I have a feeling that a lot of you do, too.

This book is packed with easy, healthy recipes that can be prepped ahead for super easy dinners (and breakfasts and lunches) all week long. Just like my first book, they have minimal prep and most of them use less than 10 ingredients.

And there’s so much more than just soups and stews. I really put my slow cooker to work, turning out everything from frittatas to tacos to banana bread.

I can’t pick a single favorite recipe, but this healthy meal prep lemon chicken is definitely near the top of my list. It’s so simple, but full of flavor.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

This slow cooker lemon chicken was inspired by chicken piccata. The chicken cooks in lemon juice with garlic, capers and artichoke hearts. It won’t look like much at first but it completely transforms after 6 hours in your crock pot.

Just before serving, you’ll add the rice and let it steam right in the slow cooker. This is one of my favorite tricks for rounding out a meal – it’s like magic every time!

Then you can eat it right away or pack it up for later. The book has a whole section on how to meal prep safely, and every recipe includes specific meal prep instructions to steer you in the right direction.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken Step by Step

Making this healthy meal prep lemon chicken is so easy! You only need a few ingredients and the slow cooker does most of the work for you.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken 1 — Step 1: Gather your ingredients. In this case, you’ll need chicken breasts, olive oil, garlic, capers, lemon juice, and instant brown rice.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken 2 — Step 1: Gather your ingredients. In this case, you’ll need chicken breasts, olive oil, garlic, capers, lemon juice, and instant brown rice.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken 3 — Step 3: Top with the chicken breasts and artichoke hearts. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken 4 — Step 3: Top with the chicken breasts and artichoke hearts. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 2 hours.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, be sure to check out the book. It’s available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, and at tons of independent bookstores across the country – and you can pre-order it now!

Be sure to follow me on facebook and Instagram and subscribe to my email list for more sneak peeks inside, too.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

This lemon chicken recipe is loosely based on chicken piccata, a classic Italian recipe made with sauteed chicken in a rich lemon sauce. I love the pop of flavor the salty capers add, but swap them for olive or leave them out entirely if you prefer. If you omit the capers, season the sauce to taste with kosher or sea salt before serving.

Ingredients

Juice of 2 lemons
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons capers, drained
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
3 cups instant brown rice

Instructions

In your slow cooker, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, and capers. Add the chicken and artichoke hearts.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low heat for 6 hours, or on High heat for 2 hours. If you'll be away for more than 6 hours, be sure to set your slow cooker to switch to "keep warm" once it's finished cooking.
Stir in the brown rice. Re-cover the cooker and let sit for 10-15 minutes, until soft and fluffy.
Refrigerate individual portions in airtight containers for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 4 months.

Notes

Prep Ahead: Combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, capers, artichoke hearts, and chicken in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 3 months If you want to prep this recipe up to 4 days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator, keep the chicken breasts in their original packaging and consume before the best by date (refrigerating them in the acidic marinade for more than a day can make them tough.) If frozen, thaw the ingredients in the refrigerator overnight before adding to your slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken