Slow cooker creamy lemon chicken
A lovely and very simple chicken dish that goes brilliantly with rice, mash or sautéed potatoes and lots of seasonal vegetables.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, skin removed and boneless
- large pinch dried thyme
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú butter
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 medium lemon, finely grated zest only, plus extra to serve
- ½ tsp ground paprika (not smoked)
- 300ml/10fl oz hot chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 5 tbsp double cream
- 35²µ/1¼´Ç³ú Parmesan, finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- chopped fresh thyme or parsley, to garnish
- freshly cooked rice or potatoes and vegetables, to serve
Method
Season each chicken breast, smooth-side up, with black pepper and a small pinch of the dried thyme.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium–high heat and add the chicken, seasoned-side down. Sprinkle with more black pepper and the remaining dried thyme. Fry the chicken for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned. Browning the chicken will add lots of colour and flavour. Transfer to a slow cooker pot.
Off the heat, melt the butter in the same frying pan. Stir well then return the pan to a low heat and soften the garlic, lemon zest and paprika for a few seconds, stirring constantly (don't allow to brown). Add roughly half of the stock and bring to a simmer, stirring. Pour carefully into the pot with the chicken and then add the rest of the stock. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 3–4 hours.
Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon cold water in a bowl to make a smooth, runny paste. Stir in the cream until well combined.
Remove the lid of the slow cooker and stir in the cornflour mixture, followed by the Parmesan, taking care not to break up the chicken. Cover and cook on high for a further 10 minutes or until the Parmesan has melted and the sauce has thickened.
Divide the chicken breasts between four warmed plates or shallow bowls. Stir the sauce, season with salt and pepper, and add a little extra lemon zest if needed (see tip below). Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the fresh thyme. Serve with the rice or potatoes and vegetables.
Recipe Tips
This recipe also cooks really well on a low setting too, but its best to use 500–600g/1lb 2oz–1lb 5oz chicken thigh fillets instead of breasts as they won’t dry out so much. Cook on low for 5–7 hours. Switch to high when you add the cream, cornflour and Parmesan.
Wash the lemon well before grating. Lemons can vary, so if your sauce doesn’t taste lemony at the end of the cooking time, either stir a little extra finely grated lemon zest into the sauce or sprinkle the chicken with lemon zest when you serve it. Use the small shredding holes of the grater rather than the tiny raspy ones and avoid including any white pith if possible.
To freeze, put cooled portions of the Lemon Chicken and sauce into freezer-proof containers. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost and stir the sauce well before reheating in the microwave or in a saucepan over a low heat. Make sure the chicken and sauce are hot throughout before serving.
A slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints works best for this dish.