Shake up your weeknight dinners with this easy Crockpot Lemonade Chicken recipe! It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory, with lots of bright citrus flavor. The best part? It cooks hands off so you can relax while the slow cooker does all the work!
If you haven’t heard of Crockpot Lemonade Chicken before, the name might have given you pause. Lemonade… chicken? Yes! You literally use lemonade in the recipe, but trust me: it works. If you love sweet and savory dishes, this is going to be a new favorite.
You’ll also love this recipe if you’re a fan of easy chicken dinners. Coat chicken breasts or thighs with the simple, savory seasoning mixture, pour the lemonade concentrate on top, add fresh lemons and that’s all there is to it. The flavorful juices from the chicken and lemonade mingle with the herbs and spices to create an incredibly delicious meal.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Easy – Who doesn’t love a crockpot dinner that comes together with minimal effort? This is the perfect kind of recipe for those days when your evenings are jam-packed with homework and after-school activities!
- Delicious – The vibrant citrus flavors really shine through in this dish, as does that irresistible sweet-and-savory contrast. It’s the perfect spring or summer crockpot dinner.
- Versatile – Use it for meal prep, serve it whole, shred it up, or find another way to make it your own.
- Kid-friendly – This is pretty much the definition of a kid-friendly dinner. Chicken? Lemonade? And it’s sweet too? Yep, there won’t be any dinnertime battles when you make this Crockpot Lemonade Chicken!
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Chicken breast – Or use the same amount of chicken thighs, both work equally well. If you need to leave the chicken in the slow cooker longer, I recommend choosing chicken thighs
- Dijon mustard
- Oregano – If your family isn’t a fan of oregano, basil or parsley will work instead.
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Ground black pepper – Lemon and black pepper are always a delicious combination, so feel free to add extra if you’d like.
- Lemonade concentrate – Use about 1/2 of a small can, or 1/3 of a regular can.
- Lemons
Recipe Tips
- Use chicken thighs if you want to go low and slow – I recommend swapping the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you want to cook this on low heat. That way, the meat will remain nice and juicy by the time it’s done cooking!
- Don’t use too much lemonade concentrate – You can add more or less of the concentrate, depending on your taste preferences, but if you opt to add more, keep in mind that a little goes a long way.
- Let the concentrate thaw – Make sure the concentrate is thawed enough that it can easily coat the chicken. This will ensure that it’s moist and flavorful.
- Use an instant read thermometer – This is the fail-safe way to know when crockpot chicken is done. Cook it to 165ºF and not any longer and you’re guaranteed juicy, tender chicken every time.
- Add extra sauce– You can can spoon the liquids from the crock pot over the chicken when serving to keep it nice and juicy. This is even better when you serve it over mashed potatoes, or with garlic bread that can soak up some of the yummy juices.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Baked Lemonade Chicken – If you don’t have a crockpot or forget to start the recipe ahead of time, this dish can also be prepared in a baking dish in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Crockpot Limeade Chicken – Add limeade in place of lemonade to the crockpot with the chicken to give a new flavor to the recipe.
- Crockpot Lemonade Pineapple Chicken – Add a small can of pineapple tidbits to the crockpot along with a 1/2 cup of soy sauce with the chicken for a dish reminiscent of sweet and sour chicken.