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Slow cooker lemonade chicken is delicious dump-and-go crockpot meal. This flavor-packed chicken dinner boasts a tangy sweet and sour sauce made with lemonade concentrate, lemon zest and more. You can cook it on high or low in your low cooker so it’s ready when you get home. As delicious as this smells while it’s slow cooking its way to succulent perfection, it tastes even better!
The ingredients in this delicious slow cooker lemonade chicken cook together slowly to maximize the taste of the dish. It’s ideal for those busy weeknights.
Also try chicken Florentine, Mediterranean chicken skillet, chicken cacciatore, and lemon rosemary chicken thighs.
Why You’ll Love It
A simple recipe: You’ll find this to be a very straightforward recipe to make.
Delicious flavors: The combination of tender chicken, zesty lemon, garlic, brown sugar, and more ensures plenty of amazing flavor that everyone will enjoy.
Great for busy weeknights: “Set it and forget it” crockpot meals let you add the ingredients to a slow cooker and leave it for several hours to cook itself.
Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken Ingredients
Chicken breasts: The main ingredient in the dish.
Lemonade concentrate: Basically a combination of lemonade and sugar you can reconstitute into lemonade by adding water.
Garlic paste: Adds a tasty savory flavor.
Brown sugar: For a touch of sweetness.
Cornstarch: Thickens up the sauce for the lemonade chicken.
Parsley: For the garnish.
Red pepper flakes: To add a touch of spice to the dish.
How to Make Crockpot Lemonade Chicken
Marinate the chicken: Combine lemonade concentrate with garlic, sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper until well mixed. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for 10 minutes.
Sear the chicken: Heat a cast iron skillet over a high heat then add some oil. Sear the chicken in there for a minute on each side.
Slow cook the chicken: Put the seared chicken in the crockpot, then pour the marinade mixture on top. Now you can cook the slow cooker chicken on high or low until done.
Thicken up the sauce: Make a cornstarch slurry and whisk this into the sweet and sour sauce liquid. Bring it to a boil in a saucepan, then serve the chicken with the sauce poured on top. Garnish with parsley and lemon zest, and enjoy with your favorite sides.
Substitutions and Variations
Chicken breasts: You can use chicken thighs instead if you prefer those.
Brown sugar: Feel free to substitute white sugar or your preferred sweetener.
Red pepper flakes: Use extra if you want a spicier flavor.
Apple cider vinegar: White wine vinegar would also work.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your meal with one of these Italian appetizers.
Side dishes: Enjoy your lemonade chicken with garlic bread or mushroom focaccia and perhaps shredded Brussels sprout slaw.
Dessert: Finish up with chocolate caramel tart.
How to Store Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken
Store: Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: You can warm it back up in the oven or microwave.
Top Tips
Don’t skip the sear: Searing your chicken before slow cooking creates a crust which helps seal in the chicken’s juices and also gives it added flavor.
Use a large slow cooker: If you only have a small one and over-fill it, the chicken will steam instead of slow cook and that won’t give you the best texture.
Serve hot: This dish is best served hot, as soon as it’s ready, so make sure your side dishes will be ready at the same time.
Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken FAQs
You can prepare it up to the point of cooking, then refrigerate it for a day or so or freeze it for up to a month. When you want to cook it, simply proceed with the recipe. Leftovers also keep well for several days and you can warm them back up in the microwave or oven.
You need regular apple cider vinegar, not the raw kind (like Bragg’s raw and unfiltered) which is very strong. If you prefer, you can sub white vinegar or rice vinegar instead. I love using apple cider vinegar because it has a slowing down effect on ‘gastric emptying’. This means it slows down the time it takes a meal to leave your stomach, so you will feel full for longer.
The easiest way is to use a meat thermometer. Once the chicken is 165 degrees F in the thickest part, it’s done and your slow cooker lemonade chicken is ready to serve.
Simple Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Lemonade Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 6 Ounces lemonade concentrate, thawed
- 1 Teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ Cup ketchup
- 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ Cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper, coarse
- ¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- parsley, chopped, as garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine lemonade, garlic paste, brown sugar, ketchup, Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Whisk well.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat
- Add chicken to the bowl and let soak for 10 minutes as the skillet preheats.
- Coat the pan with a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking. Sear the chicken on each side for 1 minute.
- Place chicken into the slow cooker and pour marinade over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours.
- Remove chicken from the crock pot and pour liquid into a sauce pan. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and add to the liquid. Whisk and bring to a boil.
- Plate chicken on a platter and pour sauce over the chicken. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Notes
Use a large slow cooker: If you only have a small one and over-fill it, the chicken will steam instead of slow cook and that won’t give you the best texture.
Serve hot: This dish is best served hot, as soon as it’s ready, so make sure your side dishes will be ready at the same time.
Nutrition
This slow cooker lemonade chicken in a tangy sweet and sour sauce couldn’t be easier to prepare. Served with rice or potatoes as well as your favorite green vegetable, this chicken dinner is sure to be a hit with every member of the family! Add Crockpot lemonade chicken to the meal plan this week.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
So simple but tastes like it came from a restaurant!
Slow cooker lemonade chicken is a game-changer! Tangy, sweet, and so easy—perfect for busy days!
The beautiful glaze adds the right amount of flavor and richness to the chicken meat. It’s one of my new fave dishes to cook!
I’ll make this again for sure! It was so delicious!!
OMG! Will be making this again!!
Absolutely loved this recipe! It’s earned a permanent spot in our menu.
This is so good. I made it and had it over white rice and also had broccoli with it. It was really flavorful and the chicken was so juicy – recipes like this are why I love my crockpot!
Yum! I love this recipe.