Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice: The EASIEST set it and forget it Chicken and Rice recipe. Chicken thighs and rice cook up perfectly with garlic, lemon and thyme for an easy, wholesome family meal.
Nothing makes me happier than an easy family meal that my entire family loves.
And according to my latest reader survey, nothing makes YOU happier than an easy dinner recipe.
I took your desire for more healthy slow cooker meals and chicken and rice recipes and created a simple Crock-Pot Chicken with Rice Meal.
Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice
You guys, you seriously just dump all the ingredients into your slow cooker and then when you open up the slow cooker, dinner is done an da rich garlic and lemon thyme aroma fills the air and makes your stomach growl.
This dinner recipe is easy. It is wholesome. It is cheap. It is gluten-free. And most importantly Lemon Chicken and Rice is delicious!
I recommend using skinless chicken thighs for this Chicken and Rice recipe for a few reasons:
- Chicken Thighs retain more moisture and flavor than chicken breasts when cooked in the slow cooker.
- By removing the skins of on the chicken thighs, I cut down on total fat in recipe and there is no rubbery skin (Chicken skin does not crisp up in the slow cooker)
- I leave the bone in on the chicken thighs to impart more flavor in the whole dish AND it increases the cooking time, allowing the chicken thighs to not dry out when cooked low and slow.
- Chicken thighs are inexpensive and loved by my family.
A Few Notes on Crock Pot Chicken Thighs and Rice:
- You can use chicken drumsticks or chicken breasts in place of the chicken thighs in this recipe. I recommend leaving the bone in and removing the skin.
- You can easily remove the skin yourself to save a few pennies. Just pull off the raw skin gently before cooking–it should slip right off.
- If you leave the skin on while the chicken and rice is cooking in the slow cooker, after the cooking time, place the chicken thighs on a cookie sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes or until skin is brown and crispy.
- Homemade chicken stock is best in this recipe, but a good quality store bought stock is acceptable. You can even use vegetable stock, but I would not recommend water.
- If you don’t have fresh thyme, use 2 teaspoons dried thyme.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic bulbs, use 1 tablespoon minced jarred garlic.
- I prefer to use brown rice in this recipe for whole grains, but white rice will work. Do not use Instant Rice!
- If you would like your chicken thighs to have a bit more color, either sear in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat on stove before adding to slow cooker, or after cooking, brush with oil and broil for 1 minute.
- If this recipe results in mushy rice, that means your crock pot is cooking too hot. In the future, you will need to start watching your crock pot early so that you can figure out how long it takes for your rice to get done–I would start by cutting off 30 minutes. Make sure you use a meat thermometer to be sure your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can read more about how to cook rice in a slow cooker here.
Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs and Rice
To make this Chicken and Rice recipe for the Instant Pot, place all ingredients in Instant pot and set on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes then manually release remaining pressure.
Let’s Make Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs with Rice
Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice
Brown rice and chicken thighs cook up in a rich broth flavored with lemon, garlic, and fresh thyme. This is an easy set it and forget it crock-pot recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 1/4 cup chicken stock low sodium
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 4 chicken thighs skinless
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
-
Stir together rice, lemon juice, garlic, stock and fresh thyme in slow cooker. Place chicken thighs on top of mixture.
-
Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
-
Remove thyme stalk before serving with additional fresh lemon juice if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use low sodium chicken stock or omit added salt.
- If you would like your chicken thighs to have a bit more color, either sear in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat on stove before adding to slow cooker, or after cooking, brush with oil and broil for 1 minute.
Looking for more Crock-Pot Dinners? Check these Easy Slow Cooker Family-Approved Recipes
Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken from Family Food on the Table
Italian Minestrone
Crock-Pot Baked Ziti
That looks like a wholesome delicious dish which we would enjoy too Now I just need to get a slow cooker! =D I like that you added some thyme to flavor the rice and chicken, this herb goes so well with all the other ingredients in this recipe.
Helene, I am shocked you don’t have a slow cooker! Mine makes dinner so much easier. If you get one you will have to try it.
Now is the time when I’m looking for delicious meals that are easy to make yet low in fat. This recipe is just the thing that I’m looking for. I love slow cooker meals.
YAY!!! This is a perfect meal for ease, taste, and nutrition! Enjoy
Way too much salt!!!!! It was delicious though, and I halved the salt.
I am glad you enjoyed it–but I am going make a note to half the salt. I bet because I used my homemade stock, the salt content was MUCH less in the stock. Sorry about that!! My family would laugh because I am known to need to add salt to recipes–I hate salty dishes!
This is a slow cooker recipe I am going to try for my family! They would love it!
Thanks so much Aggie, I truly hope you enjoy!
Sounds yummy! I am going to try this today or tomorrow. Silly Question: ( I know you added IP directions -yay!- but) I want to use my slow cooker setting on my new instant pot to try it out. Any suggestions on the slow cooker temp? The manual walks me through it but it has 3 settings: corresponding to Low, Medium, High on a regular slow cooker. My old CrockPot only had High or Low. Would high & low on IP slow cooking correspond to your crockpot high, low?
Hey Susan!
So the slow cooker settings don’t translate to Instant Pot Slow Cooking. Low is keep warm, medium is more like low and high is like medium high. I have not tried this particular recipe in the IP but you should be able to safely cook on medium or high slow cooker setting. Use the medium setting for 7-8 hours and high setting for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. Hope that helps!
To further explain low setting on crock pot is about 190-200 degrees, high setting on crockpot is between 225-275 degrees based on your slow cooker. For an instant pot the low setting is about 170 degrees, normal 200 degrees or high 210 degrees.
I am considering making this because it sounds very delicious, but my only concern is if the rice gets mushy.
Hi Temi! Well, it is hard for me to answer this question because your definition of mushy may be different than mine. I will say, this rice in my opinion does have texture and my husband who hates “mushy” foods, loves it. It is very similar to a chicken and rice bake. I hope that helps you decide and that you give this a try and love it 🙂
Can I use frozen chicken?
Hi Nat,
So I would not use frozen chicken in the slow cooker as there is a risk of bacteria growth contaminating the meat before the chicken would hit a safe temperature.
If you happen to have an instant pot, you can place all the ingredients (along with frozen chicken) in Instant pot and set on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow to naturally release for 10 minutes then manually release remaining pressure. The frozen chicken thighs will have time to cook through in that time frame.
I have put frozen chicken in the crockpot all the time. As the Chicken is frozen the crockpot heats up before the chicken has tome ti just sit. However, that being said, frozen chicken may not work well with this recipe because as the chicken cooks it will create extra water. You would have to adjust the liquid yo add and it would depend on the chicken you use, how big and how much chicken you used as to how much extra water would be added.
I often throw frozen chicken in the crockpot, add desired seasonings and even chicken bouillon and let it go all day. Then cook my rice later. The chicken comes out tender and very juicy. Then you can pour over the rice. You could add instant rice 30 min before serving and it would absorb the excess water. again you would have to play with it to find the right combination. Yum nom otter which way you go.
Hi Renia! Thanks for your detailed response. I do know many people do use frozen chicken in crockpot and are fine. However, the USDA does recommend to not do this and for someone like me with a sensitive stomach, I can say I have gotten sick this way. Although, most people are JUST fine 🙂
And like you said, frozen chicken will render excess liquid and excess liquid could make the rice mushy. However, your recipe sounds quite tasty!
sounds great! do i have to change anything if i want to use 6 or 8 thighs instead of 4?
Hey Heidi! You can use 6 or 8 thighs with no changes 🙂 Enjoy
Can you use chicken broth instead of chicken stock?
Absolutely Jenna. They are interchangeable for all recipes. Enjoy!
If I use boneless skinless chicken breasts would the cook time be different? Thanks! 🙂
Hey Alli!
So I would actually cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 5 hours and then test rice. If rice is still a bit chewy, cook an additional 30 minutes, but my guess is that it will be perfect 🙂
Enjoy
I followed the recipe to a T and my rice came out extremely mushy with an almost porridge-like consistency. Any tips?
Hey Jodie, sorry the issue you had with this recipe.
Can I ask if you used brown or white rice? Or if you happened to use brown instant rice? This recipe is created for brown rice that is NOT instant, so it can stand up to longer cook time.
Let me know and I can further help trouble-shoot for you.
Hi there! If I want to use white rice instead of brown, do I need to adjust anything with the time? Thanks!
Hi Laura, the timing will be the same with white rice. Just be sure NOT to use Instant White rice. Enjoy!
Thanks for your reply! I thought of one more question—if I use boneless thighs, how will that alter the recipe? Thanks!
Hey Laura, Boneless skinless chicken thighs should cook up perfectly in this time. HOWEVER, if you use bone in thighs or breasts, be sure to check the temperature at 6 hours–they probably will be done, but may need closer to 7 hours. (Chicken needs to reach 165 degrees to be safe to eat)
Do you put the garlic cloves in whole?
Yes Jenna, you will want to put the cloves in whole so they mellow out and just add a nice garlic flavor without being too overpowering.
I just made this…and the rice came out really mushy. I did not use instant rice. I used white rice. The chicken was good, but the rice was a mushy mess
Hey Gabby, I am sorry you had mushy rice. Next time you try rice in your slow cooker, cut down the cooking time by 30 minutes, as mushy rice is a sign that your slow cooker cookers on the hotter side. Another tip is to reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup. It could be that your slow cooker doesn’t evaporate out as much liquid as others. I hope those tips help you in the future!