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This recipe screams SPRING!!!! Tender chicken thighs or chicken breast slow cooked in a bright and tangy lemon sauce with artichoke hearts and warm spices. It is light, flavorful, and packed with nutrition. Make it in your slow cooker or Instant Pot for an easy healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will love!!
Why You Will Love This Lemon Chicken Recipe
If you are searching for slow cooker lemon chicken, healthy artichoke chicken, or an easy spring chicken dinner, this recipe checks every box.
It is naturally gluten free and dairy free, full of fresh citrus flavor, and perfect for meal prep. The slow cooker does all the work, creating tender, juicy chicken infused with lemon and spices.
As a nutritionist, I love recipes that combine bold flavor with real nourishment. This one delivers both!!!!
The Inspiration
I am obsessed with citrus, tang, and acid in my food. Lemon brings everything to life. I almost added pepperoncinis for even more tang, but decided to let the lemon and artichokes shine. Would you add them?
I also realized I had not eaten artichokes in a while and had never featured them here. That needed to change. Artichoke hearts are an antioxidant powerhouse and a great source of fiber, which supports digestion and gut health.
Sometimes we forget about vegetables that live in the canned or frozen section. But switching up your produce variety is one of the easiest ways to boost nutrition and keep meals exciting.
Flavor and Cooking Tips
The combination of lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, lemon pepper, and fresh thyme creates depth and warmth while keeping the dish bright and fresh. Cooking everything low and slow allows the flavors to fully develop and keeps the chicken perfectly moist.
For best results:
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor.
- Check the chicken for doneness to avoid overcooking.
- Taste at the end and add an extra squeeze of lemon if you love bold citrus like I do!!
How To Serve
This lemon artichoke chicken is incredibly versatile. My family enjoys it over rice, while I often serve mine over cauliflower rice. It is also delicious with zoodles, spaghetti squash, or pasta.
It is simple, nourishing, and full of fresh spring flavor. A healthy slow cooker chicken recipe you will come back to again and again!!!!
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Lemon Artichoke Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 1 cup chicken broth or white wine
- Juice of 1 large lemon, about 1/4 cup
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 7 oz can hearts of palm, drained
- 7 oz jar artichoke hearts, drained
- 3 twigs of fresh thyme
- 2 tsp lemon pepper
- Slices of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp arrowroot powder*
- 2 tbsp water
Instructions
For the Slow Cooker
- Salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Place on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth (or wine), lemon juice, garam masala, garlic, and turmeric. Pour on top of the chicken.
- Cover chicken with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, fresh thyme, slices of lemon, and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Cook for 4 hours on low.
- At 4 hours, mix together arrowroot powder with 2 tbsp water. Add arrowroot powder with water and whisk. Then add mixture to the slow cooker, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until thickened. Remove thyme sprig (leaves should have fallen off into the dish).
- Serve chicken on top of rice, pasta, or with vegetables.
For the Instant Pot
- Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken. Place in the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- In a small bowl, mix together chicken broth (or wine), lemon juice, garam masala, garlic, and turmeric. Pour on top of the chicken.
- Cover chicken with hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, fresh thyme, slices of lemon, and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Secure the lid, ensuring the valve is sealed. Select the manual (or pressure button on some models), and cook on high pressure for 9 minutes.
- Use a quick release, ensuring the steam is completely released before opening the lid. Whisk together arrowroot with 2 tbsp of water, and add to the sauce. Continue to stir until thickened. Remove thyme sprig.
- Serve chicken on top of rice, pasta, or with vegetables.
This is the best of all your recipes!!!
I made with curry and added some cinnamon, serves over cauliflower rice in the instapot.
Thank you!!!!
I have a problem doing QR cooking meat. If I do NPR will it mess up the artichokes & hearts of palm?
Hi Diana, natural release is no problem!
It’s delicious, but it would be great to know nutritional info, as in carbs, fat and protein per serving. Do you have that?
This was phenomenal! Best meal to come out of my IP in a long time. Thanks for the keeper!
What would you speculate the cooking times would be for a crockpot? Planning on doubling this recipe for meal prep, and using my 8qt crockpot đŸ™‚
Anywhere between 4-6 hours.
I made this and recommend smelling the lemon pepper before adding it. Lemon pepper is not for everyone, and there is a big variation between the different brands. If you don’t like the smell of something, don’t add it. Unfortunately, my lemon pepper ruined the dish. I will be trying it again in the future without the lemon pepper. đŸ™‚
Hi
I made this tonight. It smells and tastes delicious but 9 minutes was not enough in my IP. I added it back for another 4 minutes
I love this recipe! It’s a cold and rainy day, so I didn’t thicken the sauce but instead served it like a soup over rice. The flavors are bright, but the meal is perfectly cozy and delicious. It’s a nice, light break from traditional crockpot fare.
I made this in the crock pot and it was delicious! We served it over cauliflower rice. Excited to have a tasty, quick, healthy meal to throw in the rotation! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Amy,
Making this tonight. I’m using thighs instead of chicken breasts. Let you know how we like it.
Thanks,
Lorraine