Lemon-Garlic Chicken

This crockpot chicken is for garlic lovers who don’t mess around. Half a cup of crushed garlic cloves go in with the chicken, lemon juice, white wine, and seasoning, then everything slow-cooks on low all day. By the time you get home from work, the chicken falls right off the bone and the garlic has melted into the braising liquid, creating a sauce that’s deeply savory and bright from all that lemon.

The white wine keeps the acidity balanced and adds a dry, clean flavor that prevents the garlic from becoming one-note. A couple dashes of hot sauce add background warmth without making it spicy.

The trick for mornings when you’re rushed: prep the sauce ingredients the night before and freeze your chicken pieces separately. In the morning, dump frozen chicken and the pre-mixed sauce into the crockpot. Starting from frozen actually helps the chicken hold its shape instead of falling apart into shreds.

Chef Tips

• Remove the skin before slow cooking. Skin in a crockpot turns rubbery and unappetizing.
• The braising liquid makes a fantastic sauce spooned over rice. Don’t pour it out.
• Debone the chicken right in the crockpot after cooking. It pulls apart easily.
• This generates a lot of liquid. If you prefer a thicker sauce, strain it and reduce on the stovetop.

Variations

• Add quartered artichoke hearts and olives for a Mediterranean-style braise.
• Use bone-in thighs instead of a whole cut-up chicken for more consistent dark meat flavor.
• Stir in a tablespoon of capers and fresh parsley at the end for a piccata-style finish.