Lala’s Lemon Butter Chicken - Slow Cooker Edition
An all-in-one family favourite revived from the Mumma Makes Lunch archives!
There’s nothing fancy about these photos or the presentation of this dish — but believe me when I say, this is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten!
If you’ve been around here since the early days, you might remember when I first shared my adaptation of Lala’s Kitchen Lemon Butter Chicken back in 2018. It quickly became one of the most-loved recipes on Mumma Makes Lunch, and for good reason!
The original Thermomix version is amazing, but I wanted to make it a true one-pot, family-style slow cooker meal — with tender chicken, buttery lemon sauce, veggies, and even rice cooked together. The result? Oh my-lanta! It’s creamy, zesty, and completely irresistible.
This slow cooker version makes weeknight dinners a breeze — it’s hearty, comforting, and the kids always come back for seconds.
Lala’s Lemon Butter Chicken - Slow Cooker Edition
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 4.5 hours
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
8 chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
2 generous knobs of butter
1–2 Tbsp paprika
1 red capsicum, sliced into rings
500ml water
3 rounded tsp Massel chicken stock powder
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 2-3 lemons
1 bunch broccolini and/or large handful of green beans
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large handful spinach, roughly chopped
300ml thickened cream
60g grated or shaved parmesan
Method
Prepare the base:
Add rice to the bottom of your slow cooker and cover with the sliced capsicum rings.Sear the chicken:
In a hot frying pan, melt one knob of butter and sear half of the chicken thighs. Sprinkle with paprika, flip, and season the other side.
Transfer to the slow cooker on top of the capsicum.Repeat:
Melt the second knob of butter, sear the remaining chicken (seasoning with paprika again), then transfer to the slow cooker. Pour any leftover pan juices in too — that’s where the flavour lives!Add the sauce:
In a jug, combine water, stock powder, lemon juice, thyme, minced garlic and a generous amount of cracked black pepper. Pour this mixture over the chicken.Cook:
Cover and cook on High for 4½ hours.Finish it off:
For the last 45 minutes, add your green beans and broccolini around the edges. Sprinkle spinach and tomatoes over the centre, then top with parmesan and cream. Replace the lid and cook for the remaining time.Serve:
Gently fluff the rice and spoon out generous serves of lemony, buttery chicken goodness. Enjoy with extra parmesan or a squeeze of lemon if you love that citrus kick!Tips & Storage
You can use chicken breast if preferred, but thighs give the best flavour and stay juicier in the slow cooker.
Try adding mushrooms or zucchini for extra veggies.
Leftovers keep beautifully — store in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for a quick midweek meal.
From the Archives
This one first appeared on Mumma Makes Lunch back in 2018 — and after all these years, it’s still just as good (if not better). If you missed it the first time, now’s your chance to bring this all-in-one slow cooker lemon butter chicken into your family’s regular dinner rotation.
Trust me — it’s a keeper! 💛