These slow cooker chicken thighs and vegetables bring tender chicken, red potatoes, carrots, and green beans together in one comforting dinner. Lemon juice and Italian seasoning give everything a savory, herby flavor, and the vegetables cook right alongside the chicken so there’s no separate side dish to make.
I give the chicken a quick sear before adding it to the slow cooker for extra flavor and golden-brown color. From there, the slow cooker handles the rest, making this a good option for days when you have time to prep earlier but want dinner mostly hands-off.
For more easy chicken dinners, try my oven baked lemon pepper chicken thighs or one-pan creamy garlic chicken breasts next.
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Shortcut Notes
- Dinner cooks together: The chicken, potatoes, carrots, and green beans cook in the same slow cooker, so there’s no separate side dish to prepare.
- Less vegetable prep: Baby carrots need no peeling or chopping, and red potatoes can keep their skins.
- Mostly hands-off: After a quick sear and a little prep, the slow cooker takes over until dinner is ready.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder, paprika, and ground black pepper give the chicken and vegetables a savory, herby flavor.
- Olive oil: For searing the chicken.
- Red potatoes: Leave the skins on and cut into evenly sized, one-inch cubes.
- Baby carrots: These come peeled and ready to use, keeping prep simple.
- Green beans: Use fresh green beans with the stem ends trimmed.
- Chicken broth: Adds savory flavor and a little cooking liquid.
- Lemon juice: Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for a tangy citrus flavor.
- Fresh parsley: An optional garnish for a fresh finish.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Season the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.
Sear: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes, working in batches if needed.
Layer: Add the potatoes to a 6-quart slow cooker, followed by the carrots. Arrange the chicken over the vegetables, skin-side up, then place the green beans on top.
Add the liquid: In the bowl used for the seasonings, combine the remaining seasoning mixture, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Pour around the chicken and over the vegetables, avoiding the browned skin as much as possible.
Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for about 4 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
Note: The photo does not show the correct layering.
Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and spoon the cooking juices over the chicken and vegetables.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks instead. Cooking time may vary.
- Seasonings: Replace Italian seasoning with a blend of dried oregano, basil, and thyme.
- Red potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes work well, too. Cut them into one-inch cubes.
- Baby carrots: Use regular carrots, peeled and cut into thick, evenly sized pieces.
Top Recipe Tips
- Make cleanup easier: Line your Crock-Pot with a slow cooker liner.
- Stick with bone-in, skin-on thighs: They hold their shape better during slow cooking. Boneless, skinless breasts or thighs are more likely to shred or fall apart.
- Sear before slow cooking: Browning the chicken adds flavor and gives the skin golden color. Without searing, the skin can be pale and rubbery.
FAQ
I recommend bone-in, skin-on thighs for this recipe. Boneless chicken may cook faster and is more likely to shred or fall apart during the longer cooking time needed for the vegetables.
I recommend it for better flavor and golden-brown color. Without searing, the skin can turn out pale and rubbery.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs and Vegetables with Herbs
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs about 4 thighs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ pound red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ pound baby carrots
- ½ pound fresh green beans trimmed
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, salt, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Sear: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes, working in batches if needed.
- Layer: Add the potatoes to a 6-quart slow cooker, followed by the carrots. Arrange the chicken over the vegetables, skin-side up, then place the green beans on top.
- Add the liquid: Combine the remaining seasoning mixture, chicken broth, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour around the chicken, avoiding the browned skin.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for about 3–4 hours, until the potatoes and carrots are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and spoon the cooking juices over the chicken and vegetables.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety and Slow Cooker Safety
- Cook the chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Always thaw meat or poultry before cooking it in the slow cooker.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Do not lift the slow cooker lid unnecessarily during the cooking cycle, this could cause internal temperature drops
- If your slow cooker has a locking lid feature, the unit should not be in the locked position while cooking
See more guidelines at USDA.gov and Crock-Pot.
Ron says
Can I use frozen beans
Kelsey Smith says
Yes, frozen green beans should work! Use the same amount, no need to thaw.
Jessica says
Hello and thank you for the recipe! Would I be able to use asparagus instead of beans? Thank you!
Kelsey Smith says
Yes, but I'd add it in the last 30 minutes of cooking so it doesn't get mushy.
William Dougherty says
My wife passed and like your slow cooker recipe because it was real close to all I had during this snowstorm. I have a question(s). 1) Do you have to fill a crockpot with fluid up to a certain level. I have an old one without a manual. I am looking at a Hamilton Beach with temp probe but they have zero customer service so looking elsewhere. 2) After 4 hours on high, the liquid at the center was 175 Fahrenheit. Couldn't measure chicken temp as thighs fell apart, yummy. BUT the carrots and the potatoes were hard like they didn't cook at all. What? What do you recommend to have edible carrots and the potatoes, were tiny red potatoes. And the carrots were tiny ones also. Confused in Maryland, billy AND THANK YOU. Please call me billy.
Kelsey Smith says
Hi Billy! You do not need to add any additional liquid beyond what is included in the recipe card. If you’re considering upgrading your slow cooker, I’ve had good experiences with Crock-Pot brand, this particular model I've had for more than a decade and it's great. To answer your second question, if they were cut small just like in my pictures, they really ought to have cooked through. Placement could also be an issue if they were piled on top of the chicken instead of to the side like my pics. I can't say for sure why this happened to your food, I am so sorry to hear that.
Nan Griffin says
This was so good! Thanks for the recipe and will be certainly making it again. Chicken and veggies came out perfect.
Nan Griffin says
Did anyone try this on high for the 4 hours as recipe states can do? Just wondered if comes out better on low as I don't want to ruin it the first time tried.
Kelsey Smith says
Hey Nan, High or Low, you'll get fall-of-the-bone chicken. (although, side note: the best way to ensure any chickened is cooked to perfection is to temp the chicken with a meat thermometer as you get close to the end of the cook time. You can end the cook time early and avoid over-cooking this way.)
Charene Griffin says
Cooking time was Perfect.