This Slow Cooker Greek Chicken is everything I want dinner to be on a busy day. Chicken breasts cook low and slow with lemon, herbs, tomatoes, and briny olives until they’re impossibly tender and packed with bold Mediterranean flavor. It’s bright, savory, and cozy all at once.
In my kitchen, slow cooker meals usually mean comfort food, but this Slow Cooker Greek Chicken is fresh and bold.
When I tested this, I wanted to focus on fresh Mediterranean flavors (like my family's favorite Mediterranean chicken) and keep things light. The lemon does some serious work here, and the herbs sink right into the chicken as it cooks.
I like to serve this as the protein alongside my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with a little homemade Tzatziki Sauce. It is also great with rice, roasted red potatoes, bread machine Naan, or even a store-bought pita. Leftovers make a fabulous addition to a greek salad.
Let’s Talk Ingredients
I typically used boneless skinless chicken breasts in the Crockpot Greek Chicken, but chicken thighs work if that is what you prefer. No changes to time are necessary.
For lemons, I recommend sticking to fresh. I don’t like this recipe with bottled lemon juice, because it doesn’t add the same brightness.
When I tested this without olives once, it felt flat. The briny bite is what pulls everything together. If you’re serving kids who side-eye olives, you can add them toward the end or spoon them over individual portions. Feta is a finishing move, and those who want to keep this dairy-free can simply omit it.
Seasoning-wise, this is one of those greek chicken slow cooker recipes where dried herbs really shine. I tested fresh herbs early on, but the flavor actually mellowed too much during the long cook. The dried herbs hold up better and sink into the chicken as it cooks.
Step by Step
Tips & Tricks
Dry chicken is the biggest complaint with slow cooker chicken. Boneless chicken isn’t something you should cook all day. If your slow cooker runs hot, lean toward the low setting. If you want to serve whole chicken pieces, I’d recommend cooking for about 3 hours; shredded chicken can go for 4 hours.
Chicken releases moisture as it cooks, and tomatoes add more. If you want a thicker sauce, remove the lid for the last 20 minutes or transfer the liquid to a saucepan and reduce briefly before serving.
Olives getting mushy is common in greek slow cooker chicken. If that bothers you, add the olives during the last 30 minutes instead of at the beginning. I’ve tested both ways, and late-added olives keep more bite, but for me it isn’t worth the effort.
Feel free to play around with this. You could add roasted red peppers with the olives, or saute a little yellow onion with the chicken. I’ve also made this with dried dill and loved the addition.
Slow Cooker Greek Chicken with Olives, Tomatoes and Feta
Ingredients
Seasoning Mixture
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Chicken
- 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
Slow Cooking
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 lemons slced
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- For serving: about 1 cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Make the seasoning mixture by combining the garlic powder, rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Season the chicken on both sides with the mixture. You can proceed immediately, or refrigerate overnight.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Cook the chicken for 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned.
- Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Pour the chicken broth over. Slice one of the lemons, and juice and zest the other. Add both to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and olives.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours, or until the internal temperature is 165 °F
- Serve with feta cheese .
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