Made with just 4 simple ingredients like lemon, garlic, and Greek yogurt, this slow cooker greek chicken cooks low and slow into a flavorful, high-protein dinner. Serve it stuffed into pita with veggies, piled over rice in a bowl, or as the easiest meal prep protein for the whole week.

Overhead shot of shredded chicken breast garnished with lemon slices, parsley and yogurt sauce in a slow cooker.

5 star review

“This is probably one of my favorite recipes right now! So easy, so versatile, and a huge hit with my entire family. I can’t recommend this recipe enough!”

– Emilia
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This is My Favorite High-Protein Greek Yogurt Chicken Recipe

My goal with creating this slow cooker Greek chicken was to create a versatile, high-protein chicken that could work in a whole week of meals without getting boring, and the tangy lemon-garlic-yogurt sauce is how it all comes together. It pulls triple duty in this recipe, working as the cooking liquid, the toss-with sauce after shredding, and the drizzle when serving, which is how only 4 ingredients add up to a dinner that tastes layered, fresh, and anything but basic.

After testing this recipe many times I’ve found that using whole or 2% Greek yogurt gives the most flavor and richest sauce. Nonfat works but tends to separate more during cooking, which, speaking of separation, don’t panic if the cooking liquid looks split when you open the slow cooker. That’s why the recipe calls for draining most of the cooking liquid and tossing the shredded chicken with the reserved fresh marinade at the end, which is the step that gives you a creamy, cohesive sauce instead of a watery one.

Serve this Greek chicken stuffed into warm pita bread with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and a drizzle of yogurt tahini sauce, or pile it over rice or quinoa for an easy bowl meal. Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 4 days, making this a meal-prep favorite that pulls dinner together fast all week. And when you’re ready to turn this chicken into a full meal, my greek inspired chicken bowls are the natural next stop with all the toppings and sides built in, and my full collection of high protein slow cooker recipes is where to go for more meal-prep dinners like this one!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Make Crockpot Greek Chicken

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of containers with the following ingredients: raw chicken breasts, greek yogurt, garlic, salt, lemon. There is also a bunch of parsley on the white backdrop.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of a yogurt marinade in a white bowl with a spoon sticking out of it. You can see specks of lemon zest in the sauce.
Make greek yogurt marinade.
Overhead shot of raw chicken breasts covered in a yogurt marinade inside of a slow cooker.
Add the chicken breast and part of the marinade to the slow cooker.
Overhead shot of cooked chicken breasts in a slow cooker.
Cook the chicken and drain most of the cooking liquid.
Overhead shot of shredded chicken breast in a slow cooker.
Shred the chicken and add half of the remaining marinade. Toss to coat.
Overhead shot of shredded chicken breast garnished with lemon slices, parsley and yogurt sauce in a slow cooker.
Serve with the remaining marinade on the side for dipping or drizzled on top.
Angled shot of shredded chicken breast garnished with lemon slices, parsley and yogurt sauce in a slow cooker.

Testing Tips for Greek Yogurt Chicken

  • Use whole or 2% Greek yogurt for the most flavor and the creamiest final sauce. Nonfat works in a pinch, but it’s more likely to separate during the long cook and gives you a thinner sauce at the end.
  • Zest the lemon before juicing it. Zesting a juiced lemon is a frustrating exercise in patience and you’ll lose half the zest to the cutting board.
  • Reserve two-thirds of the marinade before adding any to the slow cooker. The portion that cooks with the chicken loses some of its bright lemon-garlic punch over hours of heat, so the reserved fresh sauce is what carries the final flavor when you toss and serve!
  • Skim or drain most of the cooking liquid before adding the chicken back to the slow cooker. Yogurt-based marinades almost always look split after a long cook, and discarding that liquid in favor of the fresh reserved sauce is what gives you that creamy, restaurant-style finish.
Close up shot of a plated chicken gyro topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, parsley and yogurt tahini sauce. The plate is garnished with lemon slices and parsley and sits on top of a blue and white striped kitchen towel.

Follow my step-by-step video:

Overhead shot of shredded chicken breast garnished with lemon slices, parsley and yogurt sauce in a slow cooker.
4.83 stars (28 ratings)

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 5 minutes
Slow cooker greek chicken made with just 4 ingredients for a healthy, high-protein dinner. Perfect for meal prep, gyros, or rice bowls all week long.
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Ingredients

For the Lemon Greek Yogurt Sauce

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (whole, 2%, or lowfat)
  • 2-4 garlic cloves minced or finely grated
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

For the Greek Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Equipment

Instructions 

Make the Greek Yogurt Sauce

  • Whisk the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt together in a medium bowl.

Cook the Chicken

  • Place the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt.
  • Pour over ⅓ cup Greek yogurt sauce over the chicken, tossing to coat. Cover the remaining yogurt marinade and refrigerate while the chicken cooks.
  • Cover the chicken and cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 4-6 until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
    • Time will depend on your specific slow cooker, so check early the first time you make this to avoid dry chicken.
  • Once cooked, remove the chicken from the cooking liquid. Slice into strips or shred with two forks. Strain the cooking liquid, then add ⅓ cup cooking liquid back to the slow cooker.
    • Depending on the yogurt used, the sauce may separate during cooking. This is fine, and the reason we are draining and straining the liquid, and the reason we are adding in fresh yogurt sauce at the end.
  • Add the chicken back to the slow cooker, then pour over ⅓ cup of the reserved Greek sauce, tossing to coat. Gently warm though on high for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with the remaining ⅓ cup Greek sauce marinade on the side for dipping or drizzled on top.

Notes

  • Yogurt Sauce: If you notice the yogurt separating a bit during the cooking process don’t worry. This is common, especially if you use low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Simply discard the cooking liquid after cooking, and toss with the fresh yogurt sauce and you’ll be good to go.
  • Serving: Serve with pita, sliced cucumber, chopped tomato, sliced red onions, fresh parsley and feta, or in my Greek Chicken Rice Bowls.
  • Nutrition Information: calculated with low-fat yogurt and chicken breasts.
  • Double the Sauce: Check out the comments for reader serving suggestions. Many have recommended doubling the sauce so you have extra to drizzle on the chicken after it’s cooked, and I concur! 
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 188kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 571mg, Potassium: 598mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 47IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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