Comfort food doesn’t get much better or easier than a cozy bowl of Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. This avgolemono-style soup is creamy and satisfying, with tender shredded chicken, rice or orzo, and bright fresh lemon flavor. Making it in the slow cooker keeps the process simple while delivering the rich texture and warmth you expect from a traditional lemon-and-egg broth.
After a string of warm days, chilly weather returned, and I was glad — soup just tastes better on a cold day. I make a lot of simple, hands-off soups, and this Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup has become a favorite because it’s comforting, full of flavor, and so easy to prepare.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Avgolemono-style lemon chicken soup is packed with tender chicken, rice or orzo, and a silky broth brightened with fresh lemon.
- Prepared in a slow cooker, it’s an easy, family-friendly meal that’s ideal for meal prep or busy days.
- The creamy texture comes from eggs tempered into the hot broth, so the soup can be rich without relying on dairy. Using rice makes it simple to keep the recipe gluten-free.
Recipe ingredients
This Greek lemon chicken soup includes simple ingredients that combine into a rich, lemony broth. Eggs are whisked with lemon juice and tempered with hot stock to thicken the soup and give it a velvety texture.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken breast — Use boneless skinless breasts for convenience. Bone-in breasts can add flavor, but remove bones before serving.
- Orzo or rice — Use orzo pasta or long grain white rice. Avoid instant rice because it will become mush. For best texture, add rice or orzo during the last hour of cooking so it doesn’t overcook.
- Eggs — Eggs combined with lemon juice create the classic avgolemono texture and act as a gentle thickener when tempered into the hot broth.
- Chicken stock — Homemade stock or good-quality low-sodium broth gives the best depth of flavor.
- Lemon juice — Fresh-squeezed lemon is ideal for bright, clean flavor. Adjust the amount to taste if you prefer a more pronounced lemon profile.
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and the complete ingredient list.
How to make Greek avgolemono soup
Authentic avgolemono can be time-consuming, but this slow cooker method keeps the process effortless while delivering a great result. The key technique is tempering the egg-and-lemon mixture with hot broth before adding it back to the pot so the eggs thicken the soup without scrambling.
Pro tip: Add the rice or orzo during the last hour of cooking to prevent overcooking and maintain a pleasant texture.
- Place seasoned chicken, chopped onion, garlic, celery, chicken stock, and water in the slow cooker. Cook about 3 hours on high or 4–5 hours on low. Add the rice or orzo during the last hour of cooking.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove it and shred or chop into bite-size pieces. Return it to the slow cooker.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in the lemon juice. Slowly temper the egg-lemon mixture by whisking and adding a cup of hot broth a little at a time until warmed through.
- Stir the tempered egg-lemon mixture into the soup, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.
Recipe FAQs
Avgolemono literally refers to a sauce or soup made with eggs and lemon. The eggs and lemon are whisked together and tempered with hot stock, which creates a creamy, lemony broth.
Avgolemono is pronounced ahv-go-lem-uh-no.
Whisk the beaten egg and lemon, then slowly add about a cup of hot broth a little at a time while whisking constantly. This gradually raises the temperature of the eggs so they don’t scramble when added to the soup.
Use long grain white rice for best results. Instant rice cooks too quickly and will break down, while brown rice requires a much longer cook time.
Yes. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave in short bursts. Do not boil the soup after adding the egg-lemon mixture or it may lose its silky texture.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Use bone-in skinless chicken breasts for extra flavor; remove and discard bones after cooking.
- Leftover cooked orzo or rice can be stirred in at the end of cooking and warmed through.
- If you want a richer soup, add an extra egg. Increase lemon juice to taste for a brighter lemon profile.
- Leftovers keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.
More soup recipes you’ll love
- Butternut squash soup
- Chicken stew
- Chicken vegetable soup
- White bean and escarole soup
- Italian sausage and kale soup
- Marry Me Chicken Soup
- Moroccan chicken soup with chickpeas
- Winter minestrone
- Turkey wild rice soup
- White bean and kale soup
Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a review below and tag @flavorthemoments on social media so I can see what you made.
Slow Cooker Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast*
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large stalk celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken stock (homemade or low sodium)
- 2 cups water (or more chicken stock)
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice or orzo pasta (do not use instant rice)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken, onion, celery, garlic, stock and water in the slow cooker. Cook about 3 hours on high, or 4–5 hours on low, adding the rice or orzo during the last hour to prevent overcooking.
- When the chicken is done, remove it and allow to cool slightly. Chop or shred, then return to the slow cooker.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl and whisk in the lemon juice. Place about 1 cup of hot broth in a separate cup and, whisking constantly, add it to the egg-lemon mixture a little at a time to temper the eggs. Continue adding the hot broth slowly while whisking.
- After the mixture is tempered, stir it into the soup, heat gently until warmed through, adjust seasoning, and serve.
Notes
- Using bone-in skinless chicken breasts adds extra flavor; remove bones after cooking.
- Leftover cooked orzo or rice can be added at the end and warmed through.
- If you prefer a richer soup, add an extra egg. Add more lemon juice to increase brightness.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days; reheat gently without boiling.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: Calories 234; Carbohydrates 21 g; Protein 24 g; Fat 6 g; Sodium 346 mg. Nutrition values are estimates for informational purposes only.
Course: Soups | Cuisine: Greek | Author: Marcie
This recipe was originally published in February 2016. Photos and instructions have been updated to include step-by-step photos and additional recipe details.