Dinner doesn’t get tastier than this juicy crock pot honey lemon hen! An entire hen will get slathered with zesty lemon pepper and butter, then slow-cooked in a candy, citrusy honey lemon sauce till it’s fall-off-the-bone tender.
From my juicy entire roasted hen to golden, crispy spatchcock grilled hen, we don’t fiddle in terms of hen dinners. And the sluggish cooker makes it that a lot simpler!
The day I made this crock pot honey lemon hen, all I needed was juicy, tender hen with cauliflower rice on the aspect. My needs? My command. In the long run, it was a toss-up between making my honey garlic hen once more (a ceaselessly fave) or making an attempt one thing new with much more honey and lemon goodness. And since I not often make the identical factor twice, this honey lemon hen received out. Boy, was I glad it did!
What Makes This Honey Lemon Rooster So Nice
- It’s slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone perfection. This honey lemon hen is extremely cozy and comforting and tastes such as you’ve been cooking all day, even for those who technically haven’t.
- Minimal effort, most taste. I share my simple methods for the juiciest hen EVER. Easy tips like rubbing butter and seasonings underneath the pores and skin, stuffing the hen cavity with a complete lemon, and searing the hen in a skillet earlier than sluggish cooking make all of the distinction.
- No babysitting. As soon as this hen is prepped, you let the sluggish cooker, lemon, butter, garlic, and honey work their magic. There’s zero oven time required.
- Stretch the meal additional. We’re huge followers of entire hen recipes round right here. This crock pot hen is budget-friendly, flavorful, and ideal for feeding a crowd or having leftovers.
Substances You’ll Want
So, about our fowl, right here. This honey lemon hen recipe retains issues easy with pantry staples and some recent elements. Beneath, you’ll discover notes and straightforward swaps for every one. Scroll right down to the recipe card for the complete printable recipe particulars, together with a step-by-step afterward with pictures.
- Complete Rooster – We’re utilizing a complete fowl right here, skin-on and bone-in, for further taste and juiciness. Search for hen with pink-colored meat, and ensure to take away the giblets. You possibly can swap in bone-in hen thighs or drumsticks for those who’re not Group Complete Rooster.
- Butter – Softened butter will get mashed with lemon pepper and garlic to create essentially the most flavorful rub underneath the pores and skin.
- Lemon Pepper – It offers this dish its signature zesty taste. When you’re out, combine lemon zest with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Garlic – Garlic powder works in a pinch, and you should use about 1/2 teaspoon per clove.
- Olive Oil – Helps crisp up the pores and skin and lock in moisture. You may as well use avocado oil or melted butter.
- Complete Lemon – Stuffed contained in the hen for citrusy steam and additional taste. No have to peel the lemon first; simply pierce it and toss it in.
- Lemon Juice – Vibrant and tangy, it balances the sweetness of the honey. Contemporary is greatest, however bottled works, too.
- Honey – If wanted, maple syrup and agave are good substitutes.
- Orange Juice – Provides one other layer of citrus taste and helps spherical out the sauce. Pineapple juice is a enjoyable swap for those who’re feeling tropical.
- Salt and Pepper – I exploit seasoned salt for further taste on the pores and skin. When you don’t have it, combine common salt with a little bit of paprika and onion powder. Additionally, freshly floor black pepper makes an enormous distinction, IMHO.
Recipe Ideas
- When you use a frozen entire hen, ensure that to utterly thaw the hen in a single day within the fridge earlier than beginning the recipe.
- Brown the hen. I embody the choice to brown the entire hen in a skillet earlier than including it to the crock pot. It’s an additional step that provides taste and provides the hen pores and skin a pleasant golden sear. It’s nice to skip this step for those who’re quick on time, although.
- Don’t carve the fowl straight away. After cooking, let the hen relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour. This permits all of the juices to redistribute again into the meat for a young, moist, and attractive hen with crispy pores and skin.
- Have a meat thermometer helpful. The simplest approach to test a hen for doneness is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer on the meatiest a part of the thigh (underneath the wing), in addition to the thickest a part of the breast. Take care to keep away from any bones. The hen is able to depart the sluggish cooker when the interior temperature reads 160ºF, and also you’ll wish to guarantee it reaches 165ºF after resting.
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Clear the hen. Rinse the hen and dry it totally utilizing paper towels. Take away the giblets and clear out the hen cavity.
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Separate the pores and skin. Utilizing the deal with of a picket spoon, rigorously insert the deal with beneath the pores and skin, starting on the neck. Slowly separate the pores and skin from the meat with out tearing by way of the pores and skin. Put aside.
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Make the lemon pepper butter. In a small bowl, mix the butter, lemon pepper, and garlic; mash and blend with a fork till utterly included.
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Rub the hen with the ready butter. Rub the ready lemon pepper butter underneath the pores and skin, across the total fowl, and out to the thighs and legs. I discover it simpler to spoon a big chunk of the butter underneath the pores and skin; then, I exploit my fingers to unfold it round by rubbing the hen on prime.
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Season the hen. Then, rub the highest of the pores and skin with olive oil and season it with seasoned salt and black pepper. Optionally available: At this level, you too can brown the hen in a skillet for about 5 minutes per aspect, or simply till golden.
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Add the entire lemon. Pierce the entire lemon throughout with a fork, then place it contained in the cleaned-out cavity. Switch the hen to the sluggish cooker.
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Make the honey citrus juice and prepare dinner. Mix lemon juice, honey, and orange juice in a small bowl; whisk it till included. Pour the ready honey sauce into the sluggish cooker, cowl it with a lid, and prepare dinner on Low for six to 7 hours or on Excessive for 4 to five hours, or till the interior temperature of the cooked fowl registers at 160˚F.
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End and serve. Rigorously take away the entire hen from the sluggish cooker. Then, take away the lemon from the cavity and squeeze the juice out all around the hen. Let the hen relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than slicing and serving.
To strain prepare dinner a complete hen, add a trivet to the Prompt Pot and place the hen on prime; set to Excessive Strain for 25 minutes. Permit for pure strain launch, after which test to make sure the hen is totally cooked to an inside temperature of 160 to 165˚F.
Serving: 8ounces | Energy: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.5g | Protein: 29.3g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 5.8g | Ldl cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 100.5mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 24.9g
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values could fluctuate based on the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
Learn how to Make Crock Pot Honey Lemon Rooster
That is a type of set-it-and-forget-it recipes (truthfully, my greatest sort). We’re taking a complete hen, rubbing it with lemony butter, after which cooking it low and sluggish to fall-off-the-bone perfection within the crock pot. Right here’s easy methods to make it occur, step-by-step!
- Prep the hen. Begin by eradicating the giblets and giving the hen rinse. Afterward, pat it utterly dry with paper towels. This helps the pores and skin crisp up a bit of, even within the sluggish cooker.
- Loosen the pores and skin. Subsequent, seize the deal with of a picket spoon and gently work it underneath the pores and skin, beginning on the neck. You wish to create area between the pores and skin and meat with out tearing it.
- Make the lemon pepper butter. In a small bowl, mash collectively the softened butter, lemon pepper, and chopped garlic. It ought to appear to be a spreadable paste.
- Rub it in. Spoon the butter combination underneath the hen pores and skin, after which use your fingers (on prime of the pores and skin) to unfold it throughout. I wish to put on gloves once I do that. In any other case, ensure that to clean your palms properly earlier than and after.
- Season the surface. Now, rub olive oil excessive of the pores and skin, then sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper.
- Optionally available however tasty: Brown the hen. In case you have the time, sear the entire hen in a sizzling skillet for about 5 minutes per aspect till golden. It’s completely elective, however it does add good taste and a bit of coloration.
- Add the lemon. Afterward, pierce a complete lemon a number of occasions with a fork and place it contained in the hen cavity.
- Combine up the sauce. In the meantime, whisk collectively the lemon juice, honey, and orange juice. Pour it into the underside of your sluggish cooker.
- Cook dinner low and sluggish. Switch the hen to the sluggish cooker. Cowl, and prepare dinner on LOW for six to 7 hours or HIGH for 4 to five hours. The hen is prepared when the interior temperature reaches 160°F away from the bone, and the juices run clear.
- End and serve. Rigorously take away the hen from the sluggish cooker. Take out the lemon from the cavity and provides it squeeze over the hen earlier than letting the fowl relaxation for 10 minutes.
Lastly? Don’t toss that liquid gold left over within the sluggish cooker! Drizzle these flavorful honey-citrus juices over your hen and your aspect dish of mushroom rice or Vesuvio potatoes. See the Serving Ideas above for extra concepts.
Prompt Pot Methodology
To make this honey lemon hen within the Prompt Pot, place a trivet contained in the pot and set the seasoned entire hen on prime. Lock the lid and prepare dinner on Excessive Strain for 25 minutes. As soon as it’s performed, let the strain launch naturally. Then, test that the interior temperature has reached 160°F to 165°F earlier than serving.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Rooster
- Refrigerate. Let the cooked hen cool utterly, after which retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Leftover hen is nice to shred into hen salad or roll up in hen wraps.
- Reheat. To reheat, pop the leftovers into the microwave or heat the hen gently in a lined skillet with a splash of the cooking juices. It stays juicy and flavorful, excellent for tossing into hen salad, wraps, or a fast rice bowl the subsequent day.
- Freeze. First, take away the meat from the bones and let it cool utterly. Subsequent, retailer the hen in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, label it, and freeze for as much as 3 months. Whenever you’re prepared to make use of it, thaw it in a single day within the fridge and reheat as wanted.
