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 relating to hen dinners. And the sluggish cooker makes it that a lot simpler!
The day I made this crock pot honey lemon hen, all I wished was juicy, tender hen with cauliflower rice on the facet. My needs? My command. Ultimately, it was a toss-up between making my honey garlic hen once more (a without end 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 gained 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 in case you technically haven’t.
- Minimal effort, most taste. I share my straightforward strategies for the juiciest hen EVER. Easy tips like rubbing butter and seasonings beneath 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 massive 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.
Elements You’ll Want
So, about our fowl, right here. This honey lemon hen recipe retains issues easy with pantry staples and some recent substances. Under, 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 images.
- Complete Rooster – We’re utilizing a complete fowl right here, skin-on and bone-in, for additional taste and juiciness. Search for hen with pink-colored meat, and ensure to take away the giblets. You may swap in bone-in hen thighs or drumsticks in case you’re not Crew Complete Rooster.
- Butter – Softened butter will get mashed with lemon pepper and garlic to create essentially the most flavorful rub beneath the pores and skin.
- Lemon Pepper – It offers this dish its signature zesty taste. For those who’re out, combine lemon zest with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Garlic – Garlic powder works in a pinch, and you need to use about 1/2 teaspoon per clove.
- Olive Oil – Helps crisp up the pores and skin and lock in moisture. It’s also possible to use avocado oil or melted butter.
- Complete Lemon – Stuffed contained in the hen for citrusy steam and further taste. No must peel the lemon first; simply pierce it and toss it in.
- Lemon Juice – Brilliant and tangy, it balances the sweetness of the honey. Recent is finest, 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 in case you’re feeling tropical.
- Salt and Pepper – I take advantage of seasoned salt for additional taste on the pores and skin. For those who don’t have it, combine common salt with a little bit of paprika and onion powder. Additionally, freshly floor black pepper makes a giant distinction, IMHO.
Recipe Suggestions
- For those who use a frozen entire hen, ensure 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 positive to skip this step in case you’re brief on time, although.
- Don’t carve the fowl straight away. After cooking, let the hen relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour. This enables 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 best option to test a hen for doneness is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer on the meatiest a part of the thigh (beneath 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 completely 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 means 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 beneath the pores and skin, across the complete fowl, and out to the thighs and legs. I discover it simpler to spoon a big chunk of the butter beneath the pores and skin; then, I take advantage of my fingers to unfold it round by rubbing the hen on high.
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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. Elective: At this level, you may also brown the hen in a skillet for about 5 minutes per facet, 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 cook 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 cook 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 cook dinner a complete hen, add a trivet to the Instantaneous Pot and place the hen on high; set to Excessive Stress 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 information is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in line with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
Learn how to Make Crock Pot Honey Lemon Rooster
That is a type of set-it-and-forget-it recipes (actually, my finest type). 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 tips on how to make it occur, step-by-step!
- Prep the hen. Begin by eradicating the giblets and giving the hen an excellent 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 beneath 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 like a spreadable paste.
- Rub it in. Spoon the butter combination beneath the hen pores and skin, after which use your fingers (on high of the pores and skin) to unfold it throughout. I wish to put on gloves once I do that. In any other case, ensure to clean your palms nicely 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.
- Elective however tasty: Brown the hen. When you’ve got the time, sear the entire hen in a sizzling skillet for about 5 minutes per facet till golden. It’s completely elective, nevertheless it does add good taste and a bit of shade.
- Add the lemon. Afterward, pierce a complete lemon a number of instances 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.
- Prepare dinner low and sluggish. Switch the hen to the sluggish cooker. Cowl, and cook 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 an excellent 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 facet dish of mushroom rice or Vesuvio potatoes. See the Serving Recommendations above for extra concepts.
Instantaneous Pot Methodology
To make this honey lemon hen within the Instantaneous Pot, place a trivet contained in the pot and set the seasoned entire hen on high. Lock the lid and cook dinner on Excessive Stress 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 coated 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. While you’re prepared to make use of it, thaw it in a single day within the fridge and reheat as wanted.