Crock Pot Honey Lemon Chicken
This crock pot honey lemon chicken is an easy dinner made with a whole chicken rubbed with lemon pepper and butter, then cooked low and slow in a sweet, citrusy honey lemon marinade.
Servings: 6 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken giblets removed
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 whole lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Clean the chicken. Rinse the chicken and dry it thoroughly using paper towels. Remove the giblets and clean out the chicken cavity.
- Separate the skin. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, carefully insert the handle underneath the skin, beginning at the neck. Slowly separate the skin from the meat without tearing through the skin. Set aside.
- Make the lemon pepper butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon pepper, and garlic; mash and mix with a fork until completely incorporated.
- Rub the chicken with the prepared butter. Rub the prepared lemon pepper butter under the skin, around the entire bird, and out to the thighs and legs. I find it easier to spoon a large chunk of the butter under the skin; then, I use my fingers to spread it around by rubbing the chicken on top.
- Season the chicken. Then, rub the top of the skin with olive oil and season it with seasoned salt and black pepper. Optional: At this point, you can also brown the chicken in a skillet for about 5 minutes per side, or just until golden.
- Add the whole lemon. Pierce the whole lemon all over with a fork, then place it inside the cleaned-out cavity. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
- Make the honey citrus juice and cook. Combine lemon juice, honey, and orange juice in a small bowl; whisk it until incorporated. Pour the prepared honey sauce into the slow cooker, cover it with a lid, and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, or until the internal temperature of the cooked bird registers at 160˚F.
- Finish and serve. Carefully remove the whole chicken from the slow cooker. Then, remove the lemon from the cavity and squeeze the juice out all over the chicken. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Instant Pot Method
To pressure cook a whole chicken, add a trivet to the Instant Pot and place the chicken on top; set to High Pressure for 25 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release, and then check to ensure the chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 160 to 165˚F.
Nutrition
Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.5g | Protein: 29.3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 100.5mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 24.9g
