Dinner doesn’t get tastier than this juicy crock pot honey lemon rooster! A complete rooster 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 rooster to golden, crispy spatchcock grilled rooster, we don’t fiddle in the case of rooster dinners. And the sluggish cooker makes it that a lot simpler!
The day I made this crock pot honey lemon rooster, all I needed was juicy, tender rooster with cauliflower rice on the aspect. My needs? My command. In the long run, it was a toss-up between making my honey garlic rooster once more (a perpetually 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 rooster gained out. Boy, was I glad it did!
What Makes This Honey Lemon Hen So Nice
- It’s slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone perfection. This honey lemon rooster is extremely cozy and comforting and tastes such as you’ve been cooking all day, even should you technically haven’t.
- Minimal effort, most taste. I share my simple strategies for the juiciest rooster EVER. Easy methods like rubbing butter and seasonings below the pores and skin, stuffing the rooster cavity with a complete lemon, and searing the rooster in a skillet earlier than sluggish cooking make all of the distinction.
- No babysitting. As soon as this rooster 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 rooster recipes round right here. This crock pot rooster is budget-friendly, flavorful, and excellent for feeding a crowd or having leftovers.
Substances You’ll Want
So, about our hen, right here. This honey lemon rooster recipe retains issues easy with pantry staples and some contemporary elements. Beneath, you’ll discover notes and straightforward swaps for each. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the complete printable recipe particulars, together with a step-by-step afterward with photographs.
- Complete Hen – We’re utilizing a complete hen right here, skin-on and bone-in, for additional taste and juiciness. Search for rooster with pink-colored meat, and ensure to take away the giblets. You’ll be able to swap in bone-in rooster thighs or drumsticks should you’re not Staff Complete Hen.
- Butter – Softened butter will get mashed with lemon pepper and garlic to create probably the most flavorful rub below the pores and skin.
- Lemon Pepper – It provides this dish its signature zesty taste. Should you’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. You can even use avocado oil or melted butter.
- Complete Lemon – Stuffed contained in the rooster for citrusy steam and additional taste. No must peel the lemon first; simply pierce it and toss it in.
- Lemon Juice – Shiny 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 should you’re feeling tropical.
- Salt and Pepper – I exploit seasoned salt for additional taste on the pores and skin. Should you 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 Ideas
- Should you use a frozen entire rooster, make certain to utterly thaw the rooster in a single day within the fridge earlier than beginning the recipe.
- Brown the rooster. I embody the choice to brown the entire rooster in a skillet earlier than including it to the crock pot. It’s an additional step that provides taste and provides the rooster pores and skin a pleasant golden sear. It’s effective to skip this step should you’re brief on time, although.
- Don’t carve the hen instantly. After cooking, let the rooster relaxation for 10-Quarter-hour. This permits all of the juices to redistribute again into the meat for a young, moist, and engaging rooster with crispy pores and skin.
- Have a meat thermometer helpful. The best option to examine a rooster for doneness is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer on the meatiest a part of the thigh (below the wing), in addition to the thickest a part of the breast. Take care to keep away from any bones. The rooster is able to go away the sluggish cooker when the inner temperature reads 160ºF, and also you’ll need to guarantee it reaches 165ºF after resting.
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Clear the rooster. Rinse the rooster and dry it totally utilizing paper towels. Take away the giblets and clear out the rooster 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 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 integrated.
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Rub the rooster with the ready butter. Rub the ready lemon pepper butter below the pores and skin, across the total hen, and out to the thighs and legs. I discover it simpler to spoon a big chunk of the butter below the pores and skin; then, I exploit my fingers to unfold it round by rubbing the rooster on prime.
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Season the rooster. Then, rub the highest of the pores and skin with olive oil and season it with seasoned salt and black pepper. Non-compulsory: At this level, it’s also possible to brown the rooster 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 rooster 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 integrated. 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 inner temperature of the cooked hen registers at 160˚F.
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End and serve. Rigorously take away the entire rooster from the sluggish cooker. Then, take away the lemon from the cavity and squeeze the juice out all around the rooster. Let the rooster relaxation for 10 minutes earlier than chopping and serving.
To stress cook dinner a complete rooster, add a trivet to the Immediate Pot and place the rooster on prime; set to Excessive Stress for 25 minutes. Enable for pure stress launch, after which examine to make sure the rooster is absolutely cooked to an inner 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 supplied as courtesy. Values might fluctuate in response to the elements and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
The right way to Make Crock Pot Honey Lemon Hen
That is a kind of set-it-and-forget-it recipes (actually, my greatest form). We’re taking a complete rooster, 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 how one can make it occur, step-by-step!
- Prep the rooster. Begin by eradicating the giblets and giving the rooster a great rinse. Afterward, pat it utterly dry with paper towels. This helps the pores and skin crisp up a bit, even within the sluggish cooker.
- Loosen the pores and skin. Subsequent, seize the deal with of a picket spoon and gently work it below the pores and skin, beginning on the neck. You need to create house 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 below the rooster 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 after I do that. In any other case, make certain 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.
- Non-compulsory however tasty: Brown the rooster. When you’ve got the time, sear the entire rooster in a scorching skillet for about 5 minutes per aspect till golden. It’s completely optionally available, nevertheless it does add good taste and a bit coloration.
- Add the lemon. Afterward, pierce a complete lemon a number of instances with a fork and place it contained in the rooster 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 rooster to the sluggish cooker. Cowl, and cook dinner on LOW for six to 7 hours or HIGH for 4 to five hours. The rooster is prepared when the inner temperature reaches 160°F away from the bone, and the juices run clear.
- End and serve. Rigorously take away the rooster from the sluggish cooker. Take out the lemon from the cavity and provides it a great squeeze over the rooster earlier than letting the hen 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 rooster and your aspect dish of mushroom rice or Vesuvio potatoes. See the Serving Solutions above for extra concepts.
Immediate Pot Methodology
To make this honey lemon rooster within the Immediate Pot, place a trivet contained in the pot and set the seasoned entire rooster on prime. Lock the lid and cook dinner on Excessive Stress for 25 minutes. As soon as it’s accomplished, let the stress launch naturally. Then, examine that the inner temperature has reached 160°F to 165°F earlier than serving.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Hen
- Refrigerate. Let the cooked rooster cool utterly, after which retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Leftover rooster is nice to shred into rooster salad or roll up in rooster wraps.
- Reheat. To reheat, pop the leftovers into the microwave or heat the rooster gently in a coated skillet with a splash of the cooking juices. It stays juicy and flavorful, excellent for tossing into rooster salad, wraps, or a fast rice bowl the following day.
- Freeze. First, take away the meat from the bones and let it cool utterly. Subsequent, retailer the rooster in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, label it, and freeze for as much as 3 months. Once you’re prepared to make use of it, thaw it in a single day within the fridge and reheat as wanted.