Zesty honey lemon chicken slowly cooked in the slow cooker frees up cooking space and valuable time! The chicken is infused with a marinade of turmeric, honey, lemon and oil creating a delicious meal with a slightly sweet side.
Each evening either before or after dinner the boys and I take an evening stroll to the park. The air is breezy and still warm enough to play and the birds are chippering about merry on their way (Ha, that rhymed!). Although the park is only about half a block away it somehow takes us a good 15 minutes to get there. We stop to wave to neighbors, find fairy dust on the sidewalk, pick buds off the bushes, smack the leaves, point at the Tiki Man in our neighbors yard, find bees searching for honey, loose a shoe or two, and if we are lucky enough – get there without a tantrum. Now here comes my favorite part. We play and have fun and on the way home both my boys find the most beautiful flowers that they pick for me. Every time. I love it!
Recently my beautiful flowers had a yellow flaky center. You know, that kind that falls off and stains everything! It kind of reminds me of spices like cinnamon, dry mustard and turmeric combined. Only it doesn’t smell quite as pleasant. So now we are a little more cautious what kind of plants we bring home – meaning no more flaky ones. They finally caught on that roses are one of my favorite flowers. Now I try to convince them to get out of the neighbors bushes and just pick them from our garden when we get back home.
When we got home from the park our home was filled of sweet aromas of honey, turmeric, mustard, lemon, garlic and thyme! This fabulous honey lemon chicken was waiting for us in the slow cooker. What is so great about crock pot meals? Crockpot recipes save time from slaving over dinner to allow more play time with family! The slow cooker really should be used everyday it is so easy! The cleanup is just one pot. The honey lemon chicken still tasted so moist and delicious the longer it sat in the crockpot. It was not dried out at all! What more could a gal ask for?!
And the herbs in this crockpot honey lemon chicken? FLAAAAA-VORRR-FUL!
Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken
Actually I am not sure really what to call this recipe... honey chicken, turmeric chicken, lemon thyme chicken...honey mustard chicken? I stumbled upon this Honey Garlic Chicken recipe which got my creative-in-the-kitchen juices flowing. The chicken breast soaks in all the flavors creating a very tender chicken breast. Just like roasting vegetables such as tomatoes for a long time on low heat brings out their sweet nature, cooking chicken slowly in a sauce does the same.
I love to try to add turmeric into recipes due to its healing powers. Turmeric is an essential ingredient of Indian curries and sauces and it is what gives mustard its yellow color. It is a natural antibiotic used to treat inflammation and digestive disorders. Just a small amount of a spice can perk up even the most mundane foods.
It only felt fitting to add a little turmeric to spice up the lemon and thyme. Lemon gives chicken a Punch! And thyme just gives it more Pizzaz! But what about taking it up just one notch further? And turn it into a slightly sweet crispy chicken? Drizzle a dash of honey after all the spices are added. Whalla! Flavorful on the outside, perfectly moist on the inside.
I highly suggest using organic chicken meat. Most meats are filled with hormones and additives. Organic also tastes better.
This one pot honey lemon chicken is a family favorite of ours. My boys clean their plates in minutes, carrots and all! Easy-peasy and there is barely any clean-up!
Pin this easy chicken recipe!
More Easy and Healthy Chicken Recipes you may enjoy:
- Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Recipe
- Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
- Easy Chicken Breast Recipe with Delicata Squash Sauce
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Honey Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 4 small golden potatoes cut into quarters
- ½ lb. organic carrots peeled and sliced horizontal
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon of turmeric
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season the chicken with a dash of salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet to prevent sticking, and heat to medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and heat for 2-minutes on each side until they begin to brown.
- Transfer the chicken breasts to the slow cooker. In a small bowl whisk together the honey, olive oil, garlic powder, turmeric, dry mustard, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Top the marinade over the chicken. Add potatoes and carrots around the sides.
- Slowly cook on low for 2 hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Kim says
Ummm… I really want to try this, but I’m not understanding the first step… please tell me how to make the marinade? As someone who needs step by step instructions, this « recipe » doesn’t really feel complete…
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Kim! Thank you, I just updated the recipe to be more clear. Just heat the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil to start and brown it for 2 minutes each side then add it to the slow cooker. I will update the full post soon with visual instructions as well.
Wanda Liford says
I don’t understand:
‘Slowly cook on High for two hours.’ It’s been my experience that if you cook on high, the food cooks faster and is drier.
We are a family of five, so two chicken breasts won’t work for us. Please send me the measurements for five chicken breasts.
Thank you! This looks so good, I anxious to try it!
Danielle | Delightful Mom Food says
Hi Wanda! Thanks for commenting. I adjusted the recipe to low heat for 2 hours and you can double the recipe for your larger family. I have made it with 4 very large chicken breasts (which would feed 5-6 people). Just cook longer, about 3-4 hours on low heat until the chicken is done. Let me know what you think!