December 3, 2015

Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken with Artichokes and Fresh Herbs

The SEA SALT Bowls, By Ingredient, Recipes chicken thighs, Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken with Artichokes and Fresh Herbs, easy dinner, olives, Recipe, rosemary, The Sea Salt, thyme 1 Comment

I realize that not everyone enjoys cooking as much as I do. I also realize that not everyone wants to spend a lot of time cooking. This recipe is for those people.

This is what I did today while this was cooking:

got my hair cut
did two loads of laundry
made a pot of coffee
weeded my garden
studied for my french final next week
took Hunter for a walk

Dinner has been simmering away on my counter all effortlessly in the way that only a crockpot can do. The only prep was giving the chicken a quick browning, chopping some garlic and a few veggies. Cook a little pasta, rice or some crusty bread to serve with this, and fall in love with your crockpot all over again.

Here’s a picture of my new haircut in case you were wondering… (Thanks beautiful Erin)

Crockpot Lemon Garlic Chicken with Artichokes and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients:

serves about 3-4 for dinner

1.5 lbs defrosted chicken thighs (or breasts)
Olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
8 oz white mushrooms, trimmed
1, 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
about 20 pitted and halved kalamata olives
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, halved and seeded
2, 2 inch sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh thyme
drizzle of honey (about 1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

directions:

Dry and season chicken heavily with salt and pepper.
Heat a large shallow pan over high heat and drizzle with olive oil, to coat bottom.
When pan is hot and right about to start smoking add seasoned chicken in even layer to let brown for about 2-3 minutes or until it releases from the pan and a little browned. You’re not trying to cook the chicken through, just to get a little sear on it. Remove chicken from pan and add to crockpot set on low heat, with the seared side up. Keep remaining juices in the pan.

4. Add juice of half lemon to hot pan and whisk until all remaining bits release. Add to crockpot.

5. Add garlic, artichokes, olives and mushrooms to crockpot on top of chicken. Slice remaining half of lemon and lay over chicken, along with the thyme and rosemary. Drizzle with honey and cover.

6. Cook over low heat for about 4 hours (or more depending on how thick your chicken thighs were, mine were fairly thin), or until chicken is done (should just pull apart easily with a fork) and mushrooms are cooked and juicy.