Today, I proudly pulled a fragrant dinner of Slow Cooker Fennel Chicken with Orange out of my CrockPot. I admit to a somewhat self-satisfied smile as I placed the steaming platter on the family dinner table. After all, it is not every day that a slow cooker meal earns the right to such a pretentious name.
Little by little, my CrockPot is taking small steps to improve its standing in the culinary empire. A few weeks ago, it made a succulent pot of caramelized onions. And now, it has produced a dish worthy of the adjective “Orange-scented.” Best of all, the meal contained no dairy, grains, or other persnickity allergens. My CrockPot and I… we’re going places.
Slow Cooker Fennel Chicken with Orange
Serves: Makes about 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- fennel bulb, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 bag baby carrots or 1 lb. carrots, cut into sticks
- 1 orange, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. herbes de provance
- 3 tbs. olive oil
- 1 package of skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs (or skin-on, you may have to increase the cooking time though)
Instructions
- Layer everything in the crockpot in this order:
- Sliced onion, Sliced fennel, Apple cider vinegar, Chicken, Carrots.
- Sprinkle with half of the seasonings: half the garlic, salt, pepper, herbes and olive oil. Just eyeball everything, no need to measure.
- Finally, cover with the remaining orange slices and remaining spices. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and carrots are very tender. Discard the orange slices after cooking.
This sounds really great! I have lemons instead of oranges, but I”m going to try this, thanks!
This sounds so delicious!! Please do tell more about the caramelized onions in the crockpot. Did you just leave them in there – did you have to stir them a lot?
Nope, I think I just stirred it once or twice. Super easy!
Could I substitute beef or pork for the chicken? I only have whole chickens and no time to thaw and cut them up for this. If so, which would be better – beef or pork? I’ve not cooked with fennel before but happen to have some. Thanks
Pork would be a better option than beef 😀
6 hours is plenty of cook time for a whole chicken!! (home grown so they are huge) I put them in frozen and still add about a half inch of water in the bottom. I sprinkled the veggies around the chicken with the spices n such, and the orange slices on top. Voila!! Couldn’t be more delicious! My 4 year old has diabetes and fennel is supposed to be good for his blood sugar. Thanks for the recipe!!!
I recently printed a list of items you should and should not eat from a special diet – gluten free. It seems much like the one that you promote. I did notice, however, that in the seasoning list, it says NO VINEGAR. Is that because of the acidity of vinegar or the way vinegar is fermented? I know Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar is usually recommended because it is “raw, unfiltered.”
Thank you for your great articles!
I’m sorry but where does the chicken get added?
Here you go – Layer everything in the crockpot in this order:
1. Sliced onion, Sliced fennel, Apple cider vinegar, Chicken, Carrots.
2. Sprinkle with half of the seasonings: half the garlic, salt, pepper, herbes and olive oil. Just eyeball everything, no need to measure.
3. Finally, cover with the remaining orange slices and remaining spices.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, until chicken is cooked through and carrots are very tender. Discard the orange slices after cooking.
…and the other half of the spices?
Just came on here to ask the same thing. Can’t believe we’re the first to ask! Making this today so guess I will just have to wing it 🙂
p.s. re: chicken – looks like it can be done both ways with one argument for the top because veggies take longer than the chicken (esp if you’re using boneless which will cook faster than bone-in). As for the spices, still a conundrum…
Grrrrr! Ready to make this now so I was hoping for an answer.. Oh well.
The chicken goes in after the first layer of onions/fennel and before the carrots. I had updated the recipe a while ago and I must have accidentally deleted this step, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! I’ve just corrected the recipe.
ah, bummer. i layered the chicken post-carrots then added the other half of the spices then the oranges – cooking as we type 🙂 i’m sure it will still be amazing!
it’s delicious! will try it again sometime with the ‘proper’ layering order. thanks!
It doesn’t really matter, it works either way 🙂
Hi There, Looking forward to trying this. How much chicken by weight roughly would you use? Package sizes vary widely I find.
Cheers
This is the worst written recipe I have ever seen!
1. List ingredients in the order in which they are used
2. Spelling counts – “provence”, not “provance”
3. What do you do with the other half of the seasonings? If you don’t use them, reduce the quantities.
4. If you only have 1, then “Tb” (singular) not “Tbs” (plural)
Get over yourself ‘ disgruntled reader’. Missed the point completely. No one wants to read yr critical garbage. You might consider offering feedback in a more constructive respectful manner.
I’d like to make this recipe – it sounds good and I love Fennel, however, I’m a little confused …. the recipe says …….. “Finally, cover with the remaining orange slices and remaining spices.” …… my question is ….. where in the order of putting ingredients into the Crockpot are the first of the orange slices put ?
Thanks !