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Super-Simple Seder Meal: Slow Cooker Chicken with Fennel & Lemon

slow cooker chicken with fennel & meyer lemon

OHMYGOD the first seder is the day after tomorrow.

In case you missed that: The Day After Tomorrow. We’re going to my parents’ for the second night, but it looks like the first seder will be a casual affair at home, just the three of us. I’ll be making Overnight Chicken Soup tomorrow night, and mixing up the matzo ball dough since Harry will eat that until the kosher-for-Passover cows come home.

Because Friday is a work day and the first day of Harry’s school vacation (oy), once the chicken soup is done I’ll use the slow cooker again for the main course. (If you’re strictly kosher for Pesach and don’t have a KP slow cooker, slow cooker liners are faaaabulous.) This recipe, for Slow Cooker Chicken with Fennel & Lemon, tastes like springtime to me—exactly what you want for a symbolic meal like a seder. And, I suspect, equally useful for an Easter meal. It couldn’t be simpler: Just toss everything into the cooker, turn it on, and walk away.

If you can still find Meyer lemons they’re really wonderful here, piquant and faintly sweet, but regular lemons will work just fine too.

Slow Cooker Chicken with Fennel & Lemon
Serves 4

1 onion, sliced thin
1 fennel bulb, fronds removed (reserve and chop 1 tablespoon, plus more for garnish), halved, cored, and sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 lemons, organic if possible, preferably Meyer
4 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
salt & pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Mashed potatoes or cooked rice, for serving

  1. Put the onions, fennel, and garlic into the insert of your slow cooker. Thinly slice 1 lemon and lay the slices on top.
  2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then put into the insert.
  3. Juice the remaining lemon and combine with the broth, vermouth, olive oil, 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds, and a little more salt & pepper, then pour over the chicken.
  4. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
  5. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve with mashed potatoes or rice to soak up the sauce.

MAKE BABY FOOD: The texture of food from the slow cooker works well for babies. Either puree a little bit of everything together, or serve as finger food.

This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Jesse

    Um, I just totally scratched the chicken I had on the menu for the seder and will be making this instead! It looks delicious, and I absolutely love slow cooked fennel…yum.

    1. Debbie Koenig

      Wow, I’m honored! And now, a bit nervous. Hope you like it!

  2. Are you kidding me? This recipe sounds and looks totally delicious! This is going on my list of recipes to make over the next week. 😉

  3. Hi Debbie,
    LOve Love Love the recipe!!! And the site as well I’ll defnitely spread the word! Please keep the recipes coming! Like I told Robert your more then welcome at http://www.crockpotking.com, please feel free, and roam around I defnitely have some recipes, that I think you’ll like!
    P.S.
    I’ve already book marked your post.

  4. Erika M.

    I don’t have a slow cooker. Wondering if I can make this in my oven or on my electric stove in a le creuset with boneless skinless chicken breasts? I too have a recipe for honey curry chicken I kind of want to toss in favor of this for seder tomorrow.

    1. Debbie Koenig

      Hi Erika! You can definitely do it in the oven–set it low, in the 200-250 range, and use the Le Creuset. It won’t take as long with boneless/skinless–check after 3 or 4 hours. And I think honey curry chicken sounds amazing! I’d love to see the recipe…

  5. A Bit of Brooklyn

    I cannot believe I just found your site for the first time! I’m obsessed with finding things my little one will eat and I’ve been saying for months that there must be a site or book with foods you can make for yourself that little ones will eat…… and here you are! Can’t wait to try this!

    (btw, I recent had success with bread pudding with left over crusts, check it out on my blog if you’d like)

  6. Carly

    Hey, I’m on a yeast free diet, so cannot have the wine. Any thoughts on substitutions? Maybe doubling the chicken broth? BTW-this sounds delish!

    1. Debbie Koenig

      Hi Carly. You can absolutely double the broth! Should be just fine.

  7. Mindy

    I’m doing the Seder at my mom’s house, an hour away. The logistics are a pain; I won’t have time to use a slow cooker! But your recipe sounds amazing. Can I follow the boneless breast in the oven suggested above, but in a covered corningware dish? I don’t own a le creuset.

    1. Debbie Koenig

      Absolutely, Mindy! You do want to make sure it seals tightly, though–wrap the dish in aluminum foil if it seems like it’ll let moisture escape.

  8. Mindy

    You are awesome and a lifesaver! I can’t wait to try this recipr!

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