Name: SLOW COOKER TURMERIC CHICKEN WITH QUINOA AND ROASTED GREEN BEANS
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 tbsp olive oil; 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat ((about 2 lbs.)); 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt ((or preferred salt)); 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 cup golden raisins ((or any variety)); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced; 1/2 cup bone broth ((or chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water)); 1 bag Success Boil-In-Bag Tri Color Quinoa ((makes 1 1/2 cups of quinoa)); 4 cups water to submerge bag ((use remaining broth to substitute for some of the water)); 12 ounces green beans, washed and trimmed; 9 whole garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tbsp avocado oil

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Send your tastebuds on a journey with Slow Cooked Chicken Thighs covered with golden Turmeric! Serve with quick-cooking Quinoa and Roasted Green Beans with Garlic for a complete meal that is easy and healthy!

Recently, when I was flipping through my Taste Of Home Magazine, I came across an enticing recipe: North African Chicken & Rice. It appealed to me because 1) I’m always looking for new slow-cooker recipes and 2) it uses Turmeric.

Turmeric is a golden spice that is full of healthy benefits. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, to name a few. Not only is it a powerful spice which can be medicinal, but it also provides a bright yellow color to anything you add it to (like in curry). For more info about Turmeric and how to add more to your diet, take a look at this article, “10 Health Benefits and Uses for Turmeric Curcumin”.

The Ingredients

After some tweaks and ingredients changes, I came up with my own version of the original Taste of Home recipe and I really love it! All you need is a few main ingredients together with some pantry staples…

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are perfect for the slow cooker and easy on the wallet! I did take a few extra minutes to trim off some of the fat, using kitchen shears, before placing the thighs in the slow-cooker.
Lemon, Onion and Garlic: The chopped onion goes on the bottom of the slow cooker and the minced garlic and lemon slices go on top; all adding to the great flavor of this dish.
Olive Oil: About a tablespoon of oil coats the bottom of the slow-cooker and onions.
Bone Broth: I opted to use bone broth but chicken or vegetable broth, and even water, will work too.
Spices and Seasonings: The star of this recipe is Turmeric! Pepper, Himalayan Pink Salt, Paprika and Cinnamon add even more flavor and health benefits to this dish.
Raisins: Instead of using just plain raisins or golden raisins, I used a trio of Jumbo raisins that I found at my local grocery store. Some were tart and some were sweet. As a fan of raisins, I could devour these by the handful!

Slow-Cooking

I have to admit, my slow cooker does not see a lot of action! I have vowed to try and use it more throughout the entire year. I’m slowly starting to develop a list of go-to slow cooker recipes that are worth pulling the thing out of the depths of my cupboard!

I love to use the slow cooker for “dump and go”. In other words, throw some ingredients in, set the timer and let it be! If a recipe requires too much prep (like cooking a component first) before it goes into the slow cooker, then that recipe is not for me! Too much work! But this recipe is super easy… the most time consuming prep is trimming the fat off the chicken thighs, if you choose to.

You’ll need a 3 or 4 quart slow cooker to do the job! Then start layering…

Olive Oil and Chopped Onion
Chicken Thighs
Spices and Seasonings
Raisins
Minced Garlic
Lemon Slices
Broth

Let it cook for about 4 to 5 hours. I found it to be just right at 4 hours!

On The Side

When you have about 30 minutes left for the chicken to cook, start working on your sides! If you like green beans, you’re going to love this roasted version! My husband and I both agree that they “steal the show”.

Quinoa is a healthy accompaniment, delivering fiber and protein, but I’m usually not a fan of preparing it. As you may know, when you prepare quinoa you have to rinse it first before cooking. Ugh… it’s a messy endeavor. I usually find quinoa in and around my sink for days after! It’s a pain in the butt! But not anymore… because my new best friend is Success Boil-in-Bag Quinoa!! So convenient with no mess! After boiling the water, it cooks up in 10 minutes. (I used the remaining 1/2 cup of bone broth, plus water, to cook the quinoa.)

Make it extra easy on yourself by purchasing a package of trimmed and washed, fresh green beans. Toss them together with some avocado oil (perfect for high-heat roasting) and about 9 peeled garlic bulbs. I LOVE roasted garlic! This dish only takes about 16 minutes to cook and it is worth the little bit of effort! Even if you decide not to try the Slow Cooker Turmeric Chicken, you must still try these green beans!

Enjoy!

This dish is beautiful when presented “family- style”. Spread the quinoa on a large platter then layer on all the yumminess from the slow cooker, including the liquid! (Make sure to use a platter with a raised rim!)

I love that this dish is colorful, flavorful and healthy! The tender chicken just falls apart and the plump raisins add some sweetness! It’s even better the next day for leftovers!

I hope that you enjoy this healthy, quick and easy way to add more Turmeric to your life!

Recipe adapted from North African Chicken & Rice from Taste of Home.

Print Recipe