Simple Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
Classic French comfort food made easy: tender chicken thighs braised in rich red wine with smoky bacon, earthy mushrooms, and sweet pearl onions. The slow cooker does all the work, turning a few humble ingredients into a deeply flavorful, restaurant-worthy stew.
Simple Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
6
servings15
minutes3
hours210
kcalIngredients
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 6 boneless thighs + 2 drumsticks)
Salt and black pepper
6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered
1½ cups frozen pearl onions (or 1 regular onion, chunked)
2 cups dry red wine (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, or any table red)
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ teaspoon dried)
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Season chicken generously with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet with the bacon fat, brown the chicken on both sides (work in batches). Transfer chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add diced onion, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, and pearl onions to the slow cooker.
- Whisk together red wine, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Pour over everything. Tuck in thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until chicken is fall-apart tender.
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken to a plate. Whisk flour with ¼ cup of the hot cooking liquid until smooth, then stir back into the pot to thicken the sauce. Return chicken to the pot.
- Discard bay leaves and thyme stems. Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Serving Ideas
- Classic: over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles
- Rustic: with crusty bread to soak up the sauce
- Light: with cauliflower mash or steamed green beans
Tips
- Make-ahead: Brown the bacon and chicken the night before and refrigerate. Dump everything in the next morning.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day and freeze beautifully up to 3 months.
Fancy French dinner with almost zero effort — just set it, forget it, and come home to pure comfort.
