This Slow Cooker Coq au Vin is inspired by the classic French stewed chicken recipe, with bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Using the crockpot streamlines the cooking process.
Coq au Vin in the Slow Cooker
Braising chicken in wine is an age-old tradition, and French coq au vin is the most famous version. This Slow Cooker Coq au Vin recipe stays pretty true to the original, only modernizing the ingredients and cooking methods, and lightening things up a bit. Traditionally, this classic chicken recipe is simmered for hours on the stovetop, which results in a rich, savory stew. The slow cooker allows you to make dinner even while you’re away, yielding fork tender chicken and vegetables. Serve this over mashed potatoes, cauliflower mash or Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes to make it a meal!
Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
Coq au vin somehow feels both fancy and rustic at the same time. It must be because it’s French! Like French Onion Soup and Poulet Au Vinaigre, it delivers complex, deep flavor with simple, wholesome ingredients.
- Easy to make: Don’t be intimidated; my recipe is very easy to follow, with just a few steps.
- Hearty and cozy: This slow cooker coq au vin is the perfect dinner to warm you up and fill you up on a cold evening.
- Leaner option: As written, this recipe is a healthy coq au vin, but you can skip the bacon and lighten it up even more.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients for this slow cooker coq au vin recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Center Cut Bacon adds a smoky, rich flavor to the coq au vin.
- Vegetables: Carrots, mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
- Flour to thicken the sauce.
- Dry Red Wine, like Pinot Noir, Chianti, or Burgundy.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth, or Homemade Chicken Broth.
- Tomato Paste adds depth and umami to the sauce.
- Chicken: I use a combination of bone-in, skinless chicken thighs and drumsticks, but boneless thighs also work if you prefer them.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley, along with a dry bay leaf.
How to Make Coq au Vin in the Slow Cooker
This step-by-step guide will show you the process of making this crockpot coq au vin recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Start the sauce: Combine the red wine, chicken broth and tomato paste in a liquid measuring cup.
- Cook the bacon: Cook the bacon in a heavy pan until it’s crisp. Remove the bacon but leave the grease in the pan.
- Cook the vegetables: Cook the mushrooms and carrots in the bacon fat until the mushrooms release their juices. Add the garlic and onion and cook until fragrant.
- Add the flour and sauce: Reduce the heat and sprinkle in the flour. Stir to coat the veggies, then add the wine mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for a minute or two.
- Assemble: Pour the contents of the pan into the slow cooker. Add the chicken and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper. Set the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf on top.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Serve: Serve the chicken with the vegetables and broth, then garnish with bacon and parsley.
Tips and Variations
- Skip the bacon: For a leaner version of this slow cooker coq au vin, add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika when you sprinkle in the flour and cook the vegetables in olive oil instead of the bacon fat.
- Use a good wine: It doesn’t have to be the best wine, but don’t use the cheapest bottle you can find either because it’s a key player in the flavor of the finished dish.
- Swap in pearl onions: I used regular onion to keep it easy, but if you’d like, you can use fresh or frozen pearl onions instead. Keep them whole instead of chopping.
What to Serve With Coq au Vin
Here are some ideas for pairing with this slow cooker coq au vin.
Mashed Potatoes
Soak up the rich wine sauce with one of these lightened up mashed potato recipes.
Rice and Grains
Another good option for soaking up the sauce is brown rice or other grains.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftover slow cooker coq au vin to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm leftovers in a pot on the stove set over medium heat, or in the microwave.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Dinners
Check out more slow cooker chicken recipes, or these five chicken slow cooker recipes to inspire your next meal.
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
Ingredients
- 4 slices center cut bacon, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups mushrooms, halved (button or baby bella work best)
- 2 cups onion, cut into 1-2” pieces (alternatively, pearl onions work great but require a lot of work to peel)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour, or gluten-free flour
- ½ cup dry red wine, Pinot Noir, Chianti, or Burgundy
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 large bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (or boneless works)
- 4 bone-in chicken drumsticks, skin removed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dry bay leaf
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Combine red wine, chicken broth and tomato paste in a pourable measuring cup and set aside.
- In a heavy bottom pan, render bacon until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to set aside for garnish and add mushrooms and carrots to the bacon fat. Once the mushrooms release some liquid, about 3-4 minutes, add onion and garlic. Cook until aromatic, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Lower heat and add flour and mix until all the vegetables are coated in flour. Add the reserved wine mixture and bring to a boil. Boil 1-2 minutes to reduce then transfer everything to a slow cooker.
- Nestle chicken into the slow cooker with the veggies. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Place rosemary, thyme & bay leaf on top.
- Close very tightly and cook on high setting for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- To serve, place 1 chicken thigh and drumstick in each bowl, and top with vegetables and broth. Sprinkle with bacon and parsley.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
- Skip the bacon for an even leaner version & add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika when you add the flour.
I love Coq Au Vin, and did not really think I would ever be able to have a more WW friendly version, as my recipe is rich. I made this tonight for the first time, with boneless breast and boneless thigh, and pearl onions on the stove as recommended. The sauce is so delicious perfect for a little french bread and a little mashed potatoes!
Is this still good without the mushrooms? No one eats them in my family.
Very good, a nice subtle sauce. It is a keeper! I didn’t use bacon–but did add the smoked paprika as suggested. I maybe could have used a touch more salt to make up for skipping the bacon. My new slow cooker cooks very fast and it was “way done” one hour sooner on high–will need to watch this cooker! Next time might do it on stove top instead. The sauce could have been a bit thicker,but was very nice with mashed potatoes. I used a lot more carrots and mushrooms as like lots of veggies.
I love this recipe, I’ve made it a couple of times now.
This dish was so
good the day I made it, but 2 days later the leftovers tasted exceptional!
Can you substitute chicken breasts for the thighs?
This was an absolutely perfect recipe to make on a cold night for dinner! Used frozen pearl onions and kept everything else exact to the recipe. Served with mashed potatoes and some crusty ciabatta bread. Huge win!
We loved this recipe. It served us for 2 nights and was very tasty. It would be excellent to serve to company.
I will make it again.
This dish is absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe as directed except I always add more garlic to any recipe. Thank you once again, Gina
Do you put the garlic in whole? The recipe doesn’t indicate mincing or anything?
Yes, cloves go in whole. 🙂
How many serving s is this delicious recipe? Thank you!
4 🙂
I skipped the bacon because I rarely eat pork or beef and turkey bacon? Yuck! This was fun to make. My only issue is that the rosemary took over the taste of the whole dish. I will use half as much next time. I used frozen pearl onions. Will try a stronger onion next go round. I will add more carrots. They were so good! I never eat dark meat (or parts of a chicken that are identifiable). For this I put in some thighs and breast. The thighs won’t on flavor, hands down.
****WON on flavor ****
How to make this without the wine but just as flavorful?
Can I make this the night before? Will it still taste as good?
So delicious! I cooked it in my pressure cooker for 15 minutes on high, then natural release, just as Gina had mentioned in one of the other reviews. I wanted a little thicker sauce, so I removed the chicken and heated it on high for approx. 10 minutes and the sauce thickened nicely and the flavors became very rich. Thanks Gina!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Yum!! Made this for the first time with for skinless bone-in chicken breast (what I had in my freezer). Both my husband and I loved it. Leftovers for dinner tonight. I followed the exact recipe except for the chicken pieces. I did shorten the cooking time (didn’t want the white meat to dry out). Don’t hesitate this is a great recipe!
How long did you do the chicken breast for? We don’t usually have thighs or legs on hand but I always have chicken breast.
Does the alcohol cook out enough so that it is small child friendly?
Can you make this in a pressure cooker? I’m in France abd have and Moulinex cookeo.
This took a bit of prep work with chopping and sautéing the vegetables but worth it. Served this over a mix of brown and cauliflower rice. We enjoyed!!
Delicious and easy to make. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts as I’m not a fan of thighs. Doubled the sauce because I knew it would be amazing and added frozen pearl onions. Next time I’ll add more veggies.
My daughter is allergic to mushrooms but want to make this dish! What could I substitute?
Sure just omit
@Gina Any chance this can be converted to Pressure Cooker or do the flavors need more time to meld? Or is it the wine?
Sure! Cook high pressure 15 minutes. When cycle has finished, use natural release.
If I could give this recipe at 20, I would. Absolutely loved it! It will be go to Coq au Vin recipe from here on in! Thank you Gina
So happy to hear!!
Easy & delicious! I made it on the stovetop. I will add more carrots next time just because I love them so much!
Great recipe I doubled the liquid ,because I used 8 drumsticks so they would be submerged .I have a slow cooker that has a sear function .so I can do everything in the one pot. Decided to just leave the bacon in the cook rather than a garnish simply because I made this as a batch meal. I also used a rose wine for a bit of sweetness..thank you for this recipe
So easy and delicious! I served it over egg noodles. Very cozy meal for a chilly fall evening. I used frozen pearl onions based on someone’s suggestion (brilliant!) and Zinfandel (I might’ve had to do a little QA before adding it to the pan 😜)
Was wondering if I could do the frozen pearl onions. My husband loves them. Thanks for that!
Sure
Can you make on the stovetop?
Sure, simmer on low for 50–60 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
What is a good substitute for red wine?
I would try Beef broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar
Only the second ST recipe that I wasn’t crazy about. The flavor of the sauce was good but didn’t care for the dark meat chicken pieces. I am glad that others like it though.
This was so delicious! A little prep but worth it. Didn’t take 8 hours and was wonderful with mashed potatoes
This was delicious and perfect for a fall evening meal! The only change I made was using all boneless skinless thighs. Served with mashed potatoes.
Delicious and easy. I used more mushrooms than listed and used paprika instead of bacon. The gravy was amazing, very flavorful and the recipe is a snap to make
Love, loved this recipe! Made as written, except used all chicken thighs cuz that what I had! We will definitely make this again to share with friends!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Family loved this. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs
This was delicious and so easy to make. We served it with brown rice. I cannot wait to make it on a cold winter day.
I made this yesterday and it was wonderful. Everyone loved it! Thank you for a new favorite!
This recipe was absolutely delicious! It was easy to prepare and I feel seriously impressed that I made an iconic French dish!!
How can I cook on stove or in oven?
Time, settings, adjustments?
I missed time frame for slowcooker
Just made this today for an early dinner and it was delicious!!! I don’t have a slow cooker so cooked it in the oven at 250F for 4 hours. I added the Garlic Mashed Potatoes from Skinnytaste as the side. Will definitely be making this again!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
What is a non alcohol substitute for red wine?
I would try Beef broth with a splash of balsamic vinegar
Can you cook this without a crock pot? Any other options
Sure simmer on the stove about 1 hour on low
Will a Cabernet be okay for the wine?
Sure
Can’t wait to try this but I don’t have a crock pot. (I know, hard to believe!) How long on the stovetop or in the oven? I was thinking I could probably stick it in the oven at 300 for 6 hours?
Can I substitute white wine for red? I prefer white wine with chicken dishes, both for taste and aesthetics. Also, can I use bone-in, skin-on chicken?
Skin on is fine, have not tried this with white!
Is this recipe from one of your cookbooks?
No its new here, but I have an instant pot version in One and Done
Would boneless chicken breast also work?
It will cook fine if you prefer that, just more like shredded chicken.
Yum! Wanna make, but we like thighs and breasts, will that work?
Try it and let me know!
Not a rosemary fan, what do you suggest as alternative option?
Can bone in chicken breasts or chicken cutlets be used for this recipe?
I think bone in breast would be better
Can this be made in an Instapot?
Yes! Maybe 35 minutes?
I can’t wait to try this!
Frozen Pearl Onions (readily available) would be a good alternative with no additional prep!
Also, remove the bay leaf as it’s a choking hazard.
Yes!
This looks amazing! Could you double this? Would it impact cook time?
If it fits in your crockpot yes, same cook time
Looks fabulous! Would you have an adjustable for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, as far as cook time? My husband prefers them. Thanks in advance!
I think bone in breast would be better, cook time for boneless maybe 6 hours?
What can I substitute instead of the mushrooms?
Omit them
What about using bone in breast or boneless? Not a fan of dark meat.
I think bone in breast would be better
This looks fantastic! And very economical. Chicken leg quarters (thighs and legs) are very inexpensive at my local Aldi (often less than $6.00 USD for 4!).
Added to the Meal Plan ….
What size/quarts is the slow cooker used for this recipe?
6 qt.
What would the time adjustment be if using boneless chicken?
Same time is fine
Do you think it would work with chicken breast?
I think bone in breast would be better
This looks great! Could I use a whole chicken? Or would you recommend using what is listed above?
Sure thats fine!
Why are the herbs placed on top instead of stirred into the liquid?
Stir them in of course