Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

3.56 from 9 votes

Slow Cooker Coq au Vin

Slow cooker coq au vin is a cozy, stewy French-inspired recipe with tender chicken braised with bacon, mushrooms, and herbs in a flavorful red wine gravy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time6

Total Time6 20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: French

Keyword: coq au vin, coq au vin recipe, coq au vin slow cooker, slow cooker coq au vin

Servings: servings

Author: Katerina | Diethood

Ingredients

6 slices thick cut bacon
4 green onions thinly sliced
½ tablespoon butter
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can also use chicken legs and/or chicken thighs)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large carrots sliced into rounds
2 small yellow onions quartered
16 ounces mushrooms halved
1 pound small red potatoes cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups pinot noir
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)

Instructions

Cook the bacon. In a large skillet cook the bacon to a desired crispness. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Break up the bacon into pieces when cool enough to handle.
Sauté the onions. Add green onions to the bacon fat and cook for 1 minute. Remove and set aside.
Sear the chicken. Add butter to the skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and add it to the pan with the bacon fat and butter. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Assemble. Arrange carrots, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with the remaining salt and black pepper and stir. Add the chicken and skillet drippings over the vegetables and layer the crumbled bacon and green onions on top.
Add liquid and cook. Pour in chicken broth and wine. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Bone-in chicken will take longer to cook.
Thicken the sauce (optional, see note). Remove 3 tablespoons of cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a mixing bowl. Whisk with cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the mixture back into the slow cooker and stir until well combined. Cover and continue to cook for 20 to 30 minutes.
Finish and serve. When the cooking time is up, remove the chicken and transfer it to a cutting board. Chop it up or shred it, then stir the chicken back into the sauce and serve.

Notes

Thickening the sauce: This step is optional if you want a thicker gravy. If you DO NOT want to thicken the sauce, continue to slow cook the dish for 30 minutes or until done.

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