Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
Some dinners whisper for attention. This one hums quietly in the background while you live your life.
This slow cooker coq au vin is built for busy nights, tired evenings, and those days when you want something deeply comforting without hovering over a stove. It’s rustic, forgiving, and smells like you tried much harder than you actually did.
Why This Recipe Works
Everything happens in one pot. The vegetables soften into the wine and broth, the herbs bloom slowly, and the chicken becomes fall-apart tender. You set it, forget it, and come back to a dinner that feels intentional.
Ingredients
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups mushrooms, halved
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups broth of choice
2 cups red wine of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb chicken thighs or breasts
4 to 6 potatoes
How to Make It
Add the carrots, onion, mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, rosemary, sage, broth, and red wine directly into the crockpot. Season with salt and pepper, then give everything a good stir so the tomato paste and herbs are evenly distributed.
Lay the chicken on top of the vegetables. Place the potatoes on top of the chicken and stab each one a few times with a fork so they cook evenly and absorb flavor.
Cover and cook:
High: 3 to 4 hours
Low: 7 to 8 hours
Finishing Touches
Once cooked, remove the potatoes. You can slice and serve them as-is or mash them with:
Milk of choice
Butter
Cheese of choice
Salt and pepper to taste
If using chicken thighs, shred the chicken gently with forks.
To Serve
Plate the potatoes first, add the chicken, then ladle the rich wine-broth and vegetables over everything. Serve warm and enjoy immediately.
Final Notes
This is the kind of dinner that hits when you’re low on energy but still want something satisfying. It’s cozy without being heavy, simple without feeling lazy, and perfect for nights when the slow cooker does the heavy lifting.
Light a candle, pour a glass of the wine you cooked with, and let dinner feel like a small win.
