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My Crockpot Coq au Vin Meatballs are ideal for chilly fall and winter nights. Perfect for when you’re wanting a fancy slow-braised chicken, but need something simple and easy to throw together. Made easily with herb-seasoned parmesan chicken meatballs cooked in wine with vegetables, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. This dish is warm, flavorful, hearty but healthy, and so delicious. Serve over mashed potatoes with bread on the side. Great for simple family dinners or holiday entertaining.
And like clockwork, we’re just a week away from Thanksgiving and I am really leaning into easy, cozy, crockpot dinners. With the holiday season kicking into full gear this week, things feel busier than ever. I’m sure we can all relate.
I think it’s important to remember that even though we have the big holiday dinner around the corner, we still have to eat on the days leading up to Thanksgiving too!
Personally, I LOVE this time just before Thanksgiving. Usually, my family is all slowly trickling in to stay for the extra long weekend. I’m cooking like crazy, and yet it’s all somehow a relaxing, comforting, and exciting time.
Busy, but it’s always so nice to cook for the whole family again, it’s fun!
When everyone is here, I love to create dinners with certain brothers or cousins in mind. Last year around this time, I finally made white chicken chili for my cousin Abby. And the year before that, spicy butter chicken for my brother Creighton.
And this year, I turned to my brother Brendan for some inspiration. I first made coq au vin way, way back in 2014. He loved this more traditional dish and said it was SO DELICIOUS.
It’s a classic french dish consisting of chicken braised in red wine with vegetables. I wanted to turn it into a meatball dish that could easily be cooked in the crockpot. It took a few rounds of testing, but I finally got the recipe just right!
Details
Mix up the meatballs first. Ground chicken with parmesan, sage, thyme, onion, garlic, and chili flakes. Then roll the mix into balls and add them to the crockpot. If you don’t love the idea of doing this in the crockpot, you can use the instant pot or stove top variations I give.
From here, pretty much everything goes into the crockpot all at once. Add the red wine, broth, and tomato paste. Then lots of carrots (my favorite addition) and mushrooms. Then a whole onion, a head of garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.
Cover and slow cook. Since these are meatballs, they can cook quickly on high for a couple of hours or cook them low and slow all day. Either is great and the meatballs are never dry. The wine will add moisture to them.
BUT, here’s what I will say about this recipe, the wine does turn the meatballs a funny color. It’s not the prettiest. However, the drizzle of garlic butter and a sprinkling of fresh parsley just before serving will fix them right up. They end up looking delish.
Just be aware, you will have purple-ish colored meatballs.
When the meatballs are cooked, pull them out along with the garlic, then set them aside on a baking sheet. Add butter and garlic around the meatballs then place the sheet pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp them up.
What happens is that the butter browns around the meatballs and garlic. I then chop up the garlic and toss them back onto the pan with butter. Then toss the meatballs with the garlicky butter to finish. This step is optional, but I think it really adds flavor and a nice color to the dish.
My favorite way to serve these meatballs is over mashed potatoes. Spooning the sauce over the creamy mashed potatoes and topping with the meatballs leaves you with a cozy dinner that’s effortless to make.
And one that everyone really loves! My only other suggestion is to add a side of crusty bread for dipping. I already know it’s going to be a go-to recipe this winter.
Looking for other slow cooker meals? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Coq au Vin Meatballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Coq au Vin Meatballs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 415 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- chili flakes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon, halved
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed off to reveal the cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Crockpot
- 1. Add the chicken, 3/4 cup parmesan, sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 16-18 meatballs). 2. Pour over the wine and broth. Add the tomato paste, carrots, mushrooms, and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme around the meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.3. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the meatballs and garlic from the slow cooker and place onto a baking sheet. Remove and discard the bacon and bay leaves. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Let cook, uncovered, 10-30 minutes. 4. Sprinkle the meatballs with 1/4 cup parmesan. Arrange the butter around the meatballs and garlic, then broil 1-3 minutes, until crisp. Peel away the garlic skin, then chop the garlic and mix with the butter on the sheet pan. Toss the meatballs in the butter.5. Serve the meatballs in the sauce with parsley and parmesan.
Instant Pot
- 1. Add the chicken, 3/4 cup parmesan, sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 16-18 meatballs). 2. Set the instant pot to sauté. Add olive oil, then add the meatballs and bacon to the instant pot and sear until browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1 chopped onion. Cook 5 minutes, then add the butter and garlic. Let the butter brown, another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine and broth. Add the tomato paste, carrots, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.3. Once done cooking, release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Remove the garlic, chop, and stir into the sauce. Remove and discard the bay leaves.4. Serve the meatballs in the sauce with parsley and parmesan.
Stove
- 1. Add the chicken, 3/4 cup parmesan, sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, chili flakes, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix to combine. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 16-18 meatballs). 2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then add the meatballs and bacon and sear until browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1 chopped onion. Cook 5 minutes, then add the butter and garlic. Let the butter brown, another 2-3 minutes. Pour in the wine and broth. Add the the tomato paste and 2 cloves chopped garlic, the carrots, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.4. Serve the meatballs in the sauce with parsley and parmesan.
The flavors are soo good, however the instapot method might not be the best. For me, the meatballs stuck too much and there really wasn’t enough liquid in the end to be saucy.
I still think it was great and will try again on the stove or crockpot.
Hey Cera,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Sorry about the instant pot! Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
I made these on the stove and they turned out great. This dish is very savory with so many different flavors. I served these on your slow cooker cheesy garlic herbed mashed potatoes. I normally am very critical of my cooking and always feel like I could change some things but this recipe was amazing! I definitely recommend this recipe!
Hey Haley,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
This was fantastic!! Huge hit with my whole family. I made the stove top version and in the directions it didn’t mention the tomato paste so I just followed the timing from the crockpot directions. Also I wasn’t sure what to do with the whole head of garlic so I just chopped up a decent amount of cloves and cooked it with everything else. I will definitely make this one again!
Hey Leslie,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Sorry about the tomato paste, you can just add it with the wine and broth. I toss the garlic, but totally up to you if you like a lot of garlic flavors! xx
This recipe is so terrible with the instant pot version! The meatballs are sticky everywhere!
Hi there,
So sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe, please let me know how I can help! xx
This was so good! My husband and sister also enjoyed it.
Hey Margaret,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
The flavor profile was incredible but the meatballs weren’t tender – they were kind of hard and dry – maybe I should have added breadcrumbs…we all loved the flavors though.
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, so sorry to hear about your meatballs. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Do you think it’s possible to either omit the tomato paste or substitute something else for it? I’m allergic to tomatoes and always struggle to find workarounds for recipes that call for small amounts of tomato based ingredients. Thanks!
Hey Cheryl,
I would just skip it:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I made the stovetop version of this recipe and it was absolutely delicious!! Great comfort dish with tons of flavor! A new favorite in our house! Thank you,Tieghan for another great recipe!
Hey Dor,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
Wowowow best crockpot recipe I’ve ever made. I made it exactly as instructed and it’s sooooooo good! I love everything about it and can’t wait to make it again. Huge hit with the family.
Hey Bri,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for giving it a go! xT
How do I watch the video that goes with the recipe? I sometimes see it play once, but can never figure out how to go back and watch it again, it is on to “videos you may also like” .
Hi Kymberlee,
So sorry, there is not a video available for this recipe just yet. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Just need clarification. Should the bacon be cooked before putting it in?
Hey Rachel,
If you are doing the crockpot method, yes you will want to cook the bacon first. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Oh no…I just threw it all in the crock pot. Did’t cook bacon as recepie didn;t say to. UGH. How bad could it turn out???? Stay tuned…
Hi, quick question, what size Dutch oven do you use for this recipe and most of your other recipes. We will try this!
Hey there,
I typically use at least a 7 quart pot. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Looks amazing! Yes. Same question….can we replace the red wine with something else?
Thanks for all you do!
disregard! Just saw your other comments….I’ll try Beef broth. Thanks!
Thanks Dana! Yes, you can use beef broth in place of the wine:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hey Tieghan!
This recipe looks amazing and I cannot wait to give it a try. Is there a substitute for the red wine?
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much Roxanne! Beef broth will be great to use in place of the wine:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Is there something I can substitute for red wine to not use alcohol? Also, can the meatballs be made gluten free? Thank you!
Hey Brittany,
Sure, you can use beef broth in place of the red wine and the meatballs are already gluten free:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
I am not a slow cooker gal so I did the stove top but put half of the meatballs in the airfryer while browning the other half. Saved me time from having to do batches because I needed make more meatballs to feed my teenagers. The airfryer meatballs were great because they got nice and crisp on the outside. Will definitely make again.
Hey Heidi,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!🌼