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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.
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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
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Fabulous! I added an egg to the meatball mixture. I also just roasted them at 450 for 20 minutes flipping once instead of cooking them in the sauce. While roasting, I made the sauce then put the cooked meatballs in the sauce to keep warm until dinner. So so flavorful and delicious!
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
Okay so wow this is absolutely delicious. I went for the stove top recipe and I’m so surprised at how flavorful it turned out for how fast it simmered! The only thing is: I made the terrible mistake of trying to sear the meatballs in a non-Teflon pan and they stuck to the pan. Next time, non stick only. Looking forward to trying the crockpot version next!
Hey Caito,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🧑🎄
Made this tonight and my daughter who “hates meatballs” gobbled it up. Big win for the whole family!! Thanks for another great recipe.
Hey Kristen,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Made this last night for dinner and I think it was even better today. The flavor is amazing I made home made mashed potatoes to go under the sauce…. Mmm mmm mmm good!
Hey Whitney,
Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday!🎄
Omg! The sauce alone is worth the work for this dish. I ended up with over 2 lbs. of ground chicken, in my grocery order, so I used it all in this recipe and then sort of winged it for the amounts for the rest of the ingredients. I also used Romano cheese because I love it in chicken meatballs.
Next time I’ll use Parmesan and ground turkey because I overcooked the chicken meatballs and they ended up dry. (Did the stovetop method). Looking forward to the leftovers!
Hey Constance,
Love it!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Happy Monday!🎄
Dry and bland. Not my favorite HBH recipe.
Hi Melissa,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
I’ve made this twice now, love the coq au vin flavors but in meatball form! I did add an egg and some breadcrumbs to the meatballs to keep them together. Another winner Tieghan!
Hey Elyse,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday!🎄
Thanks for the recipe! I made the stovetop version tonight and my family really enjoyed it! Will definitely add to the dinner rotation.
Hey Natalee,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
This may be your best recipe yet! I did the stovetop method – browned the meatballs in the bacon fat first, in a Dutch oven. Set the meatballs aside until the sauce came together then dumped them back in. Covered and simmered and served over instant mashed potatoes with the whole garlic cloves mashed in. The flavor was seriously unreal. I am psyched for leftovers for lunch!
Hey Debi,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
This was a lot of work for a really dry meatball. I did the crockpot method with ground chicken. The meatballs were so dry. The sauce lacked flavor and depth. It was really runny. Thank goodness for the mashed potatoes, b/c alone this would have been terrible. Sorry, but I had to share my experience. I find that carrots in a crockpot don’t cook down enough. If I did this again I would use ground beef/pork for more flavor and a more moist meatball.
Hi Elisa,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if I can help with anything! xx
This was delicious! Here are some notes from my experience: I was afraid the meatballs would fall apart in the crockpot so I briefly seared them before adding them. I also roasted the garlic separately to actually get it soft, then mixed it with the mashed potatoes (personal preference). And this may have just been my second hand crockpot needing to be retired, but 4 hours on low + 30 high was not enough to get the carrots soft. Will make again, maybe stovetop or longer in the crockpot next time!
Hey Glynis,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
I will DEFINITELY be making this recipe this winter, but it’s quite a stretch to say it’s effortless!
I hope you love this recipe Mary!!
Is it possible to do this without the cheese? Any ideas? Can’t do dairy 🙁
Hey Mary,
How about a dairy free cheese or nutritional yeast? That might work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Loved this recipe but had just a few tweaks! I tried with a 93/7 ground Turkey and it was too dry, I’d suggest a higher fat content Turkey or to do ground chicken – I’ll be trying ground chicken next. I also added a little bit of beef bouillon to round out the flavor. Last I also found the crockpot the sauce to be too thin for me, I made a small water and flour slurry and added it to the sauce and it thickened nicely. Will definitely be making this again! GREAT flavor!!
Hey Taylor,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Happy Tuesday! 🎄
Can this work with beef+pork meatballs?
Hey Giovanna,
Totally, that will be great to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I did this dish stove top and in a rush. I let it simmer longer than the 15 min, and served it over the mashed potatoes. It was excellent! I’m finding in my older age that prepping all the ingredients first helps me get it done quicker, old dogs can learn new tricks:) Thank you for another tasty dinner💗
Hey Jen,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
I made the stovetop version last night for dinner and we really enjoyed it. I did a couple o things differently though. Instead of frying the meatballs, I baked them in the oven and they turned out very nice. I made the sauce in a pot and added everything and let it simmer a bit before adding the cooked meatballs. The meatballs maintain their original color this way.I also reduced the butter to 3 T. Was very tasty and hubby approved.
Hey Donna,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Happy Tuesday! 🎄