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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.
Hi!
Do you think it would be okay to use lean ground beef? Or is there a recipe like this for beef meatballs?
Thanks!! Love your recipes
Jonelle
Hey Jonelle,
Sure, ground beef would be delicious! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi! I plan to make this recipe for my parents when I’m visiting them in Ohio this weekend. Do you add the onions that were in the sauce to the finished dish?
Hey Lindsay,
You can go ahead and serve the onions or not, totally up to you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I made these meatballs today for two of my dearest friends that I quilt with. They absolutely loved them. Both even decided to buy your cookbooks and gift them to loved ones. I didn’t have ground chicken on hand I used Turkey which was a good substitute. I do prefer my food to have a quite a bit of spice, so I tweaked the meatballs with extra thyme & finely ground rosemary. I served them over your creamy polenta recipe & the meal was a major hit. I will be making them again. Thank you.
Hey there,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🎁🎅
any suggestions on what to use instead of wine we don’t use wine in cooking. Would chicken stock be a good substitute.
Hey Amy,
You bet, chicken stock would be just fine for you to use here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Made the stove top version with the roasted garlic mashed potato recipe, SO YUM! Perfect winter dinner.
Hey Kristen,
Happy Holidays!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you!🎁🎅
Looking forward to trying this, I noticed the recipe doesn’t call for olive oil but in the stovetop recipe it does. How much should I use. Thanks
Hi Bridget,
Just a drizzle of olive oil to coat your pot is great. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I made the crockpot version tonight… it was delicious. The whole family loved it.
Hey Julie,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
I made this tonight in a pot, not a slow cooker or instant pot, and it is amazing! I can’t see how a high-quality French restaurant could make a recipe any better than this. I added Fresno chilies in with the onions to give it a little spice, added a little extra chicken stock as I had additional meatballs, but it is a wonderful recipe. Extremely rich, decadent, and tons of flavor.
Tieghan has done it again! She is amazing and I hope she keeps up the good work.
Hey Barton,
Happy Friday!!❄️🧑🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Winner winner! This is one of the best recipes I have made from you! Did it last night on the Stovetop. After reading reviews, I cut my carrot pieces smaller, and I simmered everything for about an hour or however long it took to make the AMAZING brown butter mashed potatoes. The head of garlic got soft and it was delicious in the gravy. I did cut down on the butter for both and did not miss it. Chef’s Kiss! XX
Hey Anne,
Happy Friday!!❄️🧑🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
My family and I absolutely loved this recipe! The only issue I had was I didn’t have enough sauce. I made it via stovetop – any suggestions for more sauce?
Also, this is probably the 10th recipe of yours we’ve tried and are big fans of everything we have made – thank you so much! 🙂
Hey Priya,
Thanks for giving so many recipes a try! Hmmm, is it possible the stove was on too high causing a lot of the sauce to evaporate? Let me know! xx
Loved the taste, but the meatballs came out dry….. any tips? Would love to make again
Did you use all white meat for the meatballs? I find using a fattier blend helps keep them moist. Or perhaps adding an egg yolk…
Hey Lindsay,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear about the meatballs. Try adding an egg next time to see if that will help! xx
I know other people said they broiled their meatballs but I would advise against it if using turkey meatballs. They went from so juicy to hard as a brick. I wish I would have just broiled the garlic and rolled the meatballs in it and not broiled the meatballs with it. That being said the flavors were good. I ended up putting the meatballs back in the sauce and served it with some mashed potatoes and it was delish. Still would make again!
Hey Theresa,
Thanks for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear about the broiling issues. Let me know if you give this another try! xx
So so good!! Made the stovetop version for my husbands family and everyone LOVED it! Served with your caramelized onion crockpot mashed potatoes (also SO delish!) and will for sure be making this meal again. Just be sure to not overcrowd your pan so that the meatballs can brown before cooking through to avoid them overcooking/drying out while simmering the sauce 🙂 thanks Tieghan , always just so good!
Hey Molly,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
This was so good! It is the perfect cozy meal. I made it on a Sunday using the crockpot and ate it Tuesday. I did not broil and it was still delicious. Will make again!
Hey Hayley,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
Delicious! I followed the stovetop method. It was a little confusing but I tweaked and took some steps from the crockpot method. I broiled the meatballs and garlic at the end and it made a difference. The flavors were wonderful throughout and nothing was dry. Will make this again!
Hi Colette,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!🎄🎁