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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.
I made this in the Instant Pot tonight. It was fantastic! I added about 6 crushed saltines to the meatball mix so the meatballs would stay together better. It was served over mashed potatoes and was a big hit!
Hey Shelby,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
Made this during the chicken shortage so used turkey. Also had 2 fillings today so it worked out perfectly because I needed to eat soft foods. Every single item in this dish is delish! The husband said multiple times the meatballs are good which is rare.
Hey Katie,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
This was so amazing! I cooked on high for about 2 hours and served with mashed potatoes and veggies. I put the parm rind in the crockpot as well (like in the photos) which I think really infused into the meatballs! Only thing I would maybe do differently is try to thicken the sauce so it is more like a gravy as mine was quite runny and somewhat greasy. I am new to HBH recipes and so far they have been 10/10!
Thank you!
Hey Ilyssa,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for making it! xT
I made this last night and it was really good but the meatballs were super dry. The directions on here and the instagram post were a little conflicting. I followed the video and put the meatballs on top of everything else so they didn’t really cook in the liquid. I served it over polenta. I’ll definitely make it again but I’ll put them in first then everything else.
Hey Heather,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
The sauce and meatballs have a lot of flavor! I they are delicious. I made mine in the crockpot. Is the sauce supposed to thicken? I cooked them in the crockpot for 3.5 hours and my carrots didn’t cook completely.
Hey Karen,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! You can view int he video, the sauce isn’t very thick, how large were your carrots? xT
Excellent!!! I made with parsnips instead of carrots – a lovely dimensional flavor. This will be a winter go-to!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Any suggestions if making this the day before? Should I reheat in the crockpot and then broil the meatballs?
Hey Kathryn,
Sure, you can reheat in the slow cooker and broil the meatballs if you want, that should work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
From one Coloradoan to another… This recipe is simply the Best! The meatballs were tender and so flavorful, and that Sauce was so delicious. I used white beans instead of mashed potatoes as we are trying to be slightly healthier this month and that worked out perfectly for us. My usually picky husband raved about these meatballs all night. I would have never thought to put this classic dish together as a meatball but I am so glad you did! Ciao
Hey Kara,
I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
I made the stovetop version. Delicious! The “gravy” is the best. Definitely going to give the crockpot version a try as well so I can double it up.
Hey Mary,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
Amazing recipe!!!!
Hey Hannah,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Made the stovetop version of these for dinner and they were delicious!!! Could’ve drank the sauce like soup – so rich and complex in flavor. Great recipe!
I’m not sure why my 5 star rating was saved as a 3 star!!! 5 stars all around
Thanks again Katie:)
Hey Katie,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Delicious! Did turkey meatballs and cooked on the stovetop. I was nervous how the flavors would meld but it was perfect. Served it over mashed potatoes!
Hey Megan,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Absolutely amazing ! I was in the time crunch so I did it with the pressure cooker method but it came out soo good ! Served with mashed potatoes and butter garlic broccolini tooo die for !
Hey Agiee,
Happy Friday!!☃️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Probably the best meatball recipe I’ve ever made. Served it over cauliflower mash for a lower carbohydrate version. So delicious!
Hey there,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Super easy to throw together, and they actually cooked up quickly! I only needed to cook them for 2 hours in my mini crockpot on high heat. I didn’t have any issues with my meatballs turning purple, maybe because of the short cook time. They taste sophisticated and they’re different from my usual meal rotation. A great recipe!
Hey Mackenzie,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️