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Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes…for cold fall and winter nights when you want a fancy dinner, but need something easy! All made in the slow cooker (including the potatoes), using simple, wholesome ingredients that you may already have on hand. This dish is rich, flavorful, and so delicious. Great for both a simple family dinner and upcoming low-key holiday entertaining.
Looking back at this past week’s recipes, it’s clear that I am all about everything cozy right now. From Monday’s healthy bowl of warming ginger sesame noodles, to yesterday’s creamy french onion soup. All the cozy recipes! I blame the snow and frigid cold temperatures we’ve had this week. They’ve left me wanting to share my favorite cold-weather recipes.
Which brings me to this slow cooker coq au vin. It’s an all-in-one dinner, and it might just be one of my coziest recipes yet. It’s perfect for these cold, short, fall days.
I love Coq au Vin. For the past three years, I’ve shared a new coq au vin recipe with you guys…and I wasn’t about to stop this year. Last year I made these quick-cooking coq au vin chicken meatballs, but this year it’s all about the low and slow coq au vin. It’s a little more classic, but with my own little twists and tweaks.
Coq au Vin is traditionally a French-style chicken that’s slowly cooked in red wine on the stovetop. Some recipes require four-plus hours of cooking, multiple steps, a good amount of ingredients, and a lot of hands-on time. That’s all great if we have the whole day to spend in the kitchen, but like most of you, time is always an issue. Meaning there’s just isn’t enough of it.
Enter the slow cooker. It’s been my best bud the past few months and I’ve been using it at least twice a week. This is the perfect dish to cook low and slow. The longer this simmers away, the better.
This slow cooker coq au vin is easy, here are the steps.
First things first. This recipe looks longer and harder than it is. Honestly, it’s easy, but it does have a few steps in the beginning.
Why? Because I love to give you only the most flavorful recipes. And because I love an all-in-one dinner. Let me explain.
You want to start out by cooking the bacon, then searing the chicken and onion. Yes, this is first done on the stovetop before being added to the slow cooker. I know, what a pain, right? But trust me, searing the chicken will give you the best flavor. Can you skip this step? Yes, of course, but if you can make it happen, I’d sear the chicken first.
Once the chicken is seared, everything else goes into the slow cooker…
Including the potatoes!
Look, I love a dinner that’s a complete ALL-IN-ONE. So I thought, why not cook the potatoes for the mashed potatoes in the slow cooker along with the chicken. I wasn’t sure if it would turn out, but guys, it worked, and it worked so well!
The key is to leave the skins on the potatoes, then place the potatoes on top of the chicken so that they’re not submerged in the wine. They’ll cook up as the chicken cooks and by the time the chicken is ready, the potatoes are soft and ready for mashing.
Simple – and requires one less dish and saves on time.
I mashed the potatoes with butter, two cheeses, and garlic. I kept them simple, but creamy, buttery, and delicious.
A few notes.
It’s going to seem like a lot of wine to use, but trust me, it’s going to be great. The wine is the heart of the recipe, providing flavor while also helping to tenderize the chicken, so don’t skip it.
If you don’t love the idea of cooking the potatoes in the slow cooker, you can just skip it. We love the mashed potatoes with this dish, but it would also be great served over egg noodles or polenta!
And lastly, I’m highly recommending a side of crusty bread for mopping up that sauce…then maybe a glass of wine too. I know it’s only Thursday, but really the days all kind of blend right now. And wine with dinner is never really a bad idea.
And with that? Fancy Thursday night coq au vin? Promise it’s simple, it’s quick, it’s flavorful…and truly delicious.
FAQ:
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, but keep them nestled in the sauce so they stay juicy. Check for tenderness and remove once cooked through to avoid drying out.
How do I thicken the sauce without flour?
Reduce the cooking liquid until it lightly coats a spoon, then finish with a cornstarch slurry or a knob of butter for shine.
What wine works best?
A dry, medium-bodied red like Pinot Noir or Côtes du Rhône keeps flavors balanced and not overly oaky. Avoid big, heavily oaked wines so the sauce stays smooth.
Can I make this without bacon?
Absolutely—use olive oil to brown and add a pinch of smoked paprika for background warmth. Taste and adjust salt since you’ve skipped the bacon.
Looking for other slow cooker fall dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Slow Cooker Braised Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Tacos
Creamy Wild Rice Chicken Soup with Roasted Mushrooms
Slow Cooker Hearty Chicken Soup
Lastly, if you make this Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes. 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!
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 pounds bone in chicken breasts or thighs, skin on or off
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, halved
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
- 4-5 small Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
Slow cooker
- 1. Rub the chicken with thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve for later.2. To the skillet, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet. To the same skillet, add the onion, cook 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and place in the slow cooker. Add the garlic, carrots, mushrooms, tomato paste, red wine, broth, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chicken, skin side facing up. 3. Slice the top portion of the garlic head off. Poke holes in the potatoes using a fork and place on top of the chicken. Arrange the thyme sprigs and garlic around the potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. 4. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the potatoes and garlic, let cool slightly. Continue cooking the chicken with the lid off to thicken the sauce slightly. 5. Meanwhile, make the potatoes. Peel the potatoes skin away, they should slip right off. Add the potatoes to a bowl with the cream. Squeeze the garlic cloves out into the potatoes, using to your taste. Mash the potatoes and then add the butter and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.6. Remove the bay leaves and thyme from the slow cooker. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon. Serve the chicken and sauce over the mashed potatoes.
Instant Pot
- 1. Rub the chicken with thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the instant pot, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken. To the instant pot, add the onion, cook 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off. Add the garlic, carrots, mushrooms, tomato paste, red wine, broth, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chicken, skin side facing up. 3. Slice the top portion of the garlic head off. Poke holes in the potatoes using a fork and place on top of the chicken. Arrange the thyme sprigs and garlic around the potatoes. Cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. 4. Finish as directed above through step 4.
Stove-Top
- 1. Rub the chicken with thyme and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook the bacon in a large braiser over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve for later.2. To the skillet, add the chicken and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken, then add the onion, cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, mushrooms, tomato paste, red wine, broth, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chicken, skin side facing up. 3. Partially cover and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 4. Cook the potatoes separately. Serve as directed above.
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.
Hey! Making his one again and cannot remember if I put the bacon drippings – there is a lot- in the crockpot.
Many thanks, today and always-
Hey Betsy,
You can drain the bacon:) Thanks for making this recipe again, I hope you love it! xx
I did this on the slow cooker. The wine sauce turned the chicken purple.
Hi Brandi,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear your chicken was purple. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Hoping it tasted okay! xT
That is totally normal for coq au vin.
Hi! Just made the Instant Pot version and it was so unbelievable good!! definitely going in our rotation. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Hi Emily,
Happy Fall Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Hi!! We made this!!! I LOVED IT!!! It is like my grandmother and mother’s pot roast except with chicken. However, I only do pot roast in the oven.
When I searched for a coq a vin (spell?) recipe in a crockpot, you are the one I put in the search engine. Of course!!!
Oh, and I had no issue with the potatoes being ready because I used small Yukon gold.
T- thanks for all the delish and inspirational recipes you share with us.
Betsy Stevenson
Jackson, Wy
Hey Eliza,
Wonderful! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for trying it! Have the best autumn weekend! xT
Overall a delicious recipe, but similar to some other commenters, I also had an issue with the potato not being ready after 4 hours on high in the crockpot. I’m not sure if it’s because the recipe says to place the potatoes at the top, or if it’s because “small” can be a little subjective when purchasing potatoes.
The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the carrots were almost done at the 4 hour mark. I let the carrots continue cooking for another 30 mins while I dealt with microwaving the potatoes to quickly soften them up. I really liked the flavors and spices used in the recipe. I plan to make this again, but I’ll just do the potatoes on the stovetop separately.
Thanks so much, Kendra! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it! Sorry to hear about the potatoes! x
This was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever made!! It takes some effort to prep but once in the slow cooker it was worth every bit. Everything turned out perfectly. Thank you!
Hi Anne! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
Hi I am doing the slow cooker instructions, I am wondering, how would I modify the steps if I am not doing the potato part?
Hi Billy,
You can just keep the recipe as written without the potatoes:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hello, this recipe sounds very good, going to try it tomorrow night. Question about the type of potato? The recipe calls for Yukon Gold, but the picture shows a Russet Potato?
Hi there! Either will work! 🙂 xT
The video on your Instagram shows the chicken dredged in flour, but I don’t see that on the recipe?
Hey Alysa,
I think you are looking for this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-pot-coq-au-vin/
I hope this helps! xT
I want to know if this recipe is ok to double
Hi Vicki,
Yes, of course, you just want to be sure your pot is large enough to handle all of the ingredients! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Not a winner tonight. I’ve made half a dozen HBH crockpots over the last couple weeks and all delicious. This one mostly tasked good but something went wrong. Followed directions to the letter, chicken turned out great (normally turns out a little dry), but both carrots and potatoes were practically raw. And I cut my carrots much smaller than pictured. Puzzling, to say the least. The sauce and chicken were very, very good though.
Hi Meredith,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear the carrots and potatoes did not turn out for you. I have no idea why this would have happened. You placed the carrots and potatoes under the chicken, right? Let me know how I can help! xx
Excellent! Love that all the work is done before the guests arrive and all in one pot! Potatoes were exceptionally good and easy as well!! Thank you!!
Hey Steph,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this dish, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Made this (crockpot) for a dinner party last night. It was a hit! So tasty and not hard at all to make. The potatoes were so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hey Melissa,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Could I do this with boneless chicken breasts? Could I cube the chicken prior to cooking?
Hi Katie,
Sure, you could use boneless chicken breasts, I would keep them whole for cooking:) I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Excellent recipe overall, pretty easy to make and I did not really change anything just following the steps according to the directions. The potatoes turned out great as well but I left the skins on.
Now I’m not a chef but one thing I would do next time when I make this is to add the Tom paste to the onionsat the end, then mix with a little flour and then add in the wine to that and simmer for a few min prior to adding to the crackpot. This recipe is a keeper for sure…. glad I found it. Thanks for the great recipe Tieghan…
Topher
Hey Topher,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this dish turned out nicely for you and I appreciate you making it! xT
Ya’ll. This recipe is heart warming and magical. It is so easy to make and pleases all the hungry mouths in my house ranging from age 60 to 1 year. This is a go to comfort food for me and leftovers are just as good, if not better the next day. Thanks for sharing this love, Tieghan!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday!!😎 I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and your comment! xx
Hello! Excited to try this recipe this weekend. A previous person commented about the potatoes being raw, and you asked if she had the potatoes under the chicken. However, the directions have the potatoes and garlic on top of the chicken. Can you clarify those directions please?
What can I substitute for bacon since my significant other does not eat pork?
Hey Denise,
How about turkey bacon? That would work well for you! Let me know if you have any other questions! xT