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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.
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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 559 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.
Made this in the InstaPot this evening, it was amazing, and so easy to do! My four year old is our picky eater and she loved this meal (she’s also a big fan of your roasted acorn squash ramen with beef), not a single complaint! Definitely going to be a repeat recipe in our home. Thanks so much!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! Have the best weekend!? xxTieghan
Used a whole pack of bacon ends because bacon.
Served with garlic bread because who don’t love starch?
Deglazed pan and added it to the mix… used merlot.
Bowls were licked clean.
Good stuff, will make again.
Hey Mike,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
This was fabulous! The only thing I would do differently is make the mashed potatoes separately. I didn’t realize they had to be fully submerged to cook and there wasn’t enough liquid so a bunch of them were only half cooked and I had to boil them up afterwards. Otherwise super delicious and way easier than traditional coq au vin.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
I made this in the slow cooker. The only change I made was added just 1/3 cup of (Italian Blend) shredded cheese (instead of 2/3 cups parm & gruyere cheese) to the potatoes and also added two TB cornstarch mixed with 2 TB water to the sauce at the end (I just prefer a sauce with more body). The recipe was absolutely delicious my husband and I LOVED it; the chicken (skin on and browned per recipe did NOT notice any fat), red wine (did NOT notice any “alcohol” taste), fresh thyme, garlic and then serving all over those sublime potatoes was wonderful (I added most of the roasted garlic to the potatoes, yum). Did not miss the extra cheese in the potatoes and the potatoes steamed perfectly in the slow cooker. I did think the carrots were a little mushy for my taste (but I used baby carrots instead of the chopped reg carrots called for). Really, really good – thank you!
Hey Patricia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Delicious! Loved this dish and every single bite of it. My family also loved it. I made it in the instapot and left the skin on the potatoes just because I loved mashed potatoes with the skin. Other than that I followed the recipe to a T. Tiegan I loved all your recipes, your cooking is beyond delicious.
Hi there,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
Hi, if I make this in the Instant Pot, when you say continue with Step 4, would I turn the Instant Pot to saute for a little while to continue to cook the chicken and thicken the sauce? How long would you saute for?
Hey Mary,
Yes, that would work well for you, just until the sauce is thickened:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I love your slow cooker recipes! This was delicious! I was wondering what kind of crock pot do you use? I’m looking to upgrade mine.
Hey Shannon,
Thanks so much!! Here is the link for my slow cooker:
https://rstyle.me/+OJZQKctgoTIyGdp0jhRkDw
Please let me know if you have any other questions!! xTieghan
Hello! Almost finished with cooking time in the crockpot – smells heavenly BUT there appears to be an extraordinary amount of grease at the surface. Would you recommend skimming off before or is it a case of, “where there’s fat, there’s flavor.” Thanks 😉
Hey Kim,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! It’s totally up to you, you can definitely skim the fat off of the top if that’s what you prefer! xTieghan
Do you think I could prep almost through step 3 of the slow cooker and then put in the fridge to slow cook the following day? Thank you!
Hey Margaux,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you think you can make this with boneless skinless chicken breasts in the instant pot? Would you do anything differently?
Hey Rachel,
You bet! You can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
The recipe looks wonderful! Thank you???
If using boneless, skinless breasts, cooking time would be reduced, wouldn’t it; and if so, by how much, please?
Hey Marcie,
Since you are using the slow cooker, you can keep the time the same, the chicken should remain super tender. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight. It is so easy and tastes great! The potatoes are great, the chicken was tender, and the mushrooms, carrots and bacon in the sauce were fantastic. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Lynette,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it! xxT
I plan to make this recipe tomorrow, but my family hates mushrooms… I know I can omit them, but curious if you have any suggestions of another hearty vegetable that would hold up in an instant pot that I could maybe try subbing for the mushrooms?
Hey Jay,
Celery would be another great addition. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was so afraid my husband wouldn’t like this because of all the wine… he loved it! This recipe worked so great, and it tasted amazing! Cannot wait to make this again!
Hey Jay,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
I was so nervous making this! And it was a bit more prep than expected but Oh Man! This meal was delicious!!
I didn’t add the potatoes because I thought I didn’t have enough room but, in hindsight I could have made room lol, I just made mash potatoes on the side without the cheese.
My husband liked it the first day, but loved it the second day.
Been loving your slow cooker meals while we deal with our renovation! They have been awesome and it’s nice to have something besides soup from the slow cooker.
Hi Nina,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
Question:
This looks really delicious.I have a six quart instapot. Do I just layer the chicken skin side up on top of the veggies and then the potatoes? Can I add a few mote pieces of chicken?
I want this for thanksgiving.
Thanks,
Amy
Hey Amy,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was SO delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
Hey Jennifer! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan