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Slow cooker coq au vin is rich, rustic, and built for lazy day cooking. This French chicken and red wine stew pairs tender thighs and drumsticks with mushrooms, carrots, and herbs in a deep, flavorful sauce. As it simmers, the meat turns fall-apart tender and the sauce thickens into something worth sopping up with bread. A scatter of crisp bacon on top seals the deal with a salty crunch.
If you do not have a slow cooker, check out our Dutch oven coq au vin recipe.
Here’s Why This Slow Cooker Chicken Recipe Works
Slow heat, big payoff: Slow cooker braising melts everything together into a silky, wine-rich sauce. No micromanaging required.
Flavor from the start: Searing the chicken and sautéing the aromatics before slow cooking builds depth you won’t get from a dump-and-go approach.
All-in-one meal The broth, red wine, and tomato paste concentrate over time, creating that signature coq au vin richness right in the slow cooker.
Smart thickening: A final stir of flour-butter paste gives the sauce just enough body to coat every bite.
Ingredient Spotlight
Chicken thighs and drumsticks: Bone-in, skin-on pieces are best for flavor and tenderness. The dark meat stays juicy through long, slow cooking and gives the sauce a rich, savory backbone that boneless cuts can’t match.
Salt pork (or thick-cut bacon): Slowly rendering the fat builds the base of flavor for the entire dish, adding rich, smoky depth to the chicken and sauce. Thick-cut bacon is an easy substitute with the same savory payoff.
Butter + flour (beurre manié): This simple French finishing trick gives the sauce its signature silkiness. Mixing softened butter with flour before stirring it in ensures a smooth, velvety texture with no lumps.
Serve this dish with cooked noodles, ricotta mashed potatoes, or rice. Anything starchy and fairly neutral works well so you can sop up the sauce.
Recipe Tips
Brown the chicken well: Sear the chicken pieces until golden and crisp. That deep browning builds the rich, slow-cooked flavor that defines great coq au vin.
Pick a good red: Use a wine you’d actually drink. Pinot Noir, Merlot, or another dry red works perfectly. The better the wine, the better the sauce.
Bundle your herbs: Tie the thyme and rosemary together for easy removal later. It’s a simple French trick that keeps your red wine broth clean and aromatic.
Finish with patience: That final hour after stirring in the flour-butter paste lets the sauce thicken into a silky, wine-rich glaze. Totally worth it.
Serve a side: Mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles are the classic coq au vin pairing. Perfect for soaking up every drop of that savory red wine sauce.
Don’t skip the bacon: Rendered bacon (or salt pork) adds smoky, salty depth that seasons the whole stew from the start. Sprinkle a few crispy bits on top before serving for texture and contrast.
Use the right mushrooms: Cremini or baby bella mushrooms hold their shape and soak up the wine sauce beautifully. Avoid button mushrooms. They tend to get mushy after hours of slow cooking.
Layer for flavor: Add the browned chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker so the juices drip down, enriching the broth as it cooks.
Let it rest before serving: Once cooked, let the coq au vin sit for 10–15 minutes with the lid off. This helps the sauce settle and cling to the chicken for that glossy, restaurant-style finish.
If you prefer to skip the wine, substitute an equal amount of chicken broth with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar or grape juice to add acidity and depth.
You can, but bone-in thighs and drumsticks develop deeper flavor and stay juicier after long, slow cooking. If using boneless, reduce the cook time by about an hour.
Yes. French coq au vin tastes even better the next day. Let it cool completely, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently on the stove or in your slow cooker on low until warmed through.
Crockpot Coq au Vin
This slow cooker coq au vin does everything a weekend braise should, minus the stovetop babysitting. It’s bold, comforting, and seriously low effort. Just ladle it up, sprinkle the bacon, and pass the mashed potatoes.
If you love this recipe, try my Crockpot chicken thighs and veggies next. It’s another cozy, one-pot meal where tender chicken and slow-simmered vegetables soak up rich, comforting flavor.
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Slow Cooker Coq au Vin
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Ingredients
- ½ pound salt pork, or sliced thick-cut bacon, diced
- 8 ounces frozen pearl onions, or fresh and peeled (see Notes)
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, whole if small, halved if large
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 to 2 sprigs Fresh thyme, tied with rosemary
- 1 to 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, tied with thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet set on medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add the peeled onions to the rendered fat in the skillet and brown the lightly. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and add to the slow cooker insert.
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and, working in batches, brown to a rich, golden brown. Using tongs, remove to a plate as they brown and continue until all the chicken has been browned.
- Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and carrots to the slow cooker. Combine the chicken broth with the tomato paste and stir until the tomato paste is lump-free, then add to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the red wine and stir to blend the ingredients; then add the tied herbs and the bay leaves.
- Place the browned chicken in the slow cooker, just barely submerged. Place the lid on the cooker and set the temperature to low. Cook for 7-8 hours, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
- In a small dish, mash the butter and flour together to a smooth paste and stir into the slow cooker mixture.
- Cook for an additional hour to thicken the liquid slightly.
- When ready to serve, bring the slow cooker insert to the table and ladle the coq au vin into shallow bowls with 1 thigh and 1 chicken leg per serving with cooked noodles or mashed potatoes. Top each serving with a tablespoon of the reserved bacon bits and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I love all the flavors you’ve included!
Thanks, Jeff…it is really good!
This is jam packed with flavours and amazingly delicious.
Thank you Angie, we love it.