Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

Something about this Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin just wraps around you. Like an old wool sweater you dig out on a stormy afternoon. Deep, earthy flavors that pull you in—rich wine, garlic, that smoky bacon you sneak bites of while it crisps. It smells like you’re somewhere else entirely. France maybe. Or your childhood kitchen if you were lucky enough to grow up with good food. I made it when the wind wouldn’t stop howling, and I needed something solid. It didn’t disappoint. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients Needed

Main bits:

• 750 ml bottle of Pinot Noir (yes, the whole bottle)
• 225 grams thick-cut bacon
• chopped like you mean it 5 chicken thighs
• skin-on, bone-in—the way they should be 1 teaspoon kosher
• salt (you’ll split this up)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 450 grams crimini mushrooms
• sliced in half 3 shallots, quartered into soft
• slumpy petals 3 garlic cloves
• minced fine 5 carrots
• peeled and hacked into rough chunks 480 ml chicken broth (low sodium if you care, I didn’t)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste A few sprigs of fresh thyme—five
• maybe 2 bay leaves
• whole 225 grams white pearl onions, peeled (annoying but worth it)

For thickening things:

• 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted but whatever)
• 2 tablespoons flour

How To Make Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

1. Start with the wine. You’re not drinking it. Yet. Pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Let it rage for 15 minutes or so until it’s dark, heady, and smells like someone just opened a memory. You want it down by half—strong, sticky, and deep.
2. Next up: bacon. Cast iron pan or whatever gets hot enough. Toss it in, no oil, and let it sizzle until it’s properly crispy. The kind you’d eat right there if no one were looking. Scoop it out and leave the fat. Trust me.
3. Season your chicken thighs with some salt and all the pepper. Press them into the hot pan. Let them get brown. Real brown. No peeking. Flip and do the same. Pull them out when they smell like roasted heaven.
4. Now the veg goes in. Same pan. First the mushrooms and pearl onions—they’ll start to sweat and brown, smelling kind of nutty. Give them 3 minutes, toss, then 3 more. Then shove in the carrots, shallots, garlic. Stir it like you mean it. You want edges, not mush.
5. Everything—veg, chicken, bacon (keep a bit back)—goes into the slow cooker. Pour the broth in. Spoon in the tomato paste. Drop in thyme and bay leaves like you’re making a potion. Now pour the wine over everything. It should hiss a little. Stir if you want. I didn’t. Lid on. Low for 7 hours. Forget it.
6. About an hour from dinner, mash your butter and flour together with a fork. No lumps. Just a paste. Stir it into the pot. You’ll feel like you’ve ruined it. You haven’t. Let it ride for another hour.
7. When you’re ready to serve, stir in the last of the bacon. That salty crunch—don’t skip it. Ladle it over mashed potatoes, or thick slices of bread, or just eat it standing at the stove. I won’t judge.

Why I Love This Recipe

I made it on a gray Sunday that felt like it would never end. Everyone was a little tired. The dog wouldn’t stop barking at nothing. But when I opened that slow cooker—steam hit me in the face and the smell was this mix of woodsmoke and old wine cellars. We ate with our elbows on the table, tearing off bread, licking sauce off our fingers. It’s that kind of dish. Messy. Beautiful.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t skip reducing the wine. It’s not just for flavor—it’s the backbone.
• Brown the chicken like you’re building a house with it. Structure matters.
• Start with the veg at the bottom of the pot. They need the most time.
• Butter and flour? Mix it first or you’ll chase lumps around all night.
• Save some bacon for the end. Always. It’s the crunch you didn’t know you needed.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

• At Room Temperature: Leave it out for a couple of hours, max. Then get it in the fridge.
• In the Fridge: Stuff it into containers—Tupperware, jam jars, whatever fits. Three days easy.
• In the Freezer: Label it. Trust me. Otherwise, you’ll forget what that glorious block of red-brown stuff even is. Two months max.

Reheating:

• Microwave: Covered, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir halfway or it’ll heat weird.
• Oven: 350°F. Covered dish. 20 minutes-ish.
• Stovetop: Medium heat. Stir now and then. Done when it smells right.

Let’s Answer a Few Questions! (FAQs)

Can I use a different wine?
Sure. Merlot, Shiraz, whatever you’ve got open. Just avoid anything sweet.

Do I have to use bone-in chicken?
I mean, no. But you’ll lose something. That deep, rich flavor comes from bone and skin.

What if I hate mushrooms?
Leave them out. Toss in more carrots. Add leeks. It’s flexible. Just make it yours.

My sauce is watery. What now?
More butter-flour mix. Or just let it simmer uncovered for a bit.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 400
• Carbs: 15g
• Protein: 35g
• Fat: 20g
• Sugar: 5g
• Fibre: 3g
• Sodium: 800mg

Try More Recipe:

• Jamie Oliver Courgette Gratin
• Jamie Oliver Sweet Potato Stew
• Jamie Oliver Slow Cooker Gammon