Slow cooker bistro chicken thighs are easy to prep and cook all day in a delicious, rich red wine and tomato sauce. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta for a yummy dinner!
I seriously cannot fathom that we are just 4 days from Christmas.
I mean, yes, I've had my son's preschool Christmas show (nothing cuter than a bunch of under 5-year-olds singing and dancing on stage for an hour!) and I took my daughter to the Nutcracker. And we've had multiple Santa visits (another one coming tonight) and made ALL the cookies and done all the decorating.
But still. It's almost Christmas... what the what?!?!
And yet, I'm so ready and so excited and so into it. I have a few more Christmas movies I need to watch, a few last presents to wrap, maybe one more batch of cookies to make, but overall I'm pretty much set and feeling good about it all.
(I'm not normally very calm, cool and collected so I'm also patting myself on the back for being on the more chill side this year. So far at least.)
But let's move on to the FOOD!
I love slow cooker recipes, especially on busy days or days where I know I’m gonna be pressed for time at dinner.
And so many of you love crock pot recipes and request them too!
My slow cooker balsamic chicken and slow cooker apricot chicken are always favorites and my slow cooker tequila chicken and slow cooker teriyaki chicken are great for being so versatile and serving in wraps, rice bowls, for meal prep and more.
And today’s slow cooker bistro chicken will surely be a new favorite!
This French-inspired dish is full of rich flavors from the luscious wine and tomato sauce, the aromatics of the onion and garlic and thyme, and the tender, dark meat chicken thighs.
And it only takes 15 minutes to prep this for the crock pot in the morning, so it’s a pretty quick one to put together. (I know, even 15 minutes can be a lot in the morning but it’s not very labor intensive.)
I also love that it’s just ready to serve - no shredding or sauce making or anything to do when you get home. Just dish it up!
Oh, and I should mention, this is adapted from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever.
You might also love this Easy Coq au Vin for a quick and elegant dinner idea.
Notes on slow cooker bistro chicken:
- I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this but the original calls for bone-in, which you could use as well. (You do need to remove the skin though.)
- You could also substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts here if you prefer.
- I used a Cabernet Sauvignon for the wine, but any dry red wine will do. Use some in the recipe and save the rest for dinner!
- Next time, I think I’ll add some mushrooms to this. If you want to as well, I’d suggest a 16 oz. package of white button mushrooms, sliced, added to the pan along with the onions to soften slightly. Yum!
We served our slow cooker bistro chicken with mashed potatoes and I highly recommend that! The creamy potatoes are perfect for soaking up some of that extra sauce!
But I think pasta or rice would be great, too. Or just a great loaf of bread that you can tear into pieces to sop up the juices on your plate. Deliciousness!
Add your favorite steamed veggie — we had broccolini here — or my quick and easy green beans with mustard butter sauce and dinner is served!
I’ll be skipping Monday since it’s Christmas but I’ll be back next Thursday with a light and fresh salad to get us ready for a fresh start in the new year.
Happy holidays!
XO,
Kathryn
Slow cooker bistro chicken thighs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see notes)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 14 or 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
For serving
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken in the skillet until well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to the insert of the slow cooker.
- Lower the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet. Add the onions, garlic and thyme and sauté until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the wine and tomatoes to the pan and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and pour over the chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve over mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
We had a super busy week last week getting ready and a bunch of parties, but I feel pretty good about it this week...not too rushed or anything and just plain excited for the big day and some time off for a little r & r 🙂 Chicken thighs have been my favourite lately and love that these are in the slow cooker...kinda set it and forget about it,...maybe while I have a glass of vino or rum spiked eggnog perhaps 😉 Merry Christmas to you and your family, my friend! XO
Kathryn
Yay, so happy you have a relaxing holiday weekend to look forward to! Enjoy my friend! XO
Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian
Great job being so prepared! I am envious...I feel like a chicken running around with my head cut off because I left so much for last minute. Going to try and power thru it all today so starting tomorrow we can just celebrate with xmas movies and hot cocoa.
This recipe is beautiful, I am such a huge fan of chicken thighs that I am definitely bookmarking this for later!
Kathryn
I hope you can get through that to-do list and then relax a little over the holiday weekend! (And I hope you try this too!) Happy holidays!
Luci's Morsels
Slow cooker recipes are so perfect for this busy time of year! These chicken thighs look delicious, I love the idea of serving them with mashed potatoes, a beautifully cozy and tasty dish!
Kathryn
They really are - though I love them ANY time of year! 😊
Karly
Drooling already. These look so bold and full of amazing flavors- the most perfect family dinner!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Karly!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Oooh pinning this now and I think I'll do what you want to next time - add some mushrooms in!
Kathryn
Thanks Deanna! I'm definitely trying that next time - but let me know how it is if you beat me to it! 😊
Meredith
This chicken looks delicious! Pinning to try soon... slow cooker dinners are a life saver!
Kathryn
They really are! I hope you enjoy it Meredith!
anne
This is making me hungry! I 'm adding this to my slow cooker recipe collection.
Kathryn
Yay, I hope you enjoy it Anne!
Maria | halsanutrition
Definitely trying this recipe! We love chicken thigh recipes and I need to use my slow cooker more often!
Kathryn
I hope you enjoy it Maria!
Farrah
I'm all about slow cooker recipes, and I happen to have some chicken thighs I've been meaning to use up! 😀 Can't wait to try this out!
Kathryn
It was meant to be! I hope you love it Farrah!
Edward Curley
Your recipes sound great. However, you do not list the "amount" of ingredients. And "I" need that. The chicken cacciatore sounds great as your Bistro Chicken.
I am not a very experienced cook so I need the amounts.
Kathryn Doherty
Hi Edward, the amount for each ingredient is listed with the ingredient in the recipe card, such as 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil at the top of the list. All the information is right there. I hope that helps!
Tina
I made this using bone-in chicken and homemade tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes. It was amazing!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy you loved it Tina! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂