• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Chef Dennis
  • Recipe Index
  • On the Road
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Slow Cooker Chicken Merlot

    Published: Jan 11, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    204 shares
    • Facebook59
    • Yummly
    4.95 from 54 votes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest image for Chicken Merlot

    Slow Cooker Chicken Merlot is a hearty and delicious dish that requires very little prep time. After cutting up the vegetables for this tasty chicken stew, just set the timer and let the slow cooker do the rest.

    chicken merlot on a white platter

    Using your slow cooker to make Chicken Merlot not only makes cooking this delicious dish easy, it also allows the flavors to build during the slow cooking process.

    Another favorite chicken dish is Coq au Vin. It’s not a slow cooker recipe but its amazingly delicious.

    Chicken Merlot over rice on a white plate

    Not a fan of Merlot? Use your favorite red wine to make this dish.

    Ingredients for Chicken Merlot

    ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Slow Cooker Chicken Merlot. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Simple Ingredients

    • chicken pieces
    • onion
    • mushrooms
    • carrots
    • celery
    • cannellini beans
    • garlic cloves
    • tomato paste
    • merlot or dry red wine of your choice
    • chicken broth
    • dried basil or fresh basil
    • salt
    • black pepper

    How to prepare Merlot Sauce

    collage showing how to prepare merlot sauce
    • Add the tomato paste, red wine, chicken broth and spices to a small bowl.
    • Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.

    How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Merlot

    collage showing how to make the recipe
    • Add the chopped vegetables and cannellini beans to the slow cooker.
    • Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.
    • Pour the red wine mixture over top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 hours or high-heat setting for 2 ½ hours.

    Remove vegetables and chicken when the cooking has completed. Cover both and keep warm while you finish the sauce.

    collage showing how to finish merlot sauce.
    • Pour all liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan.
    • Heat the sauce over medium-high heat until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cooking long enough to reduce the sauce by half, until the sauce is thick and clingy.
    ladle adding sauce to chicken on a white platter

    Place the mushroom mixture on top of a serving platter, topped with the chicken pieces and ladle the sauce over the chicken.

    chicken merlot on a white serving platter

    Serve the Chicken Merlot with roasted potatoes, rice, or your favorite grain. You’re going to love this slow cooker recipe.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What can I do with leftover merlot wine?

    If you are not wine drinkers and find yourself with leftover wine, freeze the wine in an ice cube tray. When the wine has completely frozen, pop out the wine cubes and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer. The next time you need a little wine for a dish you can defrost a few of the wine cubes.

    What are the best chicken parts to cook in a slow cooker?

    When it comes down to slow cooking, dark meat is the chicken of choice. This recipes uses a whole chicken, but can be made using chicken thighs and chicken legs. Dark meat holds up better in a slow cooker. Chicken breasts will tend to dry out a bit from the extended cooking time.

    More Slow-Cooker Recipes

    • sliced barbecue beef brisket on white platter
      Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Barbecue Sauce
    • rack of chinese sticky ribs on a white platter
      Easy Slow Cooker Chinese Sticky Ribs
    • Guinness beef ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes on a white plate
      The Best Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Ribs
    • white pot with bbq pulled pork
      Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    chicken merlot on a white platter
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    4.95 from 54 votes

    Slow Cooker Chicken Merlot

    Looking for that perfect week night meal? Using a slow cooker to make Chicken Merlot is not only easy, but a great way to allow flavors to build gradually during the slow cooking process.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time5 hrs
    Total Time5 hrs 20 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American, French
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 648kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 3½ lbs whole chicken cut into pieces (or parts of your choice) skin removed
    • 1 large onion rough cut into chunks
    • 16 ounces mushrooms cut in half or quarters
    • 3 carrots peeled and rough cut
    • 5 stalks celery large slice
    • 16 ounces cannellini beans drained and rinsed
    • 4 cloves garlic peeled but left whole
    • 6 ounces tomato paste
    • 8 ounces merlot or red wine of your choice
    • 8 ounces chicken broth
    • 1 teaspoons dried basil
    • ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper more or less to taste
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the tomato paste, red wine, chicken broth and spices to a small bowl
    • .Whisk the ingredients together until well blended.
    • Remove vegetables and chicken when the cooking has completed. Cover both and keep warm while you finish the sauce.
    • Add the chopped vegetables and cannellini beans to the slow cooker.
    • Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.
    • Pour the red wine mixture over top of the chicken.
    • Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 hours or high-heat setting for 2 ½ hours.
    • Remove the vegetables and chicken from the slow cooker and cover to keep warm.
    • Pour all liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan.
    • Heat the sauce over medium-high heat until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cooking long enough to reduce the sauce by half, until the sauce is thick and clingy.
    • Place the mushroom mixture on top of a serving platter, topped with the chicken pieces and ladle the sauce over the chicken.
    • Serve the Chicken Merlot with roasted potatoes, rice, or your favorite grain. You’re going to love this slow cooker recipe.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1296mg | Potassium: 1586mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 8787IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

    More Chicken Recipes

    • roasted red pepper soup in a white bowl.
      Roasted Red Pepper Soup
    • tikka masala with rice and naan bread in a white bowl.
      Chicken Tikka Masala
    • bbq chicken sandwich with cole slaw and pickles on bun.
      Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
    • chicken francaise with lemon butter sauce on white plate.
      Chicken Francaise

    About Chef Dennis

    Picture of Chef Dennis

    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Jennifer

      July 14, 2019 at 11:17 am

      Question for you–in the recipe, it says, “1 pounds whole chicken cut up in pieces – skin taken off 3 1/2 -4”–does this mean take the skin of 3 – 4 pieces of the chicken? I was confused by this instruction. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        July 14, 2019 at 11:48 am

        sorry that wasn’t clear Jennifer, it was supposed to be a 3 – 4 lb chicken

        Reply
    2. Ricci

      June 23, 2019 at 11:16 pm

      You had me at slow cooker recipe! I have been using my slow cooker a LOT this summer, it has seriously saved my butt!!

      Reply
    3. Heather

      June 22, 2019 at 7:58 am

      Looks delicious. Can’t wait to make this in our slow cooker!

      Reply
    4. Swathi

      June 22, 2019 at 1:01 am

      5 stars
      I am all for the chicken merolt looks delicious and easy to put together as slow cooker does the work for me. Delicious meal.

      Reply
    5. Tasheena

      June 21, 2019 at 6:19 pm

      This recipe would be perfect for the ultimate date night at home. The Mister loves chicken, and I know he’s going to love this recipe.

      Reply
    6. Terri Steffes

      June 21, 2019 at 4:48 pm

      5 stars
      This would be fun to make for a date night at home. We love to cook, and this is fancy enough that we would love to make it and eat it together!

      Reply
    7. Catalina

      June 21, 2019 at 3:34 pm

      5 stars
      I love Slow Cooker meals! It’s definitely the best way to cook during these hot summer days!

      Reply
    8. Kathy

      June 21, 2019 at 11:38 am

      I honestly don’t think I have ever had chicken merlot before. This sure does look amazing though. I love cooking in the slow cooker, so I’d love to try this.

      Reply
    9. Rena

      June 21, 2019 at 10:42 am

      5 stars
      I have to try this immediately! I love recipes like this that you can throw in and forget it until dinner. It looks delicious.

      Reply
    10. Beth

      June 21, 2019 at 10:10 am

      This looks delicious! I love using my slow cooker, I think it makes everything so much easier!

      Reply
    11. Melanie

      June 21, 2019 at 9:55 am

      I am always on the lookout for more slow cooker recipes. I have not invested in an instant pot yet, so the slow cooker is still my go-to.

      Reply
    12. Melissa Dixon

      June 21, 2019 at 8:11 am

      I was just looking into new crock pot recipes and I love the idea of using more chicken in our menu each week as well. This is a great combo of the two things I need to incorporate more. Thanks for the idea!

      Reply
    13. Theresa

      June 20, 2019 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      We were in France last summer, so I’d really love to make this dish and reminisce on our travels. It looks and sounds absolutely delightful!

      Reply
    14. Melissa

      June 20, 2019 at 3:51 pm

      5 stars
      I love to use my slow cooker in the summer! Thanks for this delicious recipe. It is one my entire family will enjoy!

      Reply
    15. Sarah Bailey

      June 20, 2019 at 2:40 pm

      Ok now this sounds absolutely incredible! I am blown away at the amount of things you can actually make in a slow cooker!

      Reply
    16. Natalie

      June 20, 2019 at 10:07 am

      I haven’t whipped out the slow cooker in ages! Need to change that ASAP. I will be sharing this recipe with my family, they’d very much enjoy this.

      Reply
    17. Melissa Chapman

      June 20, 2019 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      Another winner of a recipe and so nice to use a slow cooker. I know that chicken cooked this way will be a favorite for so many.

      Reply
    18. Alexys

      November 06, 2015 at 8:47 pm

      Can it be made in a regular pot if theres no slow cooker ?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 06, 2015 at 8:51 pm

        yes it can, or in the oven

        Reply
    19. RavieNomNoms

      June 15, 2015 at 8:53 am

      That looks amazing Chef!!! Awesome recipes

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        June 15, 2015 at 6:29 pm

        Thanks Raven, it was a little taste of France!

        Reply
    20. Liz

      June 12, 2015 at 7:15 am

      Thank you for the nice recipe.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        June 12, 2015 at 7:41 am

        you’re welcome Liz and thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar


    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Fan Favorites

    • loaf of homemade artisan bread on a wooden cutting board
      Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe
    • 2 Maryland crab cakes on a white plate
      Baked Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
    • chicken parm with pasta on a white plate
      Chicken Parmesan Recipe
    • seasoned crispy chicken legs on a foil wrapped tray
      Best Baked Chicken Legs {Drumsticks}
    • side view of slice of bee sting cake being taken out of full cake
      German Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) Recipe
    • Tiramisu with a fork on a white plate
      Best Tiramisu Recipe {step by step}
    • overhead view of barbecued half racks of baby back ribs on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs
    • overhead view of veal parm and linguine on a white plate
      Restaurant Style Veal Parm Recipe

    Featured In

    logos of all the places chef dennis has been featured

    Popular Posts

    • crispy seasoned chicken leg quarters on a white platter
      Best Baked Chicken Leg Quarters
    • cropped-Gunniess-Beef-Stew-13.jpg
      Authentic Guinness Beef Stew Recipe
    • overhead shot of baked crab imperial on a white plate with sauteed greens and roasted potatoes
      Maryland Style Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial
    • close up of half a chicken salad sandwich on a white plate
      Best Chicken Salad – Deli Style
    • oysters rockefeller with a slice of lemon on a bed of rock salt on a white platter
      How to Make Restaurant Style Oysters Rockefeller
    • sliced dry rub roasted brisket with cilantro and tomatoes on on a white platter
      Easy Oven Baked Beef Brisket Recipe
    • rack of pork with end cut off
      Oven Roasted Rack of Pork {Pork Rib Roast}
    • sliced meatloaf with the rest of meatloaf on a white platter
      Best Meatloaf Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    INFO

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    SUBSCRIBE

    Sign Up Today and start getting my easy-to-make restaurant-style recipes!

    CONTACT

    • About
    • Contact
    © 2009-2023 · Ask Chef Dennis ·

    Proud Member of:
    Mediavine Publisher Network
    204 shares
    • 59