Description
This Slow Cooker Merlot Chicken recipe features tender chicken drumsticks simmered in a savory sauce of Merlot wine, tomato sauce, and aromatic vegetables and herbs. The dish is layered with crispy bacon, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onion, slow-cooked to perfection for a comforting and flavorful meal perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Meat
- 2–3 lbs. chicken drumsticks (about 8 drumsticks)
- 8 oz. bacon, sliced before cooking
Vegetables
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
Liquids
- ½ cup Merlot wine
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
Seasonings
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. oregano
- ½ tsp. dried thyme
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables and seasonings: Add all of the sliced vegetables (carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms) and seasonings (salt, oregano, thyme, garlic powder) to the slow cooker, spreading them evenly.
- Cook bacon: Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sliced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels. Carefully drain off most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons behind.
- Brown chicken: Add the chicken drumsticks to the skillet with the reserved bacon grease and brown them on both sides to develop flavor and color, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Add the cooked bacon into the slow cooker. Pour in the Merlot wine and tomato sauce, then stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Add chicken to slow cooker: Nestle the browned chicken drumsticks into the mixture of vegetables, bacon, and sauces in the slow cooker, ensuring they are mostly submerged.
- Cook chicken: Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Notes
- You can substitute Merlot wine with a red blend or cabernet wine for variation.
- If you prefer not to use wine, chicken broth makes a great alternative.
- To add more color and nutrition, add vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or spinach toward the end of cooking.
- Boneless chicken breasts or thighs can be used instead of drumsticks if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 2 drumsticks with sauce and vegetables)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
