Low and Slow Chicken Thighs

Crock pot cooking never smelled or tasted soooo good!

Bone-in chicken thighs are seared golden, lightly floured then slow simmered in a crock pot with the flavorful stylings of Slow Press® Chardonnay wine, chicken broth, sliced baby bella mushrooms, whole red pear tomatoes & garlic – all finished with creamy whole white beans, fresh green beans, chopped herbs & a splash of Slow Press® Chardonnay wine.

  • Prep Time:

    12 minutes

  • Cook Time:

    4 hours

  • Portions:

    1 entrée (1 chicken thigh + chardonnay vegetable/bean broth)

  • Serving Size:

    4 servings
  • 1 Tbsp – vegetable oil
  • 4 each (1 ¾ pounds) – bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
  • 2 Tbsp – Wondra flour
  • 1 C – Slow Press® Chardonnay wine
  • ½ C – chicken broth
  • 1 C – baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 20 each – red pear tomatoes, whole
  • 6 each (large) – garlic cloves, peeled, cut into thick slices
  • 1 large – bay leaf, whole, dried
  • 1, 15.80 oz. can (1 C) – white beans, canned, drained & rinsed
  • 2 C – green beans, fresh, steamed, cut into small lengths
  • 2 Tbsp – Slow Press® Chardonnay wine
  • 2 Tbsp – curly parsley, fresh, rough chopped
  • 1 tsp – thyme, fresh, minced
  • to taste – sea salt
  • to taste – coarse ground black pepper
  1. Turn crock pot on highest setting and allow to warm up.
  2. Heat oil, in a non-stick sauté pan, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs (skin side down to begin) and quickly & evenly sear both sides to a golden color, for approximately 5 minutes total. When chicken thighs are seared, remove from the pan and place in the crock pot (discard the chicken fat/grease in the sauté pan). Add the flour to the chicken and stir to evenly coat the chicken & thoroughly combine.
  3. Add the 1 C Slow Press® Chardonnay wine, chicken broth, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic and bay leaf. Place the lid on the crock pot and slow cook for 4 hours, until the chicken is fork tender.
  4. When the chicken is finished cooking – remove the bay leaf & discard it. Then carefully remove each chicken thigh from the crock pot & reserve hot on a plate, keeping the chicken thighs whole and intact.
  5. Using a spatula works best.
  6. Add the white beans, green beans, 2 Tbsp Slow Press® Chardonnay wine, parsley, thyme, salt/pepper to taste to the broth in the crock pot & gently stir to evenly combine. Reserve hot.
  7. To serve: Evenly spoon the broth & ingredients from the crock pot onto 4 flat shallow bowls then place 1 chicken thigh in the center of each bowl. Top each chicken thigh with a little broth. Serve immediately and enjoy!
  • Searing the chicken, adds additional flavor vs. just placing the raw chicken in the crock pot.
  • Lightly flowering the chicken, after searing, will give the chicken additional flavor and help to naturally thicken the broth, as it slow simmers in the crock pot.
  • Wondra flour is a go to enriched all-purpose flour used in preparing smooth, lump free sauces – as it blends easily. Regular all-purpose flour could also be used.
  • Use steamable bags of fresh cut green beans for easy preparation vs. boiling the green beans. The beans can be cooked in advance, refrigerated, then warmed and added when needed.
  • Use a combination of red & yellow pear or cherry tomatoes, for additional color. Canned, diced tomatoes could also be used.
  • Chunks of tri-color bell peppers would also be a nice addition in step 3.
  • Mixing the Slow Press® Chardonnay wine, (canned) white beans, green beans & fresh herbs into the chardonnay chicken thighs; once it has finished cooking in the crock pot – adds freshness cues and maintains the color, texture and bright flavor of those ingredients.
  • Adding the 2 Tbsp Slow Press® Chardonnay wine at the end of the cooking, adds a rich and full-bodied wine note to the slow cooked wine/chicken flavors. It is a great trick to finishing a sauce or broth.
  • Chopped green or kalamata olives would be a flavorful addition to the recipe, in step 6. Drained capers would be another option.
  • Using bone-in chicken vs. boneless chicken, provides additional flavor.
  • De-bone and shred any leftover chicken (mixed with the other flavorings) and use as a filling for sandwiches, quesadillas or enchiladas.
  • You could also remove the skin and bones from the chicken and pull the meat into chunks (in step 4), then add the chunks of chicken back to the crock pot to make a hearty style soup/stew creation.
  • After step 4 – you could pat the chicken skin dry, then place the chicken thighs skin side down in a hot non-stick sauté pan to crisp the chicken skin – delivering extra texture and craveable appeal.