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I’m starting off slow cooker season with this easy and comforting Slow Cooker Chicken with Sausage and Mushrooms. This slow cooker chicken recipe features a deeply flavored gravy made with white wine, chicken broth (or chicken stock), garlic, onion, herbs, and carrots, and it also comes with the option to make it on the stovetop.

A close up of a plate of chicken, sausage, mushrooms and carrots

Table of contents

This dish is a chicken stew and a chicken casserole. It is also the coziest slow cooker meal. It takes about 5 hours in the slow cooker or 1 hour on the stovetop. You can truly call it classic comfort food. With just a few ingredients, you achieve deep, delicious flavor. It’s the perfect one-pan meal, with meat and veggies cooking together.

Best Chicken for Slow Cooker

Chicken thighs are perfect for low and slow cooking. They don’t dry out the way chicken breasts do, and because they are bone-in, they add so much extra flavor.  You can use bone-in chicken breasts, but be cautious of them drying out. Boneless chicken breast can also be used, but I wouldn’t cook them as long.


A slow cooker filled with chicken, sausage, mushrooms and carrots

Best Sausage to Use

Any of your favorite sausage will work, mild or spicy. I chose to use  chicken sausage. Italian sausage is also a tasty option because they are made with so many flavorings.

Browning Meat Before Adding to Slow Cooker

There are a few minutes of prep before adding everything to the crock pot, starting with browning the chicken and sausage (which is easy if you’re using a slow cooker with a browning function). This step is important for adding flavor to the meat by slightly browning it. Why use the slow cooker at all? Because after browning, the long, slow cooking process not only develops the flavors but also makes the chicken very tender.

Pouring gravy over chicken and sausage

Cook Mushroom Before Slow Cooking

I prefer not to add raw mushrooms to the slow cooker because mushrooms have a high liquid content. As the dish cooks, they will release their liquid, causing the sauce to taste more like mushrooms and less like the delicious wine and chicken stock gravy.

How to Serve Slow Cooker Chicken

You can serve it as is, bathed in the mushrooms and carrots for a great low-carb option, or you can add creamy mashed potato to soak up the delicious gravy. I have recipes for easy Microwave Mashed Potatoes (regular and sweet potatoes), a Mashed Potato Casserole, and Creamy Cauliflower Mash.

Creamy microwave mashed potatoes in a black bowl topped with chives, carrots and mashed sweet potato
Creamy mashed potatoes topped with panko on a spoon
A brown bowl filled with creamy rosemary cauliflower mash

Storing Leftover Slow Cooker Sausage and Chicken

Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in the microwave or in a pan.


If you don’t have a slow cooker, this perfect family dinner can be made in a Dutch oven or high-sided, large skillet.

If you’ve made this Slow Cooker Chicken with Sausage and Mushrooms, please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also leave a comment below or ask a question.

Yield: 8

Slow Cooker Chicken with Sausage & Mushrooms

Chicken thighs, sausage, mushrooms and carrots with gravy

Chicken thighs, sausage, mushrooms and carrots slow cooked with herbs, wine and chicken broth.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds (1.3 kg) bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ cup (68 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
  • 1 pound (453 grams) chicken or turkey sausage
  • 12 ounces (340 grams) brown mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup (128 grams) yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
  • ½ teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup (78 ml) dry white wine
  • ½ cup (118 ml) low sodium chicken stock or broth

Instructions

  1. Slow Cooker directions:
  2. Turn on slow cooker to low.
    Lightly coat the thighs in flour, shake off excess.
  3. Lightly coat the thighs in flour, shake off excess.
  4. To a large skillet or frying pan, add 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to ripple, add the thighs and brown a little on each side. Remove and add to the slow cooker. To the sam pan add the sausages (leave them whole for browning, or, you can cut them up if you like) and brown a little on each side. The chicken and sausages do not need to be cooked, this is just to brown and extract flavor. Transfer the sausages to the slow cooker.
  5. To the same pan add the remaining oil. When hot, add the mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Stir in the garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add the wine and chicken stock, mix well to pickup any brown bits. Pour over the chicken and sausage in the slow cooker. Add the carrots and submerge in the liquid. Cover and cook for 5 hours.
  6. You can skim off any fat that rises to the top of the liquid. To thicken the liquid when the chicken is cooked, strain the liquid into a pan and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon per ½ cup (118 ml) of liquid and use a whisk to dissolve the flour until thickened. Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed.
  7. Stove top directions:
  8. Brown the meat and vegetables the same way as the slow cooker. Add everything to a Dutch oven or high-sided pan. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 hour until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

Notes

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 257Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 80mgSodium 574mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 19g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

© Culinary Ginger
Cuisine: American / Category: Dinner Ideas