Martha Stewart Slow-Cooker Garlic Chicken With Couscous

Martha Stewart Slow-Cooker Garlic Chicken With Couscous is easy comfort food you brown and forget. Halved garlic, white wine, and dried thyme build a rich sauce over three slow hours. Spoon it over couscous for a cozy weeknight family dinner.

The wine and flour melt into a glossy gravy around every crisp-skinned piece. Brown the chicken skin side down for four full minutes, since that seared crust holds through the long cook.

Martha Stewart Slow-Cooker Garlic Chicken With Couscous

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Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

3

hours 

35

minutes

Calories

560

kcal

Fork-tender bone-in chicken swimming in a rich, golden garlic and thyme pan sauce, poured over steaming couscous.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (3 ½ to 4 pounds), cut into 6 to 8 pieces and patted dry
  

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  

• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  

• 6 garlic cloves, halved
  

• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  

• 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
  

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  

• 1 cup couscous
  

• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  

Directions

• Brown the chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. In batches, cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
• Layer the slow cooker: Combine onion, garlic, and thyme in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Top with chicken, skin side up, in a tight layer. In a small bowl, whisk together wine and flour until smooth and add to slow cooker.
• Cook the chicken: Cover and cook on high until chicken is tender, about 3 1/2 hours (or 7 hours on low).
• Serve over couscous: Cook couscous according to package instructions. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous, sprinkled with parsley.

Tools for this recipe

• Crock-Pot 7-quart manual slow cooker, Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet, OXO 12-inch locking tongs, Partanna Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, 1 liter. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this garlic chicken without a slow cooker?

Yes, use a large Dutch oven instead. Brown the chicken the same way, add all the ingredients plus 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, then cover and cook in a 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes. The result is just as tender, and you cut the total time from four hours to about one hour.

What cut of chicken works best for slow-cooker garlic chicken?

Martha uses a whole chicken cut into 6 to 8 pieces, which gives you a mix of white and dark meat. You can swap in all thighs if you want richer, harder-to-overcook pieces. Bone-in, skin-on is the move here, since boneless chicken dries out over a 3.5-hour cook.

Can I cook this garlic chicken on low instead of high?

Cook on low for 7 hours instead of 3 1/2 hours on high. Low works better if you need dinner ready when you get home from work. The texture comes out slightly more fall-apart on low, which most people prefer.

How do I store leftover slow-cooker garlic chicken?

Keep the chicken and sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the couscous separately since it absorbs the sauce overnight and turns mushy. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce.

Can I use rice or another grain instead of couscous?

Rice, orzo, egg noodles, and mashed potatoes all work well here. Couscous is the fastest option at about 5 minutes, but long-grain rice cooked in broth for 20 minutes is a solid match. The sauce is thin enough to soak into any grain you choose.