Slow Cooker Chicken with Baby Potatoes, Leeks & Tarragon
Elegant French-inspired spring braise with potatoes, leeks, and herbs.
Daily recipe · May 01, 2026
A little about this dish
This slow-cooker dish takes a French-inspired spring direction by pairing tender baby potatoes with leeks, fennel, white wine, Dijon, and a glossy herb finish. Instead of a predictable stew, it lands somewhere between a rustic braise and an elegant market-garden supper, with sweet peas and fresh tarragon added at the end for brightness, color, and a beautiful seasonal feel.
Ingredients (for 4)
- Baby yukon gold or fingerling potatoes — 1 1/2 lb — halve if large
- Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs — 8 pieces (about 2 1/2 lb) — pat dry
- Large leeks — 2 — use white and light green parts only, halve lengthwise and slice
- Medium fennel bulb — 1 — thinly slice; reserve fronds
- Medium shallots — 2 — thinly slice
- Garlic cloves — 4 cloves — mince
- Dry white wine — 3/4 cup
- Chicken stock — 3/4 cup
- Crème fraîche — 1/2 cup
- Dijon mustard — 1 1/2 tbsp
- Frozen peas — 1 cup
- Lemon — 1 — finely grate zest and juice to yield 1 tbsp juice
- Fresh tarragon — 2 tbsp, plus extra for garnish — chop; reserve extra leaves for garnish
- Fresh chives — 2 tbsp — finely slice
- Unsalted butter — 2 tbsp
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp
- Kosher salt — 2 tsp, plus more to taste
- Black pepper — 1 tsp, plus more to finish
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🧂🍗⚫Sprinkle the chicken thighs all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
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Step 2 — 🔥🍳🍗Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then sear the chicken skin-side down for 4 to 5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate; it does not need to be fully cooked yet.
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Step 3 — 🧈🥬🧄Lower the heat to medium. Add the unsalted butter, then cook the leeks, fennel, shallots, and garlic with a small pinch of salt for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned.
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Step 4 — 🍷🥄✨Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the skillet. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
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Step 5 — 🥔🥣🍯Add the potatoes and the softened leek-fennel mixture to the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the Dijon mustard.
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Step 6 — 🐓🕒🍲Place the chicken thighs on top, skin-side up. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
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Step 7 — 🥄🍋🟢Move the chicken to a warm plate. Stir the crème fraîche, frozen peas, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped tarragon, and chives into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, until the peas are bright and heated through.
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Step 8 — 👅🧂👌Taste the sauce and add more salt and black pepper if needed.
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Step 9 — 🔥🥵🍗If you want crispier skin, place the chicken under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes until the skin is more golden and crisp.
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Step 10 — 🍽️🌿✨Spoon the potatoes, vegetables, and sauce into bowls or onto a platter. Top with the chicken and finish with extra tarragon leaves, reserved fennel fronds, cracked black pepper, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
A final fox tip
This dish feels very French because of the leeks, fennel, Dijon, wine, crème fraîche, and tarragon, but the slow cooker makes it weeknight-friendly. If you want a more luxurious version, add sautéed mushrooms with the leeks. For a lighter variation, use boneless skinless thighs and skip the broiling step. Kids can help stir the sauce at the end and scatter the herbs for the final Instagram-worthy finish.