Slow Cooker Chicken with Fennel, Leeks, New Potatoes & Dill
Creamy spring braised chicken with fennel, lemon, and dill.
Daily recipe · March 16, 2026
A little about this dish
This slow-cooker dish leans French without falling into the usual stew playbook: silky leeks, fennel, and baby potatoes gently braise with chicken in white wine, then finish with crème fraîche, Dijon, lemon, and plenty of fresh dill for a bright spring lift. It tastes luxurious on a cool, cloudy day, but the pale greens, golden chicken, and glossy sauce make it feel fresh, elegant, and very camera-ready.
Ingredients (for 4)
- Fresh dill — 1/2 cup, loosely packed, plus extra fronds for garnish — chopped
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs — 8 small pieces (about 2 1/2 lb) — patted dry
- Leeks — 2 medium — white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, washed well, and sliced into thick half-moons
- Fennel bulb — 1 large — trimmed, cored, and sliced
- Baby potatoes — 1 lb — halved
- Shallots — 2 medium — thinly sliced
- Garlic cloves — 4 cloves — minced
- Dry white wine — 3/4 cup
- Chicken stock — 3/4 cup
- Crème fraîche — 1/2 cup
- Dijon mustard — 1 1/2 tbsp
- Lemon — 1 — zest finely grated and juice extracted (2 tbsp juice)
- Unsalted butter — 2 tbsp
- Fresh thyme — 6 sprigs
- Bay leaf — 1
- Black pepper — 1 tsp, plus more for finishing
- Kosher salt — 2 tsp, divided
- Olive oil — 1 tbsp
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🧂🐓⚫Season 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 1 tablespoon olive oil and sear the chicken skin-side down for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Flip and cook 1 minute more, then transfer to a plate.
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Step 3 — 🧈🧄🥬Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. Cook the leeks, fennel, shallots, and garlic with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for 4 minutes, until slightly softened.
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Step 4 — 🍷🥄✨Pour in 3/4 cup dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
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Step 5 — 🥔🌿🫕Add the baby potatoes to the slow cooker, then spoon the leek-fennel mixture over them. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
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Step 6 — 🐓🥣💧Place the chicken on top, skin-side up as much as possible. Pour in the chicken stock around the sides so the skin stays intact.
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Step 7 — ⏲️🍲👌Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
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Step 8 — 🍗🌿➡️Carefully transfer the chicken to a warm plate. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
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Step 9 — 🥣🍋🤍Whisk together the crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir this into the vegetables and cooking liquid until smooth.
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Step 10 — 🌿♨️🍲Return the chicken to the slow cooker for 5 to 10 minutes to warm through. Gently fold in the chopped dill just before serving.
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Step 11 — 👅🧂🍋Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice if needed.
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Step 12 — 🍽️🌿✨Serve the chicken with the creamy vegetables and sauce. Garnish with extra dill fronds, a little lemon zest, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
A final fox tip
This dish takes cues from French spring braises but swaps heavier winter flavors for fennel, leek, lemon, and dill, which keep it bright and modern. For an even more dramatic finish, broil the cooked chicken for 2 to 3 minutes before plating to re-crisp the skin. You can also replace the chicken with thick salmon fillets for a pescatarian version; add them only for the final 20 to 30 minutes so they stay silky.